I played with the best running back I ever saw in HS. Robert Stewart., he was big, 6’01”about 235 and fast. He signed with Bama and sent us all cleats because he got a new pair every week. He wound up playing nose tackle and I was in his seats for the ‘89 Iron Bowl. He was a monster as a Sophomore but the more hype he got the more the coaches coddled him. By the time he was a senior the coaches would take him out if he was strugglimg to “save” him for college.

His family was a poor as you could find but good as gold. I stopped by his house every time I passed it and was always offered something to eat. His dad was named Willie Jay and his mom was named Willie Fay.

He had two brothers who were just like him, physical specimens who never had to touch a weight to be the strongest ones on the team. James, who we called “Donkey Kong” because he looked like the gorilla was a monster defensive tackle. I’ll never forget one night during a game coach called timeout. I was playing one DT spot and Donk was in the other-in a straight up 2 technique. Coach jumped straight up in donk’s junk. He said “Donk, you’re the baddest sumbitch on this field and you’re getting whipped every single play”. Donk looked at him and said “I like it on two Coach”. Coach asked what he was talking about and Donk said “they going on one coach, I like it on two!” .

Willie Jay died year before last and I went to the visitation with my youngest son, wanted him to meet those guys. Country as hayul but salt of the earth people.

I have a good friend who played with Emmit Smith and he said that guy was unreal in person.