1 00:00:01,240 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: Everybody. It's Bill Courtney with an army of normal folks, 2 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:08,440 Speaker 1: and welcome to Shop Talk two of two. I hope 3 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:10,240 Speaker 1: you enjoyed the first one, and I hope you enjoy 4 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 1: this one. Today we're going to talk about something that's 5 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:20,320 Speaker 1: really near and dear to my heart, and it's the 6 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:25,120 Speaker 1: story of Chucky Mullins and Bride Gains and the signa 7 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: new charity ball. And we'll dive into that right after 8 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 1: these brief messages from our Tenner sponsors. Welcome back, everybody. 9 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 1: Most of you should know. I'm an Old Miss guy, 10 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:41,600 Speaker 1: and I want to tell you about maybe one of 11 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:46,520 Speaker 1: the most formative experiences I had in college that really 12 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,640 Speaker 1: had nothing to do with me. On October twenty eighth, 13 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty nine, during Ole Miss's homecoming game against Vanderbilt, 14 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: a guy named Chucky Mullins, playing safety, came up to 15 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 1: break a pass. He put his head in the back 16 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 1: of Brad Gains. Brad Gaines was a full back for 17 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 1: Vanderbilt and he was definitely going to be a top 18 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:11,679 Speaker 1: three pick, a top three round pick. He was their stud. 19 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: Chucky smoked him right on about the five or six 20 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 1: yard line and the ball came loose bought. Hemingway went 21 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 1: nuts because it broke up a big path at a 22 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: critical juncture. Everybody started going back to their huddles and 23 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: we were ready for the next play. Except Chucky didn't 24 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: get up. He laid there. I was on the sideline 25 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: that day, I was not in the stands, and I 26 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 1: remember thinking, Wow, he's knocked out cold because as he 27 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:45,600 Speaker 1: lay on his back, his elbow was still on the ground, 28 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: but his forearm was perpendicular to the ground, and when 29 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 1: his arm fell to the ground, it just fell without 30 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:57,360 Speaker 1: any resistance. And so I knew this guy was just 31 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 1: out cold. And I'd seen that before football two times, 32 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 1: and it's scary, but you know, it's unfortunately part of 33 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 1: the game. Roy Lee Mullins Chucky was laying there, and 34 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:15,640 Speaker 1: ironically the UH the head trainer for miss back then 35 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 1: was Leeroy Mullins, and mister Mullins ran out to him 36 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: like they always do when somebody's hurt, and when he 37 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 1: got there, you could tell it was more than just 38 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 1: passed out. He frantically was waving arms and the team 39 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:30,080 Speaker 1: dot came off the sideline. In a matter of instance, 40 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 1: there was ten people around Chuck e Chuckie was a freshman, 41 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 1: number thirty eight, and to be honest with you, not 42 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 1: many of us even knew the kid's name. He was 43 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 1: a second string guy, and he was in on a 44 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 1: Nickel package about ten minutes later. And you know how 45 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: it is when somebody gets hurt, you can tell it's serious. 46 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 1: In a football stadium, it goes from wild and reverently 47 00:02:56,919 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: loud to you can hear pendrop. There's fifty thousand people 48 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: sitting there trying to figure out what's going on. And 49 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: they roll out the back. Then they didn't have like 50 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: the motorized cater cars. They just rolled a stretcher out 51 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 1: onto the five yard line and put them up on it. 52 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 1: And they actually passed me. And when they passed me, obviously, 53 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: I'm gawking like any kid would. And they'd clipped Chucky's 54 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 1: face mask at the jaw clip, but kept the clips 55 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 1: on the top forehead part of his helmet, So they 56 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:33,640 Speaker 1: basically clipped the clips off and folded his face mask 57 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: like he would the hood of a car, and had 58 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 1: them all taped down, and so he couldn't move, and 59 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: his face was so swollen that his cheeks had protruded 60 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: outside the plastic shell of the helmet. It was awful, 61 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: and I knew, like everybody else in the stadium knew 62 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: that this was probably a neck injury. Plavor Zoom little 63 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: by little gets louder. People forget it and keep playing, 64 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 1: and then like twelve minutes later, from the other end 65 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: zone outside the stadium, the helicopter picks up and wheels 66 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:21,599 Speaker 1: north toward Memphis, and it was like a second hush 67 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:26,119 Speaker 1: fell over because everybody knew then you know, this is bad. 68 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 1: The next day we found out that this kid, CHUCKI. Mullins, 69 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 1: had literally disintegrated the top four vertebrae in his neck 70 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:44,040 Speaker 1: and he was a quadriplegic. The university and the lums 71 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 1: and students really rallied around him, and in very short 72 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:49,839 Speaker 