I always thought the Cleveland years, before Karen got sick were the happiest years of my Dad's life. I was wrong, it was the first year he met my mother.
Seventeen posts and I finally call my Mom for some clarification on a few things. I asked her if my Dad had had a good game in the Gator Bowl? She said, "Oh. Freshman year was the Gator Bowl and your Dad led the defensive and did the long snapping. All his games freshman year were good games. His best game was the game that sent them to the Gator Bowl, Michigan (she couldn't recall the U or State), but either way Maryland was a big underdog and your Dad at Linebacker shut them down. Had an interception to win the game. I have a newspaper clipping with his picture laid out, ball in his fingertips. Unbelievable!
His Senior year was the Sugar Bowl. I learned my Dad was still in the service, in the reserves. He was about to be called up for active duty to serve in Korea. My Mom said Colonel Byrd and Dr. Byrd wouldn't have it, said, "Your father was a Sergeant in the Marines, but the Byrds made him a Colonel in the Air Force and he worked out of the Pentagon for five years." Unbelievable.
Some of the clarification I was looking for was about his letters. December 31, 1948 was the last letter in the series. Where there any other letters from Jacksonville? Why are there only letters from the Gator Bowl, what about the others?
"That's easy, my Father wouldn't let me go. It was only Freshman year and I had only been dating him less than a year. I went to the rest of the Bowl Games because we were married."
That's amazing because these letters are like you were already married? "Well, we were already in love and from there we were always together."
I returned to my collection of letters from the courtship of my parents. There had to be a letter after the game. There has to be a letter with the score or how he played or how tired he was. After reading several letters during summer vacations or spring breaks and after every dated letter in my possession I finally found this. A letter from my Dad that says more about the man than any speech or eulogy or compliment ever could. I don't know what I was doing when I started this project, but now I know, he needed to teach me a little bit more about love. One of the greatest forces in the universe, you know.
My Dad writes this letter after winning the January 2, 1950 Gator Bowl. It's undated. The only one in the box. Somewhere within 36 hours of this game he writes this letter and drops in the University mail box. No stamp, no post mark, just, "Miss Nancy C. Penrose, Box 2584 U of Md."
The letter blows me away. He says nothing of the game. He is definitely not tired and he seems to have made his mind up about a great many things. "Tonight climaxed what has so far been the happiest year I have ever spent anywhere anytime. I have never known such happiness as I have had since we have been going together." OMG.
"For once in my life I really have the desire to make something of myself...with you helping me hill nor high water wont stop me!"
"Thanks a million for being so sweet to me. Not many girls would do the things you have done for me."
"..worthy of what I will get when I marry you. All my love_always, Jeff"
This was his inspiration. He went on to win an Orange Bowl and a Sugar Bowl for the National Championship, but what did I hear over and over. "Best thing I did at Maryland was marry your Mother!"
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