Texas Stadium

Earlier this week in the Longview News-Journal, the sports editor, Jack Stallard, wrote about his first visit to Texas Stadium. This is the last year for Texas Stadium to be the home of the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are moving to a new stadium in Arlington next week.

I will never forget my first visit to Texas Stadium. I was a part time employee of KOCA in Kilgore back in the early 80's and late 70's and was able to go to the annual Texas Sportcasters Meeting held by the Texas Associaiton of Broadcasters.

Three from the station went, Mark McClain, Harry Lane and myself. Part of the weekend was attending the Cowboys preseason game. Each station recieved one press box seat and as many seats in the stands they needed. Who was going to sit in the press box?

Upon arriving at the conference, we inquired if there were any extra press box seats. We were told to check back at lunch. At lunch we recieved the extra passes and we all got to sit in the Auxulairy Press Box B located in the north end zone.

As we ate supper in press cafeteria, which at that time was located directly behind the photo deck, tv and radio booths, I ran into Roger Stabuch, Larry Csonka, Brad Sham, Verne Lundquist, and Pat Summeral. Also I ran into then KLTV channel seven, Tyler sports director Jerry Gumbert. I had done a story on KLTV's live broadcast of a basketball game between John Tyler and Lee for the Kilgore College Flare.

I had never meet Jerry in person before as I did the interview with him over the phone. The beginning fo the friendship with Jerry led me back to Texas Stadium many other times. I went back as Jerry's helper, carrying equipment as he covered the Cowboys home games for KLTV.

That relationship led me to meet David Smoak, Myles Taylor, and Bryan Houston. That relationship led me eventually to a job at KTRE TV as weekend sportscaster. I replaced David Smoak who moved to Tyler to join the KLTV sports team.

At the two minute mark we made our way down to the interview room across the Dallas Cowboys locker room. Since the game was still in progress, we were told we could go down the tunnel and stand on the sideline.

As we came out of the Cowboys tunnel, it was amazing. The crowd noise, the Cowboy bench in front of us. What an experience for a college kid who grew up rooting for the Cowboys.