LeonardWood
Dodd-Like
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2007
- Messages
- 10,100
CPJ was hired while I was a student. I made it to his first 20 away games (would have been a 40-something game streak if it weren't for a wedding during the Miss State home game in 2008).
My favorite CPJ story is a two parter.
Part one:
I joined Ramblin' Reck Club in 2008, and was very excited to be on the field for kickoff. For the first home game, I was holding the run through banner. My good friend was driving the Reck - his first game, so there's some important things to remember. 1) Start driving at 3:00 left on the pre-game clock and 2) don't hit any band members or cheerleaders. However, with about 5:00 left, Paul Johnson comes up out of the tunnel, followed by the entire football team. He was obviously displeased that his team is stuck behind an antique car that is pouring delicious-smelling but probably mostly poisonous fumes into his players lungs. He's ready to go.
CPJ then walks up to the Reck and tells the driver to get going. The driver responds, "we're not supposed to go until 3:00!".
"If you don't go, we're going without you!"
The driver drops into gear and gets going, much to the chagrin of the gameday ops folks. One of the media folks who also worked as an assistant for PJ runs over to him and asks what happened.
"When Paul Johnson says go, you go."
Part two:
We have the Reck in Tampa. The pre-game was challenging for RRC. We'd had other electrical issues previously, and on gameday we had issues with the starter motor for the Reck. At too-close before kickoff, we basically had to push start the car, pop the clutch, and keep her running for a very long time before kickoff. It was not ideal. We were in yet another scenario where the sweet, sweet exhaust of the Reck is filling up a under-stadium tunnel, one that is soon filled with our players. We had some fellow students sneak in a run-through banner for us (pretty sure we weren't supposed to have one but did it anyway), so I was, again, holding that banner up pre-kickoff. Paul Johnson is visibly pissed off. He understandably wants to get the players to the sideline ASAP. "GTFO of the way" is coming. I can feel it, and given the circumstances it looks like it is RRC's fault.
However, complicating kickoff ceremonies is the fact that the game ball is being delivered via parachute (Black Knights IIRC) which has caused ESPN's skycam to be lowered and the guidewires to be pulled to the ground for the safety of the parachuters. This, however, is an opportunity. There were multiple Florida Highway Patrolmen standing around us. I waved one over and asked him if he could inform Coach Johnson that for safety reasons, we couldn't go anywhere until the guidewires were back in the air. The FSP was more than happy to deliver the message. He strolls over and starts speaking to CPJ.
"I DON'T CARE IF THE WIRES ARE IN THE WAY, WE GOTTA GO."
Better the Patrolman than me.
My favorite CPJ story is a two parter.
Part one:
I joined Ramblin' Reck Club in 2008, and was very excited to be on the field for kickoff. For the first home game, I was holding the run through banner. My good friend was driving the Reck - his first game, so there's some important things to remember. 1) Start driving at 3:00 left on the pre-game clock and 2) don't hit any band members or cheerleaders. However, with about 5:00 left, Paul Johnson comes up out of the tunnel, followed by the entire football team. He was obviously displeased that his team is stuck behind an antique car that is pouring delicious-smelling but probably mostly poisonous fumes into his players lungs. He's ready to go.
CPJ then walks up to the Reck and tells the driver to get going. The driver responds, "we're not supposed to go until 3:00!".
"If you don't go, we're going without you!"
The driver drops into gear and gets going, much to the chagrin of the gameday ops folks. One of the media folks who also worked as an assistant for PJ runs over to him and asks what happened.
"When Paul Johnson says go, you go."
Part two:
We have the Reck in Tampa. The pre-game was challenging for RRC. We'd had other electrical issues previously, and on gameday we had issues with the starter motor for the Reck. At too-close before kickoff, we basically had to push start the car, pop the clutch, and keep her running for a very long time before kickoff. It was not ideal. We were in yet another scenario where the sweet, sweet exhaust of the Reck is filling up a under-stadium tunnel, one that is soon filled with our players. We had some fellow students sneak in a run-through banner for us (pretty sure we weren't supposed to have one but did it anyway), so I was, again, holding that banner up pre-kickoff. Paul Johnson is visibly pissed off. He understandably wants to get the players to the sideline ASAP. "GTFO of the way" is coming. I can feel it, and given the circumstances it looks like it is RRC's fault.
However, complicating kickoff ceremonies is the fact that the game ball is being delivered via parachute (Black Knights IIRC) which has caused ESPN's skycam to be lowered and the guidewires to be pulled to the ground for the safety of the parachuters. This, however, is an opportunity. There were multiple Florida Highway Patrolmen standing around us. I waved one over and asked him if he could inform Coach Johnson that for safety reasons, we couldn't go anywhere until the guidewires were back in the air. The FSP was more than happy to deliver the message. He strolls over and starts speaking to CPJ.
"I DON'T CARE IF THE WIRES ARE IN THE WAY, WE GOTTA GO."
Better the Patrolman than me.
