Cbz40
The Grand Poobah
- Messages
- 31,387
- Reaction score
- 39
Big Sandy feelin' the love for Lovie
By RICK HERRIN
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Mark McDonald's cellphone rang at 7:45 a.m. Monday, and he was still half asleep in his Chicago hotel room.
He and his wife, Allison, both from Big Sandy, attended the Chicago Bears-New Orleans Saints NFC Championship Game.
Allison rolled over and picked up Mark's phone.
"Hello," she said. "This is Mrs. McDonald."
"Hi, this is Lovie Smith. Y'all still in Chicago?"
The morning after Smith led the Bears to Super Bowl XLI with a victory over the Saints, he called his good friend Tony Dungy and was also reaching out to his friends from his hometown. He wanted to find out if they had a good time and if they liked their seats.
Lovie hasn't forgotten Big Sandy, especially its people.
Lovie Lee Smith, 48, is still as much a part of this humble East Texas town (about 100 miles east of Dallas) as he was when he was a star linebacker leading the Wildcats to Class B state championships from 1973-75. Smith has Big Sandy -- population 1,288 -- buzzing with Super Bowl anticipation and relentless support. Windows and cars around this slow-paced town read, "We Love Lovie. Go Bears."
"What Lovie has accomplished has brought this town together," said former Big Sandy teammate Jim Norman, who began crying when talking about what Lovie means to him. "It's hard to imagine you could have that much class out of one person. If you don't like Lovie Smith, you don't know Lovie Smith."
They see their former classmate on the sideline. They see their former teammate celebrating a victory against the Saints. They still see Big Sandy. They see family.
"It's still like he's part of our family and our town," said former Big Sandy quarterback Jimmy Shipp, 50, who grew more excited with every Lovie story he told. "We're just people from a little town, and for someone to succeed like he has is nearly unheard of. He always had a dream to be a head coach."
McDonald was one of the first players Smith coached when he took an assistant's job for one year at Big Sandy in 1980 after his playing days were over at the University of Tulsa. McDonald and his wife made a 3-by-4-foot sign that read "Big Sandy, Tx. Loves Lovie Smith," and it was caught on camera during the television broadcast.
"We wanted to send a message," said McDonald, 38. "We're excited about Lovie. This is not about our town. It's about Lovie."
Last June, Smith, the NFL coach of the year last season, made sure it was about his town. He accepted an invitation to speak at a Chamber of Commerce banquet, and the town got more of a glimpse of the calm-tempered coach who hasn't changed a bit. Even if he showed up in a white Hummer.
Smith signed autographs for an hour and talked with ex-teammates, swapping stories about Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher and Big Sandy football titles. But just how personal is Smith when it comes to his hometown folks?
"When I went to get my autograph, he said, 'It's Patti with an I, right?'" said Big Sandy elementary teacher Patti Rozell, a former classmate of Lovie's more than 30 years ago. "It's like our brother is coaching the Chicago Bears. He doesn't forget who were are."
In high school, Lovie was voted most likely to succeed.
"He has made that come true," said Gary Chalk, Lovie's second cousin and former Big Sandy teammate who lives and works in Marshall. "We just knew whatever he undertook he would be a success.
"It's actually Big Sandy out there on the sidelines. We're right there with him. When they dumped that water on him after the win against the Saints, we all got wet."
Lovie donates money to his old church, Browns Chapel C.M.E., provides tickets to old friends and sends memorabilia back home on occasion. He attended the 30-year high school reunion for his Class of 1976 and had Lovie Smith Drive named after him during last summer's banquet.
The small stretch of road where Smith grew up is a desolate and poor area not far from downtown. His old house has burned down since his family moved to Tyler.
Lovie's father, Thurman, who battled alcoholism, kicked his problem before the family moved but died in 1996 -- Lovie's first year in the NFL with Tampa Bay.
"They were very close," said Mae Smith, 73, Lovie's mother. "They talked football all the time."
Mae Smith, who has been blind since 1991, is headed to Miami for the Super Bowl to root for her son. She and Lovie's sisters will be making the long drive to Miami and don't have any desire to fly.
When Mae Smith, who held jobs as a cook at the hospital and lawn chair factory in Big Sandy, sits in front of the television she imagines seeing her son coach. Family members tell her when he's on camera and the pride overflows.
"I told him he was going to be a coach some day," Mae Smith said. "I kept telling him it was my dream for him to be the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys."
Mae Smith named Lovie after his great aunt Lavana, a name she says he never regretted. She thought all along she was carrying a girl.
"He says it was a good luck name," Mae Smith said. "I couldn't name him Lavana, for sure. It had to be something else."
Next Sunday in Big Sandy, one hour before the kickoff of the Super Bowl, the town will have a pep rally in support of Lovie and the Bears. The Big Sandy marching band, cheerleaders and the bear mascot from Gladewater High School will celebrate in a blocked-off downtown.
After the pep rally, everyone will head over to the Church of God in Big Sandy for a Super Bowl watching party.
Signs have already been printed, "We've Got That Lovie Feelin."
