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I Sure Picked a Good Day to Be Lucky...
Wow, where did the last thirty years go? March 2nd, 2016 marks the 30-year anniversary of our championship at the 1986 Southern Conference Basketball tournament. By "our" I mean the Davidson College basketball team. Most people remember the championship game because we won it on a lucky shot at the buzzer. I had the good fortune of being the guy who took and made "The Shot." Check out my last second game-winner below:
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Glory Days of 1986
As soon as the shot left my hand, I thought that it had a decent chance of going in. I could tell that I had put enough arch on it, but it did not feel like it was going to swish. I thought it was off right a little bit, and the video shows that it was not a dead-on swish.
Here are a couple of pictures of that moment in time:
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My One and Only Game Winner Ever |
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Oh the Joy! |
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Jim McConkey, Dean Keaner, and Pat Riazzi |
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Prelude to a Nosebleed |
Celebrating with Coach Bobby Hussey |
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Net Cutting and Enjoying the Moment |
A Few Observations:
- I feel very fortunate to have played D-1 basketball. I feel especially blessed to have done so at Davidson College. The people at Davidson were first class and the academics were top notch. How I managed to graduate from Davidson while spending so much time playing basketball is still a great mystery to me. Actually, it's not...my transcript looks like it went through a meat grinder. However, I did manage to graduate a trimester early in spite of my undergraduate folly.
- High School Teammates * As I get older, I become more aware as to how many great teammates that I had over the years. I was fortunate to play with MANY talented, yet unselfish, players. At Ringgold High School I played with some awesome guys: Billy Forehand, R.J. Harris, Tony Buchanan, Dana Emberson, John Gray, Mitch Sponberger, Doyle Clark, Steve Daffron, Mark Connell, Eric Alexander, Brian Mink, and my brother Scott. I remember all our good times and tough games like they happened a few weeks ago. Those guys will always be in my thoughts because they helped make me who I am...thanks guys!
- Davidson Teammates * My Davidson buddies were also a great group of guys who I will never forget. I spent so much time with these guys: Jim McConkey, Pepper Bego, Ken Neibuhr, Pat Riazzi, Todd Scott, Ted Wolfe, Chris Heineman, Ace Tanner, Derek Rucker, Jeff Himes, Dave Fitzgerald, Mike Gynn, Dean Keener, and Bill Sellers. On the court, we had great chemistry regardless of the various line-ups that we used. Off the court, we had great camaraderie and spent a ton of non-basketball time together. So many late-night, partial memories!
- My High School Coaches * As a former basketball coach myself, I am especially appreciative of all the time and energy my coaches put in for my athletic and personal growth. In high school I had two awesome coaches: the late Bill Womack and Jerry Jones. Coach Womack was my freshmen and JV coach while Coach Jones was my varsity coach. They both taught me how to win and play basketball with maximum energy and "assertiveness." Basically, they made me a D-1 hoopster...for that I will always be grateful.
- College Coaches * At Davidson I played for Coach Bobby Hussey whose battle cry I will always remember, "Play hard!" Coach always tried to get us to play to our maximum physical ability within a team structure. Eventually, his message sunk in and we won a championship. In my opinion, Coach Hussey was never fully appreciated...after all, he did win one SoCon Tournament Championship and lost in the finals two other times. It is an honor to be linked to him and his 1986 tournament championship. At Davidson I also had the good fortune to be coached by Jim Baker, Gerry Vaillancourt, Sam Dixon, and the late Robbie Hicklin. Coach Baker kept us calm and sane, Coach V kept us loose, Coach Dixon kept us angry by harping on our bad defense, and Coach Hicklin kept us entertained with his stories. They played a part in our success during our time at Davidson...thanks guys!
