East St. Louis Senior High football has a tradition like no other in the Metro East. Last Friday night, a dinner organized by former Flyer greats Marvin Lampkin and Darren Suggs had many of us in tears and laughter. Most of the tears were from all the love on display as we toasted our coach and told him, “Thanks for everything.”
Homer Bush (New York Yankees), Dana Howard (Butkis Award Winner), Kerwin Price (Arkansas), Ronnie Cameron (Mizzou), Dennis Stallings (Tennessee Titans), Julyon Brown (Illinois), Terry Hill (Mizzou), Lampkin (Iowa) and Suggs (Jackson State) were in attendance to express how much we love and care for the man we will always respect as OUR COACH!
Bob Shannon was honored by more than 200 players, former coaches and friends at the Four Points Sheraton in Fairview Heights – the first of a series of reunions for former Flyer players.
“I will never forget you guys,” Coach told all of us. “My players, coaches, parents, people who supported us – I loved coaching at East Side.” Coach spent most of the evening shaking hands, hugging and speaking to former players and their wives. Most hadn’t seen Coach since he left East St. Louis.
His former players thanked Coach for teaching us about the game of life. Many told Coach how we use in our everyday life many of the things he taught us when we played for him.
The evening just wasn’t all tears and thank-yous. It also gave us an opportunity to get in a few jokes at Coach’s expense – without a tongue-lashing. Former Flyers Terry (Yurk) Thompson, Corey Adams, Howard and Bush brought the crowd to tears laughing about old times.
Howard spoke about the week prior to the Illini playing Ohio State, when he told the press on Saturday his Illini were going to beat Ohio State and he would prove he was the best linebacker in the Big Ten! Howard didn’t disappointed a national television audience, Lou Tepper or Illinois fans that Saturday as Howard recorded 25 tackles and led Illinois to a victory.
But the funny thing happened that morning of the game. Howard said at 6:30 a.m. on game day, his phone rang. When he picked it up, it was Coach on the phone, saying like only Coach Shannon would say it: “Dana, the only thing you better guarantee again is that you are going to play hard!” The crowd laughed to no end.
Kevin Horrigan was also in attendance. Horrigan wrote the book Some Kind of Hero about the Flyer football program in the late ‘70s and ‘80s. In addition, Tom Holley, Judge Milton Wharton Jr. and Post-Dispatch photographer O’Dell Mitchell Jr. paid tribute to Coach Shannon.
St. Louis Rams President Bob Wallace sent a thoughtful telegram honoring and praising Coach for his achievements on the field and for the job he did mentoring many young men. Wallace has known Coach Shannon dating back when Wallace worked for the Big Red.
From professional athletes, DEA agents, policeman, executives, teachers, coaches, railroad workers, Coach had all his guys in a room one more time.
As the master of ceremony, I was honored to be a small part of such a great event honoring a mentor, father figure and person like Coach. More importantly, it was great to see 150 young black men together with our coach for our TEAM PRAYER ONE MORE TIME.
We love you, Coach, and THANKS AGAIN!
Box
Coach Bob Shannon’s East St. Louis Flyers
? 1977- 1995 as head coach
? 195-31 won/loss record
? 16 playoff appearances
? Six state championships
? Two 2nd place finishes
? Two national championships (1985 & 1989)
