Big Bad John

Remembering back to High School days there are always a few memories that stand out. Big Bad John was one of those for Neil.

It was the beginning of another high school new year, a time of year when summer tans begin to fade and classrooms fill with familiar faces, a few missing ones and then the new ones. September always brought changes.

Big Bad John was one of those changes. He was the 6’5” 280 pound guy that came from Nebraska or somewhere out West who had spent his summer tossing hay bails and wrestling wild bulls. He was all muscle with a thick neck, broad shoulders and arms as big as thighs with calloused hands that struggled to reach his pockets.

And with most big boys, he had a natural puffy mean looking face with narrowed eyes and scowling lips.  He probably even growled with each breath. He was lumbering fear that trampled whatever was before him.

And he was not happy having to leave friends and teammates behind and enter a pissy New England school, but his father was transferred so he reluctantly and begrudgingly had to go.

Big Bad John was like Moses parting the sea or a 2-door refrigerator moving through the school hallways. 



His path was always cleared like the parting of the Red Sea. Everyone who saw him coming, immediately found interest in something in their locker and turned away. No one stood in his way or dared look him in the eye. The halls were HIS!

He was the Fright Tackle on the football team.

That was the way it was till the day Big Bad John push into the back of Neil Keenan, the 140 pound point guard on the basketball team. It was just a little shove, a “get out of my way” tap but that stopped Neil in his tracks.

Neil turned and faced death in the hall. All became silent. 

Neil smiled and looked Big Bad John in the eye and simply said, “Hi John.”

John replied, “Don’t you have anything in your locker?” “Nope.” Said Neil.

“Yer not afraid of me?” John asked. 

“Why should I be? Neil replied, “I can run circles around you on the court any day.”  Big Bad John smiled and said, “I heard about you, but I’d like to see you get by me on the field.” Neil stepped aside as John went on to class. Everyone in the hall sighed.

A few days later Neil spotted Big Bad John in the cafeteria. John always sat alone at a table all by himself.  Everyone was afraid to sit with him out of fear of being eaten or flattened or having their food taken and consumed by this mountain of a man. Big Bad John ate alone.

Fearless Neil knew innately that no man should eat alone so he marched over to Big Bad John’s exclusive table and plopped his tray down and asked, “Can I sit here?” 

The whole cafeteria became quiet. The last bite hung in mouths. All eyes watched. Big Bad John looked up and stared at Neil then after an ominous pause said, “You really aren’t afraid, are you?”

 “Are you afraid that I am going to steal your food?” Neil came back at him.

 “Sit.” Said John.  And so began a new friendship.

Every day from then on Neil ate lunch at Big Bad John’s table. A week or so later Neil invited one by one, his friends and teammates to join him at Big Bad John’s table. There was trepidation at first, but fears melted away like ice cream on a hot September day.  

Soon Big Bad John’s table was full of laughter and stories about girls and guys that got creamed by John on last Friday night’s football game. 

They all found out that Big Bad John wasn’t so bad after all and that he was a pretty smart fellow.  He certainly helped Neil with his homework many times and continued a lasting friendship for many years to come. 

In fact, Big Bad John became King of the Ball after the game and ended up dating the homecoming queen and the best looking girl in the school who he later married.

Big Bad John did go on to get an athletic scholarship to a Texas football university where he excelled on and off the field. He later enjoyed a long professional football career as the same old feared tackle, but Neil always knew him for who he really was inside… a big pussy cat.

That’s how you make real friends. A little bit of love and care and no fear to give it.

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