Charles and I played football in high school. We played for the Santa Ana Mountaineers. I played quarterback and defensive halfback. Charles was tough. He played halfback and fullback on offense, and halfback on defense.

One time, Santa Ana was playing Crossplains. They had a star running back named Jim Kade, who was a real tough, big, fast back. During this game, Charles and I combined on a tackle of big Jim. He had just passed the line of scrimmage, and was getting up to speed. It was one of the only times I recall Charles and I working together on a tackle. It was a good tackle. I can still hear the leather popping.

I was a bit addled after the tackle, so coach D.W. McBride took me out of the game for a bit. As I sat on the bench, I recall the players on the sideline patting me on the shoulders and saying “great tackle!” We didn’t hurt big Jim, but the sound of the hit was enough to gather some good notoriety. We weren’t afraid to hit him, even though he was big, fast, and tough.