Rest in Peace, Earl Leggett

When I was a teen-ager, I had a summer job that required cooking and serving burgers at a small diner adjacent to a popular Texaco station in my hometown of Raymond, Mississippi. Both facilities were co-owned by the local community college football coach, Frank Young, and one of his favorite ex-players, Earl Leggett. By then, Earl was a major player in the National Football League--a Chicago Bear en extremis.

Coach and Earl were gentlemen of the kind we expect in the South. Either or both would stay after the gas station closed to make sure I was never alone nights, which were the busiest or the loneliest hours, depending on the volume of customers. I looked forward to the owners' company, as they always managed to teach me something of value about life, love or for that matter, cooking pesky burgers to the right temperature.

Of all they taught me--tips on health, family ties, friendships--the lesson I remember best and followed least came from Earl Leggett, that big galoot of a guy who was as sweet and as gentle in some ways and as tough and as bruising as they come
in others.

"When it's time to choose a man, Nancy, and the choice is Love or Money," advised Earl, "choose Money. You can always learn to love the sonofabitch!!"

Earl Leggett died recently during surgery--related, one guesses, to old and numerous football injuries. Earl was 75. He was beloved by those who knew and saw him in his daily haunts around Raymond. I am sorry I did not visit or see him after I retired here. I would have enjoyed telling him how dearly I've kept his words over the years if not the fruits I might've earned from following the advice he gave me.

In memorializing him, the local weekly ran a wonderful front-page photo of Earl in his football gear--circa 1954 when he led his team to victory at the Rose Bowl, site of the national junior college title game that year. The article also carried the eulogy presented at the funeral by TV sportscaster Howie Long. Leggett had mentored Long at the Oakland Raiders, where Earl had eventually coached and Howie had come into his own professionally as a defensive lineman. Earl clearly had gained Howie's love and loyalty over the years.

So now I'm wondering: what personal advice did Earl give Howie along the way? Not sure, but I imagine if it was about love, it probably was about faithfulness. Earl and his college sweetheart married young, had several kids and enjoyed a long life together. May this devoted husband, loving father and memorable mentor rest in peace. This great Bear of a man is missed by many.