That's a question I used to get quite frequently. I remember the Shot like most people remember a car wreck...the crisp, clear details run through my mind in slow motion. I remember coming back to the ball so that my buddy, Ace Tanner, wouldn't get a 5-second violation. Ace threw me the ball, I pivoted, dribbled once to generate some power into the shot, and let it fly. I remember Lance Fulse putting a hand up, but it wasn't enough to alter the shot. (I'm sure the last thing he wanted in that situation was to foul on a desperation jumper.)
Fortunately for us, I sure picked a good day to be lucky. As I get older, I realize just how cool it was to experience such a big moment. Not many people get to have such an experience, and for some reason, fate chose me. At the same time, I also realize that I got the chance to experience my 15 minutes of fame only after years of hard work and practice. As Coach Hussey loved to say, "Success is where opportunity meets preparation."
What many people forget is that I could have been the goat of the game instead of the lucky-shot guy. Just prior to our final possession of the game, I inadvertently threw the ball into play while trying to corral it under the UTC goal. Had a Moc player grabbed the ball, he would have had an easy game-winning lay-up. It's funny how life is, right?
After the shot, I was mobbed by teammates. At the bottom of the pile, I soon realized that I couldn't breathe and suddenly felt my nose pop with blood. The pressure of the pile caused my nose to bleed. Once on my feet, I got my breath and had to put a towel on my nose to stop the considerable bleeding. For the record, the bleeding was from the celebration, not the game.
What Are You Doing These Days?
Gee, thanks for asking! I'm teaching high school Spanish in Douglas, Georgia where we've lived for almost two years. Previously, my wife and I taught in Saudi Arabia, LaGrange, GA, and Echols County, GA. I was a basketball coach for a few years, but I realized that b-ball is no longer my passion. However, I DID love being with my players...there is nothing like being with the guys! But, practice can be a drag, and long road trips on Tuesday nights were the worst. In my opinion, coaching is for youngsters, and newsflash, I'm not so young anymore. (52 to be exact!)
These days I enjoy infinite happiness from my family. I have been married for 19 years and we have a 10 year old son. All in all, I have had an awesome life. I hope you enjoyed this post.
Gerry Born '86
Fortunately for us, I sure picked a good day to be lucky. As I get older, I realize just how cool it was to experience such a big moment. Not many people get to have such an experience, and for some reason, fate chose me. At the same time, I also realize that I got the chance to experience my 15 minutes of fame only after years of hard work and practice. As Coach Hussey loved to say, "Success is where opportunity meets preparation."
What many people forget is that I could have been the goat of the game instead of the lucky-shot guy. Just prior to our final possession of the game, I inadvertently threw the ball into play while trying to corral it under the UTC goal. Had a Moc player grabbed the ball, he would have had an easy game-winning lay-up. It's funny how life is, right?
After the shot, I was mobbed by teammates. At the bottom of the pile, I soon realized that I couldn't breathe and suddenly felt my nose pop with blood. The pressure of the pile caused my nose to bleed. Once on my feet, I got my breath and had to put a towel on my nose to stop the considerable bleeding. For the record, the bleeding was from the celebration, not the game.
Going to Accept the MOP Award
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It's Sure Nice to Be Remembered... |
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A Rare Rebound against Kentucky and Kenny "Sky" Walker in the 1986 NCAA Tournament |
Gee, thanks for asking! I'm teaching high school Spanish in Douglas, Georgia where we've lived for almost two years. Previously, my wife and I taught in Saudi Arabia, LaGrange, GA, and Echols County, GA. I was a basketball coach for a few years, but I realized that b-ball is no longer my passion. However, I DID love being with my players...there is nothing like being with the guys! But, practice can be a drag, and long road trips on Tuesday nights were the worst. In my opinion, coaching is for youngsters, and newsflash, I'm not so young anymore. (52 to be exact!)
These days I enjoy infinite happiness from my family. I have been married for 19 years and we have a 10 year old son. All in all, I have had an awesome life. I hope you enjoyed this post.
Gerry Born '86
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Having Fun in Deep South Georgia... |
