Jack Bighead
 

I started watching the movie "Jim Thorpe, all-American" today and like always, I studied the credits. It's an OCD thing.
I saw a name I recognized: Jack Bighead.

In high school my football coach and driver's ed instructor was named Jack Bighead. I really liked him, one of the few coaches I ever had that I could say that about.
Plus he always let me get the most driving time in driver's ed because i was tall enough to allow him to scoot the bench seal all the way back so he was comfortable.

Could that guy in the movie be my old coach?

A quick check at wiki:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1632860861.jpg

His picture cracks me up.

So thhat's pretty cool. Shame you didn't see the movie before he passed. Would probably have been a cool conversation.

That is cool.

Funny how the world works sometimes.

We all have stories something like that....one degree of separation. What's so cool is they're all so individual & personal.

I remember seeing the movie in a theater in about 1954 (remember Saturday matinees?). He probably knew Jim Thorpe personally.

Looks like he was in a bunch of movies and TV shows, usually playing an Indian brave or chief.

"Bonanza: Love Me Not" in 1964.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1632938876.jpg


How I remember him:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1632939647.jpg


Me, number 51 (Dick Butkus wanna be)
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1632939921.jpg

Great story Sam.

I did a search earlier and was surprised...Bighead got around.

You ought to see my dad's HS football picture.

Action shots were apparently very popular in the olden days. He is in the air, diving on a ball that is also in the air, with eyes that look like they are about to pop out of his head.

Went to law school instead of playing football for money, sort of like Gerald Ford.

in 55 he was a starter at defensive end for the rams, their quarterback at the time was Norm Van Brocklin.
I wish I knew about all this back when I was in high school, coach Bighead never mentioned any of it.

I'm reluctant to tell this story about him, I don't come off very well in it but what the heck:
On of my friends had brought a large bottle of tequila to school. I believe this was in 1978.
I was not a drinker at that time at all, and I don't remember if it was out of curiosity or just peer pressure, but I helped him and a few others finish it off.

My next class was health, coach Bighead's class.

He must have smelled the booze on me and he gave me a note to take to the admin office. I panicked, then he said quietly "you probably won't have time to take it there before practice and you don't want to be late for practice, so take it now but don't give it to them tomorrow. Go."

He was just getting me out of his class so he didn't have to get me in trouble. At practice he had me run stop and go's for what seemed like an hour in full pads. I puked out what was left of the ta-kill-ya and to this day can't stand the smell of it.
He retired in the 80s and moved to the Colorado river near the parker dam.
I stopped in to see him one time before he died.
He was a big man, 6'4" and well over 300# by the time he retired. That's probably why he died so young.

I had Lenard Skinner as a coach in 64 in jr high
he went to jax the next year

and yes he was a legendary level JERK EX MARINE training to be a moron

To a lesser extent, his life story paralleled the Jim Thorpe story:
he was an Indian, born in Oklahoma on or near a reservation land where the gubmint had moved his people many generations earlier.
The odds were stacked against him at every step but he stuck with it and did well despite the obstacles.
He went to college and excelled in sports, and played pro football.
After his football career ended, he found his calling coaching and teaching kids.
I remember his as a good man. Even tempered and honest and fair.
I wonder how he felt about only being offered stereotypical Indian roles in acting. I know that would put a chip on my shoulder but I get the feeling he just shrugged it off.