re: Boots Garland dead

Made the mistake of calling him Shoes like a little smart arse when I was at LSU baseball camp. Almost ripped my ear off. My pops told me "You shouldn't have called him Shoes" and laughed at my pain.

My memory of boots was also at a skip Bertman camp. He said america's favorite pastime was transferral of blame. Said no one takes the blame if they do something wrong.

That has stuck with me since the early 90's.

RIP Vern Pendleton

I've got a few good Boots memories, but the one that stands out the most to me is when I used to workout/throw with a group of QB's and WR's around BR in the late 90's. One Saturday morning we were on the field at Tara stretching and loosening up. Its in the summer about 95 degrees and here comes Boots in his khaki pants, white long sleeve shirt and safari hat, and of course smoking a cigarette.

We have a new kid in the group so we tell him to go introduce himself to Boots. Boots sticks his still burning cigarette up his nose, and then sticks out his hand to shake the kid's hand. He says, "Howya doin son, Boots Garland. I'm not a role model"

About 25 years after Coach Garland coached and taught me in high school, I ran into him at the old K-Mart on College Drive.

I figured I'd better tell him my name to save him some embarrassment for not remembering me.

When I said, "Hi, Coach Garland, I'm sure you don't remember me, I'm......" And he interrupted me and said, "You're ......." and said my full name. He then went on to tell me the year he coached and taught me and the names of some of the other athletes who were in the class I had with him at our school.

I was floored. He really was one of a kind.

Lagniappe Football Camp at Belaire High in 1995. He was the guest speaker.

quote:

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throwing on the gloves in the back room of the green trailer at PBS

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He did this at BRHS back in the 60's-70's. He had a small fenced in cage for an office in the gym. There was no escape.

I once saw him get mad at his PE class and make them do 100 six-counts on the track infield.

RIP, bad dude.

I know you are not fast snapper

Oh wow. Terrible news. Fantastic guy