[Old School Hound]

Interesting. I had no idea.
Cawood wins the basketball region in 83 if that happens. Lost in overtime on a controversial play at the end of regulation.

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Great time to be at EKU in the early 80s with Woolum throwing to Bird for a 1-AA championship. His uncle, Bob Howard, was the first principal at HCHS and one of the all-time great cross country and track coaches in Harlan County.

I was at EKU when Bird, Woolum and Roy  were winning national championships. It was a very exciting time to be living in Richmond.

We probably passed each other in the Wallace Building or Powell Cafeteria. I was at Todd Hall from fall of 81 to spring of 84. The TBS game against Murray was pretty amazing, along with the Tennessee State game in the national semifinals.

There's no doubt we passed each other many times in the years we were there. Most of my time each day was spent between the Powell and Wallace Buildings. Most of my classes were in the Wallace. Then it was over to the Powell to relax and nap, and sometimes listen to Brother Jed and Sister Cindy preach fire and brimstone outside of the Powell building.  Truly one of the most fun times of my life. I didn't realize back then how quickly it would go by. I'd give anything to go back to those days. 

I loved my time at Eastern. My mother lived in Richmond at the time, so I got to spend a lot of time with her and enjoy her home cooking.  Did you ever go down to Ma Kelly's for some home cooked meals?  She operated a little restaurant out of her house down around first or second street. The college kids loved her. In the late 80's and early 90's I became friends with, and attended church with Ma and some of her family members. Wonderful woman.

Yeah, a lot of my classes were at Wallace, but journalism moved to the Donovan Annex (Model basically) my last two years, so I was over there more after that. I didn't know the names of the preachers but I remember stopping and listeniing to them on occasion. They were intense.
I had friends who went to Ma Kelly's, but I never did. I was a regular at the steak houses on the bypass, including the one near where the new mall is now. Melvin Turpin stopped in one Thursday and sat at the next table. Yes, a great time to be at EKU. I went back last spring and walked around with my former roommate, who was back from Japan and the Navy.

I still like to go up and walk around campus but it's pretty bittersweet.  My mom and stepdad are gone now. For most of my time in Richmond I stayed with them in their house off of third street. Coach Kidd is gone. Most of my favorite teachers I had there have passed. Lot of good memories, but once you reach my age it makes you sad to realize how those good times passed so quickly and how life was so much simpler back then. Like I said, best time of my life , made all the more special with Tuck from Pineville, and Steve and Coach Kidd, two Corbin legends, leading the football team to four straight 1-AA national championship game appearances. 

Anyone else a little surprised that Bird was never given the opportunity to lead the Colonels as head coach at some point during the post-Kidd years? He's been in coaching for over 25 years now, with assistant coaching stints at EKU, UK, WVA, Pittsburgh, SC State, South Forida. The Bird boys have huge connections to UK, with Steve's two uncles and his dad all in the UK Athletic Hall of Fame. Still, I know Steve was very proud to be a EKU Colonel alongside his mentor, Coach Kidd. He would have loved to be head coach of his beloved Colonels.