All Nederland Fans and surrounding football fans

[ktm2010]

In support of Mid County Madness week.  This is truly what high school football is all about.  This was copied from the JDM Foundation Page on Facebook. In support for Jerry D. Mallory.  We love and miss you!

On the visitors’ side of the track toward the corner of the end-zone at Bulldog Stadium sits a lawn chair during football season. No fanfare is made of it. It is brought out prior to most of the fans getting there. Many may not even notice it since it is not fancy or lavish, but it stands out just the same sitting in silence watching the game. Every play, every moment is observed without emotion. It humbly sits supporting the team and enjoying the halftime presentation. Regardless of the outcome of the game, the chair remains. The chair does not leave if the Dogs are losing. The chair does not leave if the Dogs are winning big. The chair does not leave after halftime; instead, it stays the whole game to support the students of Nederland High School in whatever capacity they are participating in during that night. Whether a player, trainer, band member, westernaire, twirler, flag, cheerleader, golden guardian, deflator, concession stand worker, or fan, the chair remains watching and supporting the youth of Nederland .

What you may not know is what or who the chair represents. The chair is a simple jester performed by some of the maintenance crew who help make sure everything is operating at the stadium on game day. It is brought out before the game and placed near the exact location where Jerry D. Mallory would watch the game. On the back of the chair it simply states…”The Big Dog Is In”. It symbolizes not only the man, but more importantly the passion he had for the youth of Nederland. Whether near or far JDM was at the game in some capacity supporting all the students involved on that Friday night. The old coach loved Fridays. He loved to watch the “best Nederland had to offer” every week. And, although humble as the chair, he did not watch quietly. Whether suggesting plays or arguing a bad call, he passionately watched wanting nothing more than for the best effort from the youth of Nederland on that Friday night. Win or lose he always thought, “It is great to be a Bulldog”. And even when things looked there most desperate, you could look at him and he would simple say, “I believe in miracles!” He never counted out the Dogs or the youth of Nederland.

So as you go to the field on Friday nights look over to the visitors’ side and see the lawn chair sitting humble alone. However, realize the chair is not empty. It is being filled by the biggest Nederland fan there ever was. The “Big Dog” is there every Friday night in spirit still watching and supporting the youth of Nederland and wanting them to just do their best in whatever they are doing that night.

When you see the chair don’t just see the man, see what he stood for…supporting the youth of Nederland. When the scoreboard is not looking our way and before you get up to leave, you need to look over at the chair and see it still sitting watching the game. Then sit yourself down and continue to support the youth. When halftime is over and your child has finished their performance, look over to the chair and remember that there is a whole other half of the game to support the youth of Nederland.

We ask you, when you go to the field on Friday nights, be the best fan you can be. Support the youth of Nederland for the entire game. Be the Chair!

[BigDog007]

KTM2010 thank you for starting this thread. I have posted something close to this on another thread. Jerry Mallory was and still is a icon for Nederland sports. I am grounded in the belief that you dont leave the stadium till the final second ticks off the clock and you go down to the track and just tell the players that walk by they played a good game. I have had the pleasure of having 2 daughters in the Westernaires and sure I am there to watch them perform but, I'm there also to support our players. If all of Nederland fans regardless of what organization they are there to support would just stay seated a little longer cause, if they knew how it made the players feel to turn around and look at people leaving before the game was over.