A Matter of State Pride – Springville Road Library Welcomes Coach Bobby Johns

Bobby Johns was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2010

If you live in this state, you can expect to talk football at some point in the year, and at certain times of the year, you can’t reasonably expect to talk anything else. Understatement of the century: Alabama is known for having great football teams. Sooner or later, you’re going to run up against someone from outside this state who is going to want to discuss the (unofficial) state religion. Now, if you’re a super fan of longstanding, you can carry this off without a hitch, rattling off the pros and cons of split wings, pistol versus shotgun formations, forward versus lateral passes, and why the Wildcat is either God’s gift to the game or a sneaky, dirty trick play. However, if you simply love football season and enjoy watching your chosen warriors destroy somebody else’s, you may not know a tailback from a defensive end. In other words, you are likely to get caught in the embarrassing position of being shown up as deficient in the lingo. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. You owe it to your team and your state to do better than that!

Or maybe you’re just curious and want to know, for the sake of personal education, what some of these colorful terms actually mean. You’ve watched and listened to games for years, but have to admit you really have no idea what the commentators are talking about most of the time. Touchdowns, you get. Field goal, you’ve nailed. You might be able to spot a blatant hold or a missed tackle, but when the action gets hot and the narration gets fast, you feel you’re missing something.

Don’t worry; your library has you covered. On Tuesday, August 9, 6:30 p.m., Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Coach Bobby Johns will be at the Springville Road Regional Branch Library to demystify some of the most common football jargon. Coach Johns, a former University of Alabama defensive back and two-time All-American, retired as the head coach at the University of West Alabama, and knows the game as player, coach, and spectator. He’ll discuss positions, plays, equipment, and penalties, then field questions from the audience. Light refreshments will be served and the program is open to all adults.

So, while your team is out there playing a good game, you’ll be able to always talk a good game. GO TEAM!

Kelly Laney
Adult Department
Springville Road Regional Branch Library