High School football down here in Texas, is King...I had something happen yesterday that brought back a lotta memories of my high school days as a Sports reporter for my high school newspaper...

I gotta call from a friend-for-life, a helluva good guy named Ray Gonzales, who didda pretty fair job of comin' outta da backfield for the Giddings Buffaloes in the mid-late 60's..He had left me a message on my cell-phone that simply said, "Gimme a call, buddy.." and I could tell by the tenor in his voice, that he was more serious than usual.

After delaying returning his call, for fear of hearing some bad news, I finally mustered up the courage to call him...

Stevo: "Whassup, guy?"...and after a pause..

Ray: "I got some bad news forya.." and without pausing, he continued.."The BIG MAN passed away today..."

...Nobody wants to hear this kinda call...

Stevo: " Ya mean Jack?.."

Ray: "...Ain't nobody else we'd call "The Big Man" outta Giddings High School, is there?", he replied rhetorically...and I could hear the sadness in his voice...

A flood of old memories came back to both of us and we both shared a few of 'em together..

A lot of you may or may not remember this guy, but in a little 2A school in Central Texas...This dude was....Legend...9-letters in High School...Scholarship offers from Texas A&M, Rice, TCU, and the school he decided on, Texas Tech, then coached by J.T.King...

(JT King...Texas Tech Head Football Coach)

....If memory serves me correctly, Jackie was about 6' 2' and weighed about 220 and was an absolute bad-as_s thunderin' outta the backfield...When he played...all eyes from both sides of the field were on him...Hell, I remember standin' on the sidelines in high school, witha clipboard in hand, fog and dust surrounding him as he stood-up after a 15-yard burst with 6 players on the opposing team, straggeled on the ground jus' strugglin' to get to their feet and the word magnificent kept goin' thru my mind...The dude wuzza warrior..bigger than life...That picture has stayed in my mind for over 40 years..

In Texas, that was what you were supposed to be on Friday night's....

For us, down in that small town of a li'l over 2000, he was a man among boys and I was never more proud of him than when Tech played my team, Texas on nationwide TV on ABC in 1967...he rushed for 103 yards as Tech upset the mighty Horn's 19-13...He was so instrumental in the Raider victory, that none other than Darrell Royal was asked after the game:

(Royal and James Street during the Arkansas-Texas "Big Shoot-out of '69..)

Reporter:  "Darrell?....Did you know 'bout Jackie Stewart, when you were recruiting?  He's from yer backyard down there in Giddings...." he advised him...

Royal: "To be honest withya...No....." and after a pause..."...But I dang sure do NOW..." 

Jackie was also honored by bein' named to the first team in sumpthin' caled "All-Super-Cen-Tex.." which honored Central-Texas football stars...When asked about it...He humbly replied..

"When they tol' me 'bout it..I thought it wuzza gas -station...but  I thanked 'em either way.."

Jackie Stewart was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in 1969, 9th pick in the fourth round and after a couple of years with knee problems, traded his football helmet in for another King in Texas...the oilfields...

But down in these parts, to people like me and my buddy, Ray...He was and will always be..."The Big Man..." and a helluva good guy...

Ya done us proud, Jackie...R.I.P...