Memories of Rodney

By Paul Oakley 

SEYMOUR, IN  — I can recall the sweet smell of freshly cut grass in the air.

The heaviness and strain of the August heat felt almost unbearable.

All of which did not matter.

It was my sophomore year of high school and football season was well underway. The hard work of practice and the camaraderie between fellow men working as a team to accomplish victory on the field of play is an awesome feeling. If victory is achieved the feeling of the word “team” is intensified by an unexplainable measure.

But the Heroes of the sport are not the men playing it. It’s the men coaching it. They give their own personal time to teach not only the fundamentals of football, but also lessons of life in general. The blood, sweat and tears of this incredible sport were being shared with a new member of the Ayden-Grifton High School Junior Varsity coaching staff.

A hero in his own right, Coach Rodney Murray at first appeared shy and a little timid in his new role of teaching. After the first few sessions of practice with him, we all understood his love for the game of football and his love of life. His quiet demeanor set him aside from all the rest of the coaches. He seemed a little more personable for us kids because he was not far from our own age.

Coach Murray was always there to give compliments when you did a good job and he was there to console you when you screwed up. He’d talk you through a problem and push you to do better without tearing down your self-esteem. His graciousness and goodhearted actions made our team better and it made us better as individuals. He taught us to give our all and if we made a mistake it was all right because we were having fun.

About midway through the season Coach Murray started coming out of his shell. He became our friend. He’d laugh, joke and carry on with us, which made him sit on an even higher pedestal. His presence on and off the field went unnoticed. The countless hours he spent helping around the field house, watching game film and then relaying his passion of the game to us was a treasure.

He touched the lives of many young men that year. His passion for life was evident and shined deep within him. Everyone could see it. He had that spark in him that rekindled many spirits and passions in all of us to love life and embrace it wholeheartedly. His kindness and soft-spoken nature drew us to him like a moth to flame. His light was brilliant, which made him irreplaceable to our team and in our lives.

I received a phone call late Tuesday evening from a fellow teammate telling me of the horrific news. Coach Murray was in an accident overseas and was called to join God in Heaven.

I know he was in Iraq sharing his love of life with people and helping our country try to make another country a better place. His heroic efforts were shining within him as he reached out to hundreds of other people so eager to accept the love and affection he so willingly gave.

His light will never fade nor dim. It will never burn out or flicker. Coach Murray touched many lives and in turn gave people something to possess and share with the world that they didn’t know they were receiving. He taught people to be heroic and everyone needs a hero.

Thanks Coach Murray for instilling such a grateful trait into our hearts and our souls.

You’re my hero!

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(Editor’s Note: Paul Oakley, a graduate of Ayden-Grifton High School, resides in Seymour, Indiana. He played football under Coach Murray.)

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