1: order in nineteen eighty nine, there was well over a 73 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 1: million dollars raised. The university bought theom house, built it 74 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: off campus, and his rehab was a years years and 75 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: a half long rehab and Brad Gaines, this big, burly, 76 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:09,279 Speaker 1: badass football player, went to Baptist Hospital Memphis and actually 77 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:11,279 Speaker 1: slept in his car in the parking lot for two 78 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 1: nights keeping vigil over. Chucky Bride says He'll never forget 79 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:21,040 Speaker 1: the day he went to visit him, and he was 80 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 1: wearing his Vanderbilt letter jacket, and the elevator doors parted 81 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 1: and his bride walked into the hallway to go down 82 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:30,839 Speaker 1: to see Chucky. It was just filled with Old Miss 83 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 1: people and it's just like he could, you know, everybody 84 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 1: talking in the hallway over coffee, and it just was 85 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:40,599 Speaker 1: a hush, and Chucky could barely talk. He was on 86 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 1: a ventilator, but he could put his hand over a 87 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: button on the ventilator and say very short words. And 88 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:50,040 Speaker 1: Brad knelt down and prayed for him and with him, 89 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 1: and then came up and with tears in his eyes, 90 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:56,839 Speaker 1: told him, I'm sorry he was and Chucky pushed his 91 00:05:56,920 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 1: button and whispered in a guardly fashion and not your fault, 92 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 1: you go play ball, And that's kind of what Chucky was. 93 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:15,000 Speaker 1: At the same time, Old Miss was struggling with some problems. 94 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 1: The student body always rave Confederate flags, the band played 95 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:24,200 Speaker 1: Dixie about nineteen times a game, and the university was 96 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:27,360 Speaker 1: struggling with we're not a racist university, but what we're 97 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:32,039 Speaker 1: portraying can can certainly be used against people to say 98 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:36,359 Speaker 1: we're racist. In recruiting and other things. But are we 99 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:41,840 Speaker 1: really portraying who we are as university? And at this 100 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: weird time where we're struggling all that, here's this black 101 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:48,920 Speaker 1: kid from Russellville, Arkansas, who doesn't have two nicols drubbed together, 102 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:52,360 Speaker 1: that the entire university is bracing as their favorite son. 103 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:56,720 Speaker 1: Next to Archie Manning. There's no bigger name at the 104 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:59,920 Speaker 1: University of the Old Miss than Chuck him my own. 105 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:04,039 Speaker 1: And it happened overnight. And it wasn't just because this 106 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:07,039 Speaker 1: kid got hurt. It was because his attitude about being 107 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:12,160 Speaker 1: hurt and his courage. Later that year, Ole Miss played 108 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 1: in the Liberty Bowl against air Force and they had 109 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: a quarterback named Dee Dallas who was number two in 110 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 1: the Heisman balloting, and air Force was favored by sixteen points. 111 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: And right before the game, to everybody's surprise, Chucky rolled 112 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 1: in in a wheelchair into the locker room. And there 113 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:37,679 Speaker 1: wasn't a man in there that didn't have tears streaming 114 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:41,880 Speaker 1: down his face. And he had this infectious smile. And 115 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:43,920 Speaker 1: he rolled in and he looked at the team, and 116 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 1: he put his hand over his little thing and he 117 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: said as loud as he could it's time. Ole miss 118 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 1: beat the crap out of Air Force that night, and 119 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:59,720 Speaker 1: Billy Brewer, the coach at that time, said there wasn't 120 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:01,440 Speaker 1: a team in the country that could have beat those 121 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 1: kids that day. After Chucky rolled in and told him 122 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 1: it's time, there was just so much inspiration from his 123 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 1: courage and his attitude. Shortly after Chucky got hurt, there 124 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 1: was this kid in Lauderdale, Mississippi named Alan Moore, a 125 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 1: high school kid, a junior, who actually had the exact 126 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:21,920 Speaker 1: same injury that Chucky did, but it was from a 127 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 1: very poor high school, again in Lauderdale, and he had 128 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 1: no money. They didn't even have enough money for a 129 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: wheelchair for him, couldn't build a ramp on his house. 130 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:33,319 Speaker 1: And we were sitting around in the fraternity house one 131 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:36,160 Speaker 1: day with a friend of mine, John Quak, and some 132 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 1: other guys and read that story of the day of 133 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:41,199 Speaker 1: the Mississippian and John said, you know, we should do something, 134 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 1: you know, an army of normal folks, we should do 135 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:50,200 Speaker 1: something for this kid. And so I went to Coach 136 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 1: Brewer because I had a relationship with them. I went 137 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 1: to Sparky Bear and the Dinas students at the time 138 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:57,320 Speaker 1: who got me in front of the chancellor, and we 139 00:08:57,400 --> 00:08:59,160 Speaker 1: came up with the idea of playing what this thing 140 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 1: was going to be called was a charity ball, which 141 