FATHER BRAD ADDS TO COLT LORE
By Danny Reagan / Abilene, Texas
Enjoying the TV announcers of the UT games and their anecdotes? Colt McCoy's father Brad is.
I talked to him by phone Tuesday afternoon before he took his Graham Steers out on the practice field.
I wanted to ask him about some of the lore already surfacing on television broadcasts.
What about Brad sprinkling some Texas dirt under the hospital bed where Colt was born in Hobbs, N.M., so he could say Colt was born on Texas soil?
"I'll have to plead the Fifth (Amendment) on that one," he said. I couldn't tell if Brad was embarrassed that he actually did that deed long ago or if he just didn't want to spoil the "Colt Lore" already forming.
It's a great story, true or not.
But another story is absolutely true, says Brad, who is enjoying the fact that his high school team has a bye week and his trip to Nebraska won't be so hectic.
Confirmed is the story about Colt who, as ballboy at age 8, was standing on the sidelines during a game his father was coaching.
"Dad, if you run a screen now, it'll work," he said. So, dad called a screen and it worked ... for a touchdown!
"Yeah, that happened," said Brad.
Also, the recent story about Colt getting a rousing round of applause from his classmates the Monday morning following the Oklahoma game when he went to class. Yes, true!
"He really hates the limelight," said Brad of his son. "It's really so overwhelming for him."
Brad said that this past Monday, following the record-setting six TDs against Baylor, Colt decided to skip class because he didn't want the extra attention.
One thing Brad nor I can remember, however, is if Colt has been named Player of the Game for all of this season's UT telecasts. I think he has, even in the Ohio State loss. Brad just isn't sure. Guess I should've asked ol' Mom. I bet Debra McCoy knows.
I still get a kick out of the TV broadcasters. Some of them butcher the word Tuscola. It's pronounced tuss-KOH-lah.
I've heard TUSS-koh-lah and TUSS-koh-LAH. The latter pronunciation sounds like a menu item.
Broadcasters like to use the 2000 census number for Tuscola, which is 714. The population is probably more than that now since the quality of the school district has been improving yearly and Abilene keeps "moving" south. The lower the number, the more they can paint a "hayseed" picture, I guess.
The favorite misunderstood reference to Tuscola I've heard is: "It's probably the only town in Texas without a Dairy Queen."
Well, it's not, of course. There are hundreds of towns in Texas without a DQ, but if I were the DQ powers-that-be, I might think of building one of those belt-busters on the outskirts of town, where highways 83 and 84 "Y" off.
Just the big posters of Colt hanging on the walls should bring in enough traffic to justify the construction. And think of all the free publicity when the announcers can eventually say, "Yeah, and TUSS-koh-LAH finally has a Dairy Queen!"