2002-08-20 | MY COUSINS KIND OF A CELEBRITY OR SOMETHING

Even if you don't like sports, please read this entry. I know i usually talk music, or crap t.v., but I'll just talk about sports this one time.

So, when I was, let's see...i think about 10 or 11 years old, there was a college football player that played for a small college named Holy Cross. They're a little more well known now, partially because of him.

His name was Gordie Lockbaum. He was talked about a lot, because he was the first player in a long time who played offense and defense regularly.

Not only that, but he also kicked, and returned kicks, and stuff like that. I think he played in virtually every play sometimes.

So as I was finding out about him through Sports Illustrated and College Football shows on ESPN, I guess the last name dawned on my Step-Great-Grandfather, and he figured out that Gordie was my moms cousin. The son of her fathers sister.

I was so excited. I had a famous relative!

I was so proud to be related to him, and so proud of him. I remember I did a show-and-tell in elementary school, and I brought the Sports Illustrated article in, but for some reason, all the jerks in my class thought I was making it all up. Don't they think I would've picked somebody more famous to lie about?

So he was really really good, this guy. He was an all-american back to back, and he was 5th in the Heisman in his Jr. year, and 3rd in his Senior year. I hadn't remembered him being that high.

Anyway, the reason I'm talking about him, is because I had forgot about him over the last couple years, because he hadn't played much in the professional ranks, and I've never met him or anything, so he just kind of slipped my mind a little.

So last week I'm listening to ESPN radio at work, and I hear the name Gordie Lockbaum over the air, and suddenly I'm back in 1986. All these great vivid memories came back. Then I wondered why they said his name. They were talking about Little League Baseball at the time.

Well it turns out the team from Mass. who advanced to the World Series out of their regional, has Gordies son on it, Gordie Lockbaum Jr., and he's one of their star players. He's really good. So I didn't remember what team he was on, but there so happened to be a team from Hawaii in there, and I was going to peek at their game on Saturday anyway. It turns out I got a two for one, so to speak, because my..cousin.. or whatever he is to me, was playing against the Hawaii team. He was making all these awesome defensive plays. He looks like a natural athlete. And he's amazingly good looking, of course. Then on top of that, they kept showing his dad filming the game. The legendary Gordie. I didn't know how well known he was. They kept showing him and showing him. He looks a lot cooler now. He had like 5 o' clock shadow, looked kind of like a movie star. I was kind of glowing. I've got to meet him someday. He seems like an interesting guy. The camera couldn't get enough of him, or his son.

Hawaii won the game, but I was so happy just to see both of my relatives on the screen over and over again. Like i said, I'd love to meet him someday, and tell him how I followed him, even though he didn't know about me. He was like a hero of mine.

I wish he would've done well in the NFL, but you can't win 'em all.

I found out years later, that my moms other cousin was also in the NFL many many years ago. But he was a cousin on my moms side. He's like part hawaiian. His name was Rockne Freitas. An old time NFLer. He was named after Knute Rockne, of course.

We had some career day thing in high school, and I went to a seminar where he was the speaker, and I didn't know he was my moms cousin at the time.

Anyway, I've got a little information about Gordie below, and a link to some pictures of him, if you would like to see him.

Here are some photos of Gordie, if you're interested!

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Gordie Lockbaum

College of the Holy Cross - Defensive Back/Tailback/Flanker, 1984-87

Referred to as the only 60-minute man in major-college football, Gordie Lockbaum was the consummate all-around football player. Playing offense, defense, and special teams, Lockbaum utilized his many talents performing exceptionally at every position.

Lockbaum's multifaceted ability began to take notice his junior season, when he finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting, an extraordinary feat for a `small college' player. He was named ECAC Player of the Year, New England Offensive Player of the Year, and WTBS National Player of the Year. In one particular week, Lockbaum was named both Holy Cross Defensive and Offensive Player of the Week.

In 1987 Lockbaum improved upon a stellar junior year, this time finishing third in the Heisman Trophy balloting, second in the Maxwell Award voting, and being named the Football News Division I-AA Player of the Year.

Most notably, Lockbaum was a two-time First Team All-America selection, receiving recognition on offense, defense, and special teams. A two-time All-Patriot League selection and two-time league MVP, he received All-ECAC First Team recognition twice and was named Washington DC Touchdown Club All-Purpose Back of the Year in 1986 and 1987.

At the end of his collegiate career, Lockbaum was named a National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete and played in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills.

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