I was a Junior in 1982. And a 3rd string tackling dummy. I remember idolizing the upper class-men! Man, I really wanted to play side by side with those guys! I had played football for 7 years, grade school, middle school, and ultimately high school. All I ever wanted was to play in the actual games. But like I said, I was a red-shirt who took a lot of hits. I was not a superstar. I did not even “letter” in 1982. I can honestly say that I'm not sure if I even played a single down in an actual game that year. But I followed the same training rules as everyone else. I got my hair buzzed at Smitty's, rode my bike everywhere all summer, worked my butt off in double-sessions, never missed a practice, and came home late every night to deal with homework after those practices. I was there bright and early every Saturday morning to watch the game films- that I was never in... We had something team-related, literally, 6 days a week. I didn't care! I was part of that team. I had the bruises to prove it!
So when Bill Straub, a hack for The KY Post, reported our win against Boone County, his account struck a nerve in me, even as 16 year-old, I was offended by his “in the end it resulted in the same old tired story” by-line when we won.

So, I wrote a rebuttal.
A couple of days later, I remember being contacted, by someone from the KY Post, asking me if I was the “Disgruntled Football Player from Highlands” who wrote the letter.

I confirmed I was, and they actually printed my “letter to the editor”!
After it was published, a couple of days later, the team meeting in the locker-room following was something I'll never forget. It was a normal pre-practice meeting to go over all the boiler-plate stuff for the week. At the end of which I hear, “Mr. Oliver, can I see you in my office?” That was Coach Herrmann.
I was sure I was totally busted for the disrespectful opinion I had publicly expressed... which called for Bill Straub to take up “paint-by-numbers” rather than comment on football... a real burn for this 16 yr old!
Coach Herrmann and a couple of the other coaches

(Skip Hicks, Victor Brown??) were there and he tells me to,

“Close the door.”
Then he just looks at me for about ten seconds, picks something up off his desk and slowly hands me what turns out to be a piece of newspaper.
“Mr. Oliver, did you write this letter to the editor?”
I take the clipping and inspect it. My name is literally in all caps right above my address.
No use lying, “Yes Sir, I did.”
“Paint by numbers?”, he asks.
I stand there looking at the clip, while everyone else is totally silent- just staring at me.
“Um, yes sir.”
Finally, after what seems like a life-time he starts laughing and says, “Well done. Now get ready for practice”.
I heard them all laughing as I went back to get ready. And even though they had pranked me pretty good, I have always felt like they were laughing with me not at me.
Of course we went on to an undefeated season and a State Championship, but honestly, that one simple moment of respect from Coach Herrmann was the highlight of my year.
The scans are from my newspaper scrap-book archive of the entire season. You can see my whole archive for 1982 here.

Congrats to all!
Brian Oliver