TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ā Twenty miles to the northwest, in Gordo, Ala., long days awaited Ben Howell. He would help feed chickens ā 135,000 of them ā and tag calves on his fatherās 250-acre farm. In the afternoon he would play football, and at night, baseball.
But before getting out of bed each morning he would look at a photograph taped to his bedroom mirror. Bryant-Denny Stadium, where thousands of Alabama fans on football Saturdays cheer players in those famous crimson jerseys and white numbers. Below, it reads, āImagine yourself here.ā Someday, Howell would walk on and be a member of the Crimson Tide. Someday, he would win two national championships, backing up Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, a Heisman Trophy winner and a Heisman finalist. Someday, Howell would run down the stadiumās tunnel and behold that sight for himself. āI guess every kid has those dreams,ā Howell said.
When Howell was about 12 years old, his father, Richard, told him that if his goal was to get good at football, he should work hard, take it seriously. Do not worry, he would tend to the farm.
Read the rest here on the NYTimes Page
