Deacon Jones' passing

[Runscott]

Deacon Jones died Monday at age 74. The obituary in the local sports section mentioned that he had "a presence that commanded respect." As a 10-year old, I attended a charity golf tournament where he was supposed to be present. Being one of my favorites, I looked all over for him. I finally tracked him down - someone told me they thought they had seen him in a small refreshment hut. I walked in and it was very, very dark. I remember only him being in the room, turning when I walked in, and towering over me (I was a tiny kid). He looked down, took my piece of paper and signed it, not saying a thing, but without hesitating. I was absolutely thrilled, and afterward always paid attention any time I saw him on television. Definitely a guy who commanded respect, and an amazing defensive player.

Lots of great memories from that day - hope I won't be reading any more obits any time soon.