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,199 Speaker 1: is our fraternity in a full pat of football game 142 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 1: against another fraternity and celtickets and raise money and give 143 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:12,040 Speaker 1: it to this kid named Alan Moore in honor of 144 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:14,560 Speaker 1: Chucky Mullins. And so I actually got to meet with 145 00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:16,160 Speaker 1: Chucky and I told him the plan. I said, I 146 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 1: don't want you to feel disrespected that we're raising money 147 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:20,480 Speaker 1: for somebody else. And he looked at me and he 148 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 1: said it's time. Chills ran through me when he said 149 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 1: that big smile. He wanted us to go raise money 150 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:37,200 Speaker 1: for someone else because he knew he was taken care of. 151 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 1: It's just kind of guy was So we put to 152 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:42,679 Speaker 1: go this football game. Long story short, my Afternity run 153 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:46,960 Speaker 1: the football game and we raised fifteen thousand dollars. That 154 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:50,600 Speaker 1: was in nineteen eighty nine. Today they still play that 155 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:54,360 Speaker 1: game called the Charity Ball once a year and it 156 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 1: has grown to be the largest Greek philanthropy project in 157 00:09:57,559 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 1: the entire United States and is today israe over three 158 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 1: and a half million dollars for quadriplegics who had no 159 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:13,800 Speaker 1: hope of good care and wheelchairs and ramps and wheelchair 160 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:19,480 Speaker 1: accessible vehicles, all in the honor of a kid named 161 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:23,840 Speaker 1: Chucky Mullins. Why am I telling you the story? Why 162 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:30,000 Speaker 1: is this shop talk one? It doesn't matter who you are, 163 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:35,200 Speaker 1: or what happens to you, or what challenges you have 164 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:39,560 Speaker 1: in the world. If you keep a positive attitude and 165 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 1: have the temerity to face all obstacles with courage, you 166 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:54,120 Speaker 1: can change people's lives. Chucky changed an entire generation of 167 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:57,680 Speaker 1: lives of people at Ole Miss because of his courage, 168 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:02,480 Speaker 1: because of his inspiration, because of his generosity, and because 169 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:05,600 Speaker 1: of his spirit. To this very day, every ol Miss 170 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:07,400 Speaker 1: football team, when they run out of the tunnel at 171 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:12,080 Speaker 1: Vald Hemingway Stadium, run their head over a copper bust 172 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:17,000 Speaker 1: of Chucky's head, and underneath it it just says, never 173 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 1: give up. I think we should always think about the 174 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:25,120 Speaker 1: story of Chucky Mullins and Brad Gaines and the kids 175 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:27,839 Speaker 1: at Old Miss who've raised three and a half million dollars, 176 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:32,080 Speaker 1: all who took a horrible incident and turned it into 177 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:38,120 Speaker 1: a massive outpouring of generosity and inspiration, all because of 178 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:43,400 Speaker 1: a guy named Chucky Mullins. Who showed that even as 179 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:50,360 Speaker 1: a quadriplegic, you can inspire, you can encourage, and you 180 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:54,600 Speaker 1: can evoke change. Ole miss does not wave the Confederate 181 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:57,439 Speaker 1: flag anymore, and it no longer plays Dixie with its band. 182 00:11:57,679 --> 00:12:03,360 Speaker 1: It got rid of Colonel rebb as it's Scott and 183 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:07,680 Speaker 1: it's because the university, through the inspiration of a guy 184 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:12,280 Speaker 1: like Chucky, had the courage to look at itself and say, 185 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:17,000 Speaker 1: we need to portray who we are, not what the 186 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 1: past says about us. Chucky's inspiration and courage changed the university, 187 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 1: changed a perception, changed an approach, and through his generosity 188 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 1: and inspiration, has changed the lives of thirty six people 189 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:41,880 Speaker 1: that have had the same type injury he has that 190 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:45,960 Speaker 1: have come behind him. Even in his death, because Chucky 191 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:48,320 Speaker 1: died two and a half three years later, his body 192 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:53,400 Speaker 1: just couldn't function anymore, but his legacy lives on because 193 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 1: of courage and inspiration. So when you wake up tomorrow 194 00:12:58,040 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 1: and you think about all of the things that are 195 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:03,080 Speaker 1: going around in your community and your society, and you're like, man, 196 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 1: I'd sure like to help, but I don't know how 197 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:11,360 Speaker 1: If a quadriplegic who doesn't have two Nickels drubbed together, 198 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:17,280 Speaker 1: came through his courage and inspiration, change an entire university 199 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:21,840 Speaker 1: and enrich the lives of other quadriplegics, even thirty years 200 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:25,120 Speaker 1: after his own death. You need to look at yourself 201 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:27,960 Speaker 1: in the mirror. You need to have some courage, you 202 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:31,000 Speaker 1: need to be inspired, and you need to understand the 203 00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:33,720 Speaker 1: only thing that's going to fix us is an army 204 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:36,320 Speaker 1: of normal folks. And it really does start with you. 205 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 1: But you've got to have the temerity and the courage 206 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:41,520 Speaker 1: to do it. We'll see you next week.