Gobbla2001
12-08-2005, 09:56 PM
Glass' life filled with family and friends
Thursday, December 8th, 2005
You may not be aware that Vernon Glass was an all-state football player in high school, still has his name in the Rice record book, was once selected coach of the year by the American Football Coaches Association, and shot in the 70's on the golf course.
I'll let you in on a secret. I didn't know any of those things until someone other than Glass told me.
But it's not surprising. Glass was more about who he was than what he had done. Glass died Saturday at the age of 77 after a life full of accomplishments but more importantly, a life filled with family and friends as was evident by the long line of those offering condolences at Fruend Funeral Home in Cuero on Tuesday.
Glass had moved to Cuero with his wife, Marilyn, after "retiring" from coaching in 1999. The retirement didn't last long as he soon began coaching part-time at Cuero before "retiring" again to join his buddies on the golf course.
Glass was an all-state quarterback for Corpus Christi High School in 1949 and he was among some pretty good company. Joining Glass in the backfield on the all-state team were Kyle Rote, Hayden Fry, and Byron Townsend.
Glass continued his football career at Rice and played quarterback for the Owls' team that won the 1949 Southwest Conference championship. Glass still shares the Rice record for touchdown passes in a game (four) with Tommy Kramer and Michael Calhoun. Glass joined the Air Force after graduating from Rice - with what he insisted was a lot of help from Marilyn - and he was stationed at Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth. Glass teamed up with former University of Texas standout and Victoria resident Bud McFadin on the Carswell team that won the national service championship in 1951 and '52.
Glass began his coaching career at Del Mar Junior College in Corpus Christi. He became the head coach two days before the 1959 season began and led the team to the Junior Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., before being named Junior College Coach of the Year by the Texas Sports Writers Association.
Glass was as an assistant coach at Baylor for three years where he worked with running back Ronnie Bull and went to the Gator and Gotham Bowls before becoming the head coach at Lamar University in 1963.
During Glass' 13 years in Beaumont, Lamar won two Southland Conference championships and shared one, and played in the 1964 Pecan Bowl. Glass was named coach of the year by the AFCA in 1964.
Glass left the coaching profession in 1976 and raised racehorses - "It was a lot like coaching," Glass said. "You raise your babies and take them to the track and get them ready to run" - and managed ranches in Madisonville, Marble Falls, and Westhoff.
Glass returned to coaching at Mathis in 1989 where he became the head coach in 1991 before joining Kyle Taylor's staff at Goliad in 1995.
I got to know Glass when he was coaching at Goliad. He called and asked if I'd do a story about Justin Youngblood, who was preparing to compete in the state track and field meet.
Glass was always polite, easygoing, and had a dry sense of humor. I told him I was thinking about getting a gift certificate from his daughters' store in Cuero for a Christmas present and he said, "Good. They can use the business."
I often ran into Glass at playoff games and when we spoke, he never failed to introduce me to Marilyn, again and again and again.
The last time I saw Glass was at Cuero's bi-district game against Sweeny at Memorial Stadium in Victoria. I wondered why he wasn't at Cuero's other playoff games until he passed away and I found out he had been ill.
After hearing of Glass' death, I thought a lot about why he asked me to do the Youngblood story. After seeing and talking to so many people who were touched by his life, it became pretty obvious.
Glass must have known a story would motivate Youngblood to do better and of course, he was right. Youngblood earned a scholarship to the University of Texas-San Antonio, where he had a successful track and field career.
Glass' life was all about helping people do better. That's why he'll be remembered for what he did, but he'll be missed for the way he was.
-----
Gobbla2001 side notes:
As the article starts, Coach Vernon Glass was more about who he was, not what he had done...
During Coach's first year in Cuero, we never knew he was an all-state QB, a record-holding college QB or a college coach of the year until we read an article about him in the paper... That article came out 8 weeks after the start of two-a-days when we had first met him... 8 weeks and he never gave us a hint...
He had accomplished so much, but you would have never guessed it... He was out there to have fun and be around the kids playing his favorite game, be around coaches and the friends and family he loved...
He was unlike any other piece of Glass you've ever ran across, he wasn't the kind that broke...
Though he has passed, it wasn't because he finally broke, God simply was tired of sharing such a great man with the earth and wanted to enjoy what us here had enjoyed for 77 years...
