CASH BIRDWELL RETIRING!

[Pony4Life]

SMU trainer retiring

Cash Birdwell will call it quits at the end of this school year

UNIVERSITY PARK – After 34 years on the job, SMU trainer, Cash Birdwell has decided to retire.

Birdwell, 64, handed a retirement letter to athletic director Jim Copeland in mid-July, saying it was time for another phase of his life.

"I'm not retiring from life," said Birdwell, who oversees training responsibilities for the football program. "I don't want to sit around the house, it would drive my wife [Lou Beth] crazy. One of the things you ask yourself, 'Is my body wearing down?' And it's not. Health-wise, I feel good, and I work out four days a week."

Birdwell will officially retire in May when school ends. Mike Morton, Birdwell's top assistant, is a candidate to move into his job.

Copeland said Birdwell is the best trainer he's dealt with in his time in athletics.

"He's touched so many lives," Copeland said. "I was saddened when he gave me the letter."

Birdwell, a Houston native, is a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association and Southwest Athletic Trainers halls of fame. He was selected as college trainer of the year in 1978 by the NATA. Birdwell began his career in the Garland public schools. He was an assistant trainer at West Point and the head trainer for the New York Jets and Los Angeles Rams.
He started at SMU as the head trainer for all sports.

"When I first took this job, I talked to [Texas A&M director of facilities] Billy Pickard, and he told me, 'You better listen to Cash,' " football coach Phil Bennett said. "Cash has been invaluable to me. He's old school, and his knowledge is amazing."

Birdwell has developed close relationships with many players, including former star running back Eric Dickerson.

"One of a kind," Dickerson said. "I love Cash. He took care of me like a son. SMU needs more people like Cash because he cares about the program, the players and students' well-being."

[MrMustang1965]

Best of luck to Cash! Happy retirement! But...I'm glad he's gonna be around this season! Hopefully the school will give him a proper 'send off' during a game this season. Some type of recognition of his years at SMU.

[Grider]

Best of luck to Cash! Happy retirement! But...I'm glad he's gonna be around this season! Hopefully the school will give him a proper 'send off' during a game this season. Some type of recognition of his years at SMU.

My brother was a trainer at SMU and so was another friend of mine. I always loved good "Cash stories." Believe me, they were always very entertaining. He's been threatening to retire for about 15 years. I guess he's finally gonna go ahead with it.

[EastStang]

Didn't know Cash real well except for brief coming and goings. Always seemed like a class guy. Best of luck in whatever comes your way.

[Webmaster]

EastStang, you're right -- he's a class guy of the highest order.
And Grider .... the Cash stories, so many are hysterical.
Cash is a great guy and a great trainer and deserves every second of happiness in his retirement.

[BUS]

Cash is a great guy. He loves SMU and has helped people in every way.
He'll be around to come watch things.

[Corso]

How long until the training room is named after Cash?

Best of luck!

[No Quarter]

Corso, You've just made one made one of the better suggestions I've seen on this board. I hope it happens.

[Corso]

Thanks, but I don't think that involved any creativity at all.
That should be a slam dunk -- the whole training facility should be the Cash Birdwell Center or something like that.

[Bergermeister]

Not to slight anyone, but the Birdwell-Lane Athletic Training Center has a nice ring to it, too. Eddie Lane had served as a student trainer in the 50s and as the Athletic Trainer through the Hayden Fry era before being canned by Dave Smith in circumstances surrounding that debacle. Of course, Cash followed Eddie. Congratulations and "thanks" to Cash.

[giacfsp]

Cash Birdwell's place in SMU history is secure, whether or not they re-name the training room after him (which they SHOULD!)

A request for all PonyFans: no matter how the season turns out, EVERYONE needs to come to the last home game. If there's any justice in the world, SMU will do some kind of a tribute to Cash at the last game, and we ALL should be there to thank him for all his years of keeping our athletes healthy.

[Rayburn]

Cash Birdwell, Jesse Jones High School, Houston, Class of 1960:

[Captain E J Smith]

I used to work at a bank close to SMU. One of the drive- in tellers brought a new pet parakeet to work. Every one wanted to know what's the bird's name ? She had not named it yet and could not think of an appropiate name. So she finally decided to name it after the next customer that came thru the drive-in.

That lucky customer was Cash Birdwell.