Letter: Charles Dillard earned his spot

To the Editor:
In a recent Cannon Courier, the new Sports Hall of Fam

members were announced. Thank you for inducting Charles Dillard. I have so much to tell but I'll never be able to put it all into this letter.
Growing up as a simple country boy, there wasn't a whole lot to dream about living in the hollers of Stones River and at the foot of Short Mountain. But like most kids, I had professional ball players that were heroes and a few I idolized. At an early age I played all the sports that were offered and imagined myself one day being one of those sports heroes. Then as I grew up there was always a name that folks talked about right here at home. I thought, man, he must be something for everyone to go on about him the way they were. Even in grammar school they spoke about how good a ballplayer he was. He was a few years older than me, so it took a while before I really got to see him play. I remember going with my Daddy to the high school football and basketball games. The one I wanted to see the most was Charlie.

His grace, speed and jumping were so amazing! I wanted to be like Charlie long before anyone wanted to be like Mike (Jordan). When I got to high school, Charlie had already graduated and was in college at Western Kentucky, but he was still my idol. So I tried to play like him as much as I could, of course I fell way short of having his God-given athletic ability, but in my mind I was close. I was asked by my ag teachers why I didn't take a bigger role in ag classes, but I lived that life every day.

For four short years, I got to live a life of sports and dreaming about being someone. I knew that was probably end when high school was over. And it did, I ended up back on the river, back in the hollers and back on the farm.

Charlie was my idol, and in my mind when you can have a hometown idol that's way better than one on TV you never get to know or get to meet in person. Like I said, I could go on for days about this man. When I saw his name in the Courier, it brought back so many memories of a simpler time in life. I am proud to say he is my friend and without Charles Dillard in the Cannon County Hall of Fame, it isn't a true Hall.

Congratulations my friend! And thanks to the voters who got it right.

Benny Lance
Woodbury