Congrats, Heaven!!! :D
Thursday, December 8th, 2005
You may not be aware that Vernon Glass was an all-state football player in high school, still has his name in the Rice record book, was once selected coach of the year by the American Football Coaches Association, and shot in the 70's on the golf course.
I'll let you in on a secret. I didn't know any of those things until someone other than Glass told me.
But it's not surprising. Glass was more about who he was than what he had done. Glass died Saturday at the age of 77 after a life full of accomplishments but more importantly, a life filled with family and friends as was evident by the long line of those offering condolences at Fruend Funeral Home in Cuero on Tuesday.
Glass had moved to Cuero with his wife, Marilyn, after "retiring" from coaching in 1999. The retirement didn't last long as he soon began coaching part-time at Cuero before "retiring" again to join his buddies on the golf course.
Glass was an all-state quarterback for Corpus Christi High School in 1949 and he was among some pretty good company. Joining Glass in the backfield on the all-state team were Kyle Rote, Hayden Fry, and Byron Townsend.
Glass continued his football career at Rice and played quarterback for the Owls' team that won the 1949 Southwest Conference championship. Glass still shares the Rice record for touchdown passes in a game (four) with Tommy Kramer and Michael Calhoun. Glass joined the Air Force after graduating from Rice - with what he insisted was a lot of help from Marilyn - and he was stationed at Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth. Glass teamed up with former University of Texas standout and Victoria resident Bud McFadin on the Carswell team that won the national service championship in 1951 and '52.
Glass began his coaching career at Del Mar Junior College in Corpus Christi. He became the head coach two days before the 1959 season began and led the team to the Junior Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., before being named Junior College Coach of the Year by the Texas Sports Writers Association.
Glass was as an assistant coach at Baylor for three years where he worked with running back Ronnie Bull and went to the Gator and Gotham Bowls before becoming the head coach at Lamar University in 1963.
During Glass' 13 years in Beaumont, Lamar won two Southland Conference championships and shared one, and played in the 1964 Pecan Bowl. Glass was named coach of the year by the AFCA in 1964.
Glass left the coaching profession in 1976 and raised racehorses - "It was a lot like coaching," Glass said. "You raise your babies and take them to the track and get them ready to run" - and managed ranches in Madisonville, Marble Falls, and Westhoff.
Glass returned to coaching at Mathis in 1989 where he became the head coach in 1991 before joining Kyle Taylor's staff at Goliad in 1995.
I got to know Glass when he was coaching at Goliad. He called and asked if I'd do a story about Justin Youngblood, who was preparing to compete in the state track and field meet.
Glass was always polite, easygoing, and had a dry sense of humor. I told him I was thinking about getting a gift certificate from his daughters' store in Cuero for a Christmas present and he said, "Good. They can use the business."
I often ran into Glass at playoff games and when we spoke, he never failed to introduce me to Marilyn, again and again and again.
The last time I saw Glass was at Cuero's bi-district game against Sweeny at Memorial Stadium in Victoria. I wondered why he wasn't at Cuero's other playoff games until he passed away and I found out he had been ill.
After hearing of Glass' death, I thought a lot about why he asked me to do the Youngblood story. After seeing and talking to so many people who were touched by his life, it became pretty obvious.
Glass must have known a story would motivate Youngblood to do better and of course, he was right. Youngblood earned a scholarship to the University of Texas-San Antonio, where he had a successful track and field career.
Glass' life was all about helping people do better. That's why he'll be remembered for what he did, but he'll be missed for the way he was.
-----
Gobbla2001 side notes:
As the article starts, Coach Vernon Glass was more about who he was, not what he had done...
During Coach's first year in Cuero, we never knew he was an all-state QB, a record-holding college QB or a college coach of the year until we read an article about him in the paper... That article came out 8 weeks after the start of two-a-days when we had first met him... 8 weeks and he never gave us a hint...
He had accomplished so much, but you would have never guessed it... He was out there to have fun and be around the kids playing his favorite game, be around coaches and the friends and family he loved...
He was unlike any other piece of Glass you've ever ran across, he wasn't the kind that broke...
Though he has passed, it wasn't because he finally broke, God simply was tired of sharing such a great man with the earth and wanted to enjoy what us here had enjoyed for 77 years...
Congrats, Heaven!!! :D