Page 116 - a-columbia-county-boys-recollections-and-memories-of-columbia-county-florida-(2012)-lenvil-h-dicks

A Columbia County Boy's Recollections and Memories of Columbia County Florida (2012) Lenvil H. Dicks

When I was getting my Masters Degree from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, Baylor was in the
Southwest Conference, as was Arkansas, Texas, SMU, Texas Christian, and other teams from the
Southwest. When Baylor played Arkansas in the fall of 1951, the seating situation for the visiting team
was exactly the same as it is at Florida field today. That is, the visiting team’s bench was right in front of
the host school’s band.

So, during the entire game 1 sat in the Baylor Band right behind the bench where my friend was sitting,
and neither one of us knew the other was there until the game was over and all of the Arkansas players
started to leave the field and I was starting to leave the field with the band, when we saw and recognized
each other. I do not know which of us was the most surprised. 1 did not know he had gone to Arkansas
to play football, since I had been going to college at Stetson, and he did not know that I wound up at
Baylor. We were very happy to have that short visit.

Since then he has provided me with occasional tickets to NFL games, particularly League Championship
games, and Super Bowl games.

After he stopped playing defensive end for the New York Giants, they kept him on as the place kicker,
but did not require him to work out with the team. He taught at Lake City Junior High School, where I
was the Band Director, and on Friday afternoons he would get on a plane and fly to where ever the
Giants were playing the following Sunday, and suit out and do all the kicking for them.

Sometimes I would accompany him on these flights to various places, and those were some of the most
memorable days of my life. I had the privilege of meeting some really famous football players.

He obtained a job with Radio Station CBS in New York City, after having done a weekly radio sports
show for Bob Doblestein, at Lake City Station WGRO, and with this little broadcasting experience he
did quite well as a sportscaster on CBS Radio. .

It was not long until he was doing broadcasts on television, first with Chris Schenkel, and later with
Tom Brookshier, and then later for many years with John Madden.

He has done the television broadcast of more super bowls than any other broadcaster in history, and
some of the most enjoyable weekends I ever spent was in attending some of these NFL games with him.
During some of the lesser important games in the season, I would sometimes sit in the broadcasting
booth with him.
By now you have already figured out that the friend I am talking about is Pat Summerall.

108

www.LakeCityHistory.com LCH-UUID: B423BA50-F22B-4D87-A44C-403308C92982