By Ray Collett

Hello Readers, Well the "Bug" has left me after about four days and things are getting back to normal. I had a ton of email to answer, mostly about the "Mystery Writer," and no, it certainly wasn't me since I was a 1957 graduate. Here is an email from Harold Taylor (Class of 1958) who was a fine quarterback for the Tigers.

" I enjoyed your writings again, and laugh as I can identify with just about everything you write about. I have been searching for years for any film that may exist from the 1956 or 1957 football season games. It would be amusing to show some of those at the reunions and prove what liars we were. If some way you could make an appeal and some turn up let me know." Thanks Harold. Movies and films were few and far between back in the "good old days" but who knows. This column has brought out some strange things...

Talk about football players, I see "Cedar" Mee (Class of 1952) often at Hardee's. "Cedar" told me last week that during one game Coach Derryberry called for him to run for the extra point. Now "Cedar" always did what Coach Derryberry said..Nope, He drop-kicked it through the uprights. Later on, another touchdown, another call from Coach Derryberry for "Cedar" to run the extra point in..."BAM," another "Cedar" drop kick. Coach asked "Cedar" "Why didn't you tell me that you could drop-kick like that?" "Cedar" said, "You never asked me." Now, Ray "Mollyhair" ( don't you just love these nicknames) Knight (Class of 1948) was the kicker and a good one too, in practice, drop-kicking them through from all over the field. But in games I guess nerves got the best of him and he wasn't quite as efficient. "Cedar" by the way, was one of two Tigers who lettered 5 years. The other being Tommy Davis. No, he never repeated grades, he lettered in the eighth grade. Quite a feat. And speaking of feat...The quickest feet I have always heard of belonged to Wiley Ray Martin (Class of 1948). I used to watch him on the sidelines, "carrying the chains" and he could STILL outrun anyone on the field. Except Bobby Brengle from Spring City. "Cedar" once told me that Wiley would tell the other players that he would run twice as many laps, and he did. The rest of the team would run 30, and Wiley would run 60.
Just a note to Jim Brown....Coach Pemberton KNEW that you would hide behind the big old tree while running the laps. I guess that is why the tree was cut down.
The "Roane Reader" a free monthly paper that is really, really entertaining is publishing my previous articles now and recently the one about nicknames was published. I received some emails and snail mail adding to that list. Jerry Poston told me recently that his nickname was "Short-Leg Poston." He also remembers "PennyBack" Nance. Supposedly when he would buy penny candy, he would always want his "PennyBack."
And my friend Rachel Robinette sent me a letter adding these to the list..."Red" Green, "Cricket" Treadway, "Hopper" Martin, "Bug" Nelson, "Bean" Seward, "PennyBack" Nance, "Tookie" Huff, "Tad " Foland, "Pap" Foland, "Heavy" Grant, "Sunny" Meadows, "Sonny" Treadway and "Blue Boy" Wicks..Thanks Rachel..And thank you Jerry for adding to the list.

That about winds it up for another week...Rockwood's "Thunder Road" festival is coming up April 23, right around the corner and it promisees to be a really great event. This is sponsored by Rockwood 2000, a fine civic organization. Maybe I can find some "Thunder Road" movie trivia for next weeks column. I have more copies of my first 78 columns in a book "Rockwood Memories" available at "Live and Let Live," "Shacks," "Yonder hHllow," "O'Those Were The Days Antiques," and David Webb's "Rocky Top General Store." Or call me at (865) 354-7680 and I will mail one to you. Ten dollars plus two bucks postage. You can't beat that with a stick. Just ask the late Archie Campbell's son, Phil. He said that it should be required reading in all of East Tn. schools so the people nowadays could read how we grew up.......Until next week.....Ray