As some of you may know, I chase storms for a local TV station here in Amarillo. In the off season, I also film high school football for the sports show on Friday nights.
I happened to be in Happy, TX for the first time last Friday night. I had always heard and seen the guy that dresses up and cheers the team on, but to see him in person was a true awe inspiring experience.
The guy saw that I was with the media, so he came over to chat with me. All I can say is, what a genuinely nice guy he is. We got to talking and I found out that he is 47 years old. He is 5'11 and a solid 260 lbs. I hope I'm in half the shape as this guy when I'm his age. I really couldn't believe he was 47.
I also found out a couple more things. He dresses like this for every game...home or away. Here is an interesting statistic. He has only missed one game in the past 18 years!!! WOW!!! What a true fan of this Texas 6 man team. The game he missed was due to being in the hospital with pneumonia.
I just couldn't believe how true and dedicated this guy was to his team. I just can't give enough respect to someone of this caliber.
The story of him dressing up and putting on the makeup goes something like this. He was watching the Raiders play one Sunday and wondered what it would be like to dress up as a fan and bring spirit to the players of Happy, TX. He tried it one Friday, and he has done it for 18 years. He told me that if he can be a true fan in the stands every Friday, that it was worth every second of his time. He said he just wants to be someone the players can look up to. I think there are a lot more than players looking up to this guy...me being one of them.
Hope there are many more Fridays in your life sir...
Here is a link to the video I took of him: HAPPY COWBOY
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