I was born a Football Player's Daughter...

So I have been thinking a lot about my father recently. The great, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I have been thinking quite a bit about the sacrifices he has made in his life so that I could enjoy mine. Granted, when I was a bratty and insecure teenage girl with the emotional stability of a tsunami it seemed my dad could never make the sacrifices I felt I needed from him. But as I have evolved through the years so has my appreciation and understanding of everything my dad has done and continues to do for his family.

My father played professional football for the St. Louis Cardinals for just a few years in the early to mid 1960s. This was of course before I was a speck on the Bailey radar. This is a time in my parents life I continue to value, however, because it was a period that changed the direction of our family permanently. Thanks to good friends and neighbors my father decided for himself to lay aside the anti-Mormon feelings of my grandfather and become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Through the years I know this took a heavy toll on his relationship with his own father who had high athletic aspirations for his eldest son and namesake. By the time I arrived on the scene and was cognizant of my environment my grandfather, Claron, seemed to have mellowed and loved me to pieces. But I can't imagine the emotional price my father paid over the years in making the choice he did. How I love and admire him for that! For the courage to make hard choices because he knows they are the right ones no matter what the consequences. A quality that has defined his adult life.

The following is a Sports Illustrated article about the team my dad played on and his name is actually mentioned. My dad, the football player.

September 13, 1965 St. Louis Cardinals Tex Maule , Morton H. Sharnik

TheSt. Louis Cardinalshave one of the most intelligent quarterbacks in pro football. They have an abundance of good running backs and an experienced offensive line almost as strong as theGreen Bay Packers'. They have a goodly number of fleet, sure-handed and brave pass catchers. The defensive line is young, large and hungry, and there are plenty of big, violent linebackers. Add to all this a secondary that must benefit from acquiring the quick, strongAbe Woodsonfrom theSan Francisco 49ers, and it would seem unwise to pick any other team to win the championship of the Eastern Division or of the world, for that matter.

But this young, lively and deep football team probably will finish second or third. The primary deficiency is at quarterback, whereCharley Johnsonis a step away from being a championship quarterback and his replacements are seasons away.Johnsonis a brilliant strategist and often a brilliant passer. But he also can be rattled fairly easily, and he has a deplorable tendency to force his passes. This means that he will, despite close coverage, try to throw to a primary receiver against the odds. When he learns to look for his first receiver, give up, look for his second, give up and then throw the ball over the sidelines or eat it, he will have realized the potential of his good arm and brain. But he has not learned this lesson yet; he has been a starter for only two and a half years. It tookCleveland'sFrank Ryan, for example, more than five years to learn the same lesson. BehindJohnsontheCardinalshave Buddy Humphrey, who has not been a starting quarterback in seven years, and Terry Nofsinger, who has been a bench jockey for five. It is possible that one or the other of them is ready for a leading role, but neither has shown signs of it.

If theCardinalswere going into this campaign with a Unitas or a Starr at quarterback, they would be odds-on for first place. With Joe Childress, Bill Triplett, Prentice Gautt, Willis Crenshaw and Thunder Thornton for backs, they have exceptional running strength.Sonny Randle, Billy Gambrell, Bobby Joe Conrad,Jack Smithand Taz Anderson are a fine group of receivers. The offensive line is deep and capable.

The defensive line is quick and tough, and Larry Stallings, All-Pro Dale Meinert and Bill Koman combine a total of 18 years' experience with size and youth at linebacker.Dave Meggyesyand Marion Rushing provide linebacking strength in depth.

With Pat Fischer, Jim Burson,Jerry Stovall,Larry Wilson,Abe Woodson, Monk Bailey and rookie Carl Silvestri, theCardinalsare well supplied with defensive backs, a pleasant situation enjoyed by few clubs in pro football.Woodsonadds something theCardinalslacked last season—a tremendous threat on punt and kickoff returns.

Jim Bakkenis one of the handsomest place kickers in football; more important, he is extremely accurate at short or long range. He did not miss an extra point all of last season, his first in the league.

Add it all up and it would spell championship ifCharley Johnsoncould take the final giant step to stardom—and if an adequate replacement could be developed for him.

Two ifs, both big.

Read more:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1077666/index.htm#ixzz1FfhvI9Hk