For Coach Easton

Those were my guys, sure enough! I was upstairs for that game as the QB/OC if it is the game I am recalling. What private school do you work for now? I was going to work at a private school in St. Augustine one time but they just didn't pay enough at that time for the responsibility of being a head coach.
a great deal of work for very little money and I just couldn't do it then. It is probably lots of fun now that your older, right?


Coach Easton

DAVID,

Sincere thanks for that report. Yes, we truly had great athletes at Raines, no doubt about it. There are kids who are STARS in the NFL today from those teams we had then, not just roster names. Ralph Dawkins(on the lineup card you sent me) had a good career with the Saints, and Dominique Ross has two Super Bowl rings with the cowboys. Ralph's younger brother, BRIAN DAWKINS of the eagles, is often alluded to as the best Safety in the NFL. His mate, Lito Sheperd and a great receiver we had by the name of JABBAR GAFFNEY ARE ALL TOGETHER ON THE EAGLES FOR THIS SEASON. Brian and Lito have been fixtures in the secondary for them for a number of years now, and Jabbar just came over from the Texans. We also had Derek Alexander who played at FSU and then had a stellar NFL career with the Vikings in the NFL. Of course, at Raines we were the Vikings also which I found to be ironic. In other years I had Rod Gardner who was my QB/Rec at Raines and then went to Clemson and became a first round pick of the Redskins. He is now with the Packers. But, you know coach, we had others who were just as talented and could have played in the NFL with no problem. But, for whatever reason, they just didn't apply themselves like the guys mentioned above who did! Keith Laidler was as good a receiver as you ever want to see (he too is on that lineup card you sent me for that game against Lee). He played for my championship 1994 AFL Super Bowl team on the pro minor leage level, made the Pro Bowl team and then just gave it up. The first man I ever put in the NFL from that team was a man I had at Raines first as a high schooler. His name is Leonard Larramore and when he was with me he was benching 655! We got him signed to the Buffalo Bills by Head Bills Scout Bob Windisch immediately after he put on a clinic at nose tackle in the pro bowl game that year and I was selected to be the HC for that game as well. He is now retired from football and travels with the Baptist Power team putting on lifting exhibitions and witnessing for Christ. He benches over 700 lbs! The very best player of them all in my book, got a full ride to Ole Miss from Raines and then transferred to Howard Univ. because he wanted to party instead of practice!!! Never heard from him again. But, after coaching 30 years or so at the HS level, coaching at Raines was the greatest talent pool I ever worked with.

Coach Easton