One drive through Big Sandy shows they truly do.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By RICK HERRIN
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Mark McDonald's cellphone rang at 7:45 a.m. Monday, and he was still half asleep in his Chicago hotel room.
He and his wife, Allison, both from Big Sandy, attended the Chicago Bears-New Orleans Saints NFC Championship Game.
Allison rolled over and picked up Mark's phone.
"Hello," she said. "This is Mrs. McDonald."
"Hi, this is Lovie Smith. Y'all still in Chicago?"
The morning after Smith led the Bears to Super Bowl XLI with a victory over the Saints, he called his good friend Tony Dungy and was also reaching out to his friends from his hometown. He wanted to find out if they had a good time and if they liked their seats.
Lovie hasn't forgotten Big Sandy, especially its people.
Lovie Lee Smith, 48, is still as much a part of this humble East Texas town (about 100 miles east of Dallas) as he was when he was a star linebacker leading the Wildcats to Class B state championships from 1973-75. Smith has Big Sandy -- population 1,288 -- buzzing with Super Bowl anticipation and relentless support. Windows and cars around this slow-paced town read, "We Love Lovie. Go Bears."
"What Lovie has accomplished has brought this town together," said former Big Sandy teammate Jim Norman, who began crying when talking about what Lovie means to him. "It's hard to imagine you could have that much class out of one person. If you don't like Lovie Smith, you don't know Lovie Smith."
They see their former classmate on the sideline. They see their former teammate celebrating a victory against the Saints. They still see Big Sandy. They see family.
"It's still like he's part of our family and our town," said former Big Sandy quarterback Jimmy Shipp, 50, who grew more excited with every Lovie story he told. "We're just people from a little town, and for someone to succeed like he has is nearly unheard of. He always had a dream to be a head coach."
McDonald was one of the first players Smith coached when he took an assistant's job for one year at Big Sandy in 1980 after his playing days were over at the University of Tulsa. McDonald and his wife made a 3-by-4-foot sign that read "Big Sandy, Tx. Loves Lovie Smith," and it was caught on camera during the television broadcast.
"We wanted to send a message," said McDonald, 38. "We're excited about Lovie. This is not about our town. It's about Lovie."
Last June, Smith, the NFL coach of the year last season, made sure it was about his town. He accepted an invitation to speak at a Chamber of Commerce banquet, and the town got more of a glimpse of the calm-tempered coach who hasn't changed a bit. Even if he showed up in a white Hummer.
Smith signed autographs for an hour and talked with ex-teammates, swapping stories about Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher and Big Sandy football titles. But just how personal is Smith when it comes to his hometown folks?
"When I went to get my autograph, he said, 'It's Patti with an I, right?'" said Big Sandy elementary teacher Patti Rozell, a former classmate of Lovie's more than 30 years ago. "It's like our brother is coaching the Chicago Bears. He doesn't forget who were are."
In high school, Lovie was voted most likely to succeed.
"He has made that come true," said Gary Chalk, Lovie's second cousin and former Big Sandy teammate who lives and works in Marshall. "We just knew whatever he undertook he would be a success.
"It's actually Big Sandy out there on the sidelines. We're right there with him. When they dumped that water on him after the win against the Saints, we all got wet."
Lovie donates money to his old church, Browns Chapel C.M.E., provides tickets to old friends and sends memorabilia back home on occasion. He attended the 30-year high school reunion for his Class of 1976 and had Lovie Smith Drive named after him during last summer's banquet.
The small stretch of road where Smith grew up is a desolate and poor area not far from downtown. His old house has burned down since his family moved to Tyler.
Lovie's father, Thurman, who battled alcoholism, kicked his problem before the family moved but died in 1996 -- Lovie's first year in the NFL with Tampa Bay.
"They were very close," said Mae Smith, 73, Lovie's mother. "They talked football all the time."
Mae Smith, who has been blind since 1991, is headed to Miami for the Super Bowl to root for her son. She and Lovie's sisters will be making the long drive to Miami and don't have any desire to fly.
When Mae Smith, who held jobs as a cook at the hospital and lawn chair factory in Big Sandy, sits in front of the television she imagines seeing her son coach. Family members tell her when he's on camera and the pride overflows.
"I told him he was going to be a coach some day," Mae Smith said. "I kept telling him it was my dream for him to be the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys."
Mae Smith named Lovie after his great aunt Lavana, a name she says he never regretted. She thought all along she was carrying a girl.
"He says it was a good luck name," Mae Smith said. "I couldn't name him Lavana, for sure. It had to be something else."
Next Sunday in Big Sandy, one hour before the kickoff of the Super Bowl, the town will have a pep rally in support of Lovie and the Bears. The Big Sandy marching band, cheerleaders and the bear mascot from Gladewater High School will celebrate in a blocked-off downtown.
After the pep rally, everyone will head over to the Church of God in Big Sandy for a Super Bowl watching party.
Signs have already been printed, "We've Got That Lovie Feelin."
One drive through Big Sandy shows they truly do.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------