Hayden Fry stories...

[MustangSally]

Ok, so I've read about this Hayden Fry story that he painted the opponent's locker rooms pink. I think it's really funny but before I go telling friends about it, I wanted to make sure I got it correct. Was it the visiting locker room at the Cotton Bowl? Any other cool stories? Thanks guys.

[Stallion]

No the painted pink lockerroom was at Iowa.

[mrydel]

I have often expressed my admiration for Coach Fry on this board, but as far as "cool" stories, there is one that I recall vividly. Fry was and I am sure still the eternal optimist. Every season started with us going for the National Championship. No team in the country was as good as us. But in September of 1969 we had to go north to Michigan State. They were highly rated at the time. Fry spent the entire week bemoaning the fact that we were going to get beaten so badly that we may not be able to field a team the remainder of the year. I was redshirted that year and each week would provide an inspirational song or yell for the team at Fry's request. For this game I wrote a song to the tune of Green green Grass of Home (accompanied by fellow redshirt Randy Allen) that had our players being destroyed by MSU and being brought home to be buried in the Green Green Grass of Home. Coach had us perform it more than once and continued to tell everyone how bad we were going to lose. This was not for the press but rather directly to the team. It was understood that he was being tongue in cheek but he played it up so much that the team became extremely loose rather than intimidated by what was a monsterous team.

We lost the game but it was 15-23 and we had chances to win. It would have easily been the biggest upset of the yeat that year. It is the only time I ever heard him say we could not win, and even though we knew he did not mean it, the manner in which he did it almost worked. If I ever hear the song Green Green Grass of Home I pleasantly remember Coach Fry.

[MrMustang1965]

The story recounted by Jerry LeVias in the documentary "Jerry LeVias: A Marked Man" about Coach Fry borrowing a dime from a band student to make a pay phone call to LeVias' grandmother for the traditional pre-game prayer is priceless, too!

[PlanoStang]

Where is Hayden's famous crying towel now? Should be in Heritage Hall. :laugh: