Silly Football??

Badger football. It's more than a sport--and more than entertainment...at least for this family. To put this in perspective, let's review a little family history. Grandpa Miller was the oldest of ten children--born at end the of the great depression. His immediate family would never have any money. His father, Howie, was a supervisor at the tire factory (Uniroyal)--not a bad job; but still an economic challenge when you have ten children to feed and clothe. Some of you may remember the small house in Eau Claire that was their home--perhaps 1200 square feet. So, my dad had some notable athletic ability in high school--and was offered a football scholarship at the University of Wisconsin--yes, that included the opportunity to attend college. He goes to Wisconsin--succeeds at football and college and has built a solid foundation for the rest of his life--a big step up and away from his humble roots in Eau Claire--all made possible by a football scholarship.

Without that scholarship, it's very unlikely he would have ever had the chance to attend college. His football and academic career allowed him to enjoy a very successful business career--providing nicely for our family and allowing each of his six children to attend college (which was a blessing for each of us and all of our children). So, Badger football is more than passing entertainment--it's part of our family legacy and was a watershed event for grandpa and all of us.

Grandpa was never one to tell many football stories--he always had a quiet humilty surrounding the subject. But he did share a story that is worth repeating. The day he walked on the field as a freshman at Camp Randall there were 12 freshman quarterbacks--imagine that...leaving Eau Claire with hopes of playing college football in the Big Ten--only to arrive to the surprise of a dozen other athletes vying for the same position; perhaps that afternoon he had wished he'd gone to Minnesota--which had also been an option. Well, within a year he was the starting quarterback in Madison--beating out all the others, including the upper classmen. So, when you think your odds are long for success--don't count yourself out! Love, Dad