I’ve posted this a few times here through the years, but still like retelling it. My one personal encounter with DKR was Thursday or Friday of OU week in the late 1980s or early 1990s. I was the last person to board a Southwest flight to Dallas and the last available seat was on the back row. There sat Coach Royal on the aisle with the one open seat in the middle. He insisted on taking the middle seat and letting me, with my longer legs, sit on the aisle.
We didn't talk on the flight, but when we got to Dallas and stood up to de-plane, I felt I had to say something to the old coach, so I said "Coach, you and your teams sure gave a lot of folks like me some great memories in the 1960s and 70s." He smiled and replied "Young man, I really appreciate you saying that." Greatness personified; and a gentleman too.
We didn't talk on the flight, but when we got to Dallas and stood up to de-plane, I felt I had to say something to the old coach, so I said "Coach, you and your teams sure gave a lot of folks like me some great memories in the 1960s and 70s." He smiled and replied "Young man, I really appreciate you saying that." Greatness personified; and a gentleman too.
