“I grew up in Maysville. My mom worked at the Little Sister of the Poor nursing home for over thirty years. She taught me, ‘Don’t disrespect nobody.’  My stepdad was a seaman and raised me since I was about three. He passed away a few years ago. I look up to heaven and talk to them every day. 

I always wanted to be a postman and pass out mail. When I was in 12th grade, I said I ain’t going to school. But I took the ACT and made high enough to get a scholarship to Mississippi Valley State in Itta Bena. I majored in physical education. I graduated and worked for Delta Pride catfish processing plant for five years. Then, sold cars in Cleveland, MS for Kent Hull who played football for Mississippi State and the Buffalo Bills. I loved living over there. 

I got a job in physical education in Mobile and moved back home. I taught PE in middle and high school and coached football, basketball and track after school. I was at Chastang Middle School, the school I started at. Also coached at Booker T. Washington Middle School and Leflore High School. I coached for over sixteen years. 

I loved middle school kids; they listened to me. Our teams dominated football and basketball. I fed those kids and took them to church. Took them to the park to play volleyball or flag football. We had basketball games with the staff to let the kids have fun. Some of their mamas didn’t have cars, so I dropped them off at home. I would go to the farmer’s market in Eight Mile and buy them bananas, oranges, and apples to eat at practice. I took juice, bologna, and crackers to the ones in the projects; we would sit on the tailgate and eat. All of that was out of my own pocket. 

I love kids and have a daughter. I wish I could have had about ten more, but there are a bunch of guys out there who call me Daddy or Coach. It feels good when people remember me and yell out, ‘Coach. Coach. Coach.’ Some told me if it wasn’t for me they would be dead or in jail.  A few of the kids who played for me are now police officers. 

I’ll never say I was a role model; I just did what was right. Everybody makes mistakes, but I tried to treat people right. Treat people right and you’ll live a long time. You have to have respect for others. 

I got diabetes before I came back to Mobile. I lost a lot of weight, and they kept me in the hospital for a month. They taught me how to shoot myself with a needle. I was about thirty. I need a kidney and have been on dialysis for seventeen years. I go three days a week and sit there for four or five hours. I have good patience, but fifteen minutes seems like hours in there. I like it when the bell goes off, and I’m done. 

Diabetes took my toes, so it’s hard to walk. I have a scooter, but I need a ramp at my apartment to use it. The apartment wants to charge me a lot of money to build a ramp or I can give them the wood. Where am I going to get the money or the wood from? Living like this is hard and I miss fishing on the Causeway. I have a doctor for every part of my body, but it’s hard for me to give up. I told my daughter I would keep going for her.

I stick around for the folks at Bob’s Diner, too. I’ve been coming here since 2014–I’m a VIP here. This restaurant is my place to get outside or around people. People I coached know I’m always here, so they come eat with me. These folks are family. Tammy works at the restaurant and checks on me every day. If I can’t get out of the house, they stop by or bring food to me. 

I was born on December 17th and never had a birthday party because my birthday was so close to Christmas. My mama just told me to pick one gift from under the Christmas tree. The first birthday party I ever had was at this restaurant. I was in heaven and felt like a king. They put a Christmas stocking with my name on it right up there with ones for all of the employees. You can’t get a family better than this. I got lucky.”

Chris