On the Lobo field where they play football, they have huge pictures of all the Football players that have been All Americans. His is the first one on the side of the building. Brian Urlacher's is the last for now.
We moved to New Mexico in 1963 and the only football games on Sunday afternoon showed the Dallas Cowboys. The whole city went crazy because Don Perkins was their premier running back. I've been a 'Boys fan from then on. A very disgruntled one for the last twenty years. Dak Prescott makes them worth watching anymore.
After Don retired, he returned to New Mexico. He did some announcing, for a while did sports on a local TV station.
What I remember most was his work with the local high schools through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I was in 9th grade in junior high, my brother was a junior in high school and captain of our FCA huddle. He arranged a meeting at our house with Don Perkins. He forgot to tell Mom.
Mom answered the doorbell and Don Perkins was there a little early and Bruce wasn't home yet. He introduced himself and Mom didn't have a clue who he was, all she knew was that a big black man wanted to come inside.
Bruce drove up with a car full of jocks. They had a nice meeting. High school got out before junior high, and I had practice, so I missed it.
When I was teaching at Higland High School, Don put on a one-man presentation each period for the U.S. History classes. He portrayed Frederick Douglas and did a masterful job.
It's a sad day now that he is gone. Only a few Cowboy fans remember him now, and only the old timers like me in New Mexico know what a truly remarkable man her was.
4 comments:
Don was a great athlete and as far as I know a great person. At UNM I rode the bus to school from the NE Heights. One time I got on it and Don Perkins was on the bus. He got to talking with one of the other riders and Don was perfectly casual and friendly, just a regular person. I was pretty impressed with him because he obviously was not too impressed with himself.
Thanks for your insight into him and your story. He was a good man.
I'm ashamed to admit I hadn't heard of him before, and I aways thought of myself as pretty well-versed in NFL history. Thanks for sharing these memories. He sounds like a really good guy. May he rest in peace.
Berthold, he played when the Cowboys were new and only the diehard fan remember him. Your thoughts are appreciated.
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