The highlight of my AC tennis career was, ironically, a “loss.”
It was 1989-90, former Roo Coach Bill Snyder’s first year at Kansas State. AC was hosting conference leading Tarleton State at the old Russell Tennis courts. I was AC’s Line #1 and had not lost all year. But I knew who Tarleton’s #1 was from high school days. His name was Steven McCrane, and boy howdy was he good. Better than me. Nevertheless, I made up my mind that I was gonna give McCrane my all.
I did, but it was not enough. McCrane beat me on campus, and then did a second time weeks later at the NAIA District 8 tournament to advance to Nationals in Kansas City. The exhaustion I felt on the court and afterwards in Slater’s is a vivid memory. Still, I felt a little like Rocky in the original: bruised & battered in a loss, but with a feeling that I had not been knocked out. Sometimes losing can still be rewarding.
As Chico Escuela famously said on Saturday Night Live, tennis was “berry berry good to me.” I played competitively from 1980 to 1990. But after 10 years, I called it a career. If I was going to be active, there was always another new sport to try. After all, playing tennis later in life would be a disappointment after so many years of USTA rankings, UIL State tournaments, and NAIA competition. I barely picked up a racquet.
Then a funny thing happened. I got old. What do old people do? Well, they tell long, rambling stories. That’s when Roo Tales were born. What else do old people do? Well, when other sports are no longer an option, they pick up the sport of a lifetime: tennis. I was grateful that I didn’t have to learn the game like most do. Instead, I just picked up where I left off when the “love of the game” returned after 30 years.
Today, I play a lot once again. I’m in a league that includes a bunch of family and friends. My brother Gavin, who was exceptional and nearly played for the University of Texas. Jason Johnson, a Roo in the AC Hall of Honor for football who comes from a big tennis playing family. My high school buddy Mark, who along with another fella named Brack Salyer were my two best friends in the years before AC. And a whole bunch of other old timers who are pretending to relive glory days.
The tennis facility where I duked it out with Tarleton’s McCrane was named for Elizabeth Russell, a former trustee of Austin College who generously gave to many causes in Sherman. Those old Russell tennis courts on campus are no more, but the new AC tennis courts which took their place are still named for Russell. The original Russell tennis center was very nice, a big factor in my decision to attend AC and play for the Roos. Nice facilities make a difference for recruitment, enrollment, & retention. Something important to remember when AC athletics asks for assistance. AC Giving Day is next Tuesday, March 7th! Yes, I’ve written an AC Giving Day story.
The new Russell Tennis Center was modernized before Covid struck, and AC athletics made an ask for assistance. Moved in part by my old man writing and my old man tennis, my family donated. Others donated much more and deserve a much bigger shout out. I got to chat with a few of those donors two weeks ago, at Claude Webb Jr.’s Gar Hole after an AC Alumni Board meeting: Scott Austin, a Board of Trustees member and founding father of my Rho Lambda Theta fraternity. Bill Crook, a Board of Trustees member, former President of Phi Sigma Alpha, and a former AC golfer for Coach McCord. And Thomas Ortiz, a Board of Trustees member whose daughters both played and coached tennis for Austin College.
The Covid crisis is over, so AC is now celebrating the Russell Tennis Center modernization with a dedication at noon on Saturday, March 4th. I’ll be there. So will David Norman and JR Ohr. So will Scott, Bill, & Thomas. After the dedication, we’ll watch AC tennis take on Texas Lutheran. That will be fun too as the AC tennis roster includes a Roo named Trey Salyer, the son of my high school buddy Brack Salyer. Hey, maybe I will challenge Trey to a short match afterwards that I’m sure to lose. On an AC tennis court though, sometimes losing can be rewarding.
And where is Steven McCrane, Tarleton’s #1 who beat me back in Bill Snyder’s first year of coaching at Kansas State? We are online friends now. And amazingly, his son Matthew chose football over tennis, accepted an offer from Bill Snyder, and kicked for four years at Kansas State. Matthew kicked 55 field goals for Snyder at KSU, one more than College Football Hall of Famer Martin Gramatica. His 86.4% field goal percentage places him in College Football’s all-time Top 10. McCrane graduated in 2018, former AC Coach (and Roo Tales fan) Bill Snyder’s last year at Kansas State.
Now that sure is one nice little pair of AC bookends for this Roo writin’, tennis playin’, old man. See you Saturday at the Russell Tennis Center if you are in the neighborhood. If you can’t make it to those AC tennis courts, well, then it will be my “loss.”
