Nov. 14, 2002
Eighty-three-year-old Jim Brown promptly returned the phone call when hearrived home from his aerobics class. It’s not surprising that promptness isone of his virtues.
The last time Jim Brown missed a University of Kentucky home football game,Franklin D. Roosevelt was president, bread cost a few cents a loaf and BearBryant was just a cub.
When Brown settles in for today’s game, in Section 129, Row 41, Seat 22, itwill mark his 367th consecutive UK home football game, with one exceptionthat we’ll get to later.
“I’m all for Kentucky football,” Brown said. “I liked football from an earlyage, when I was a little kid in Western Kentucky. Football was the big thingin the 1920s and I followed UK in the sports pages.”
Brown’s streak began in 1938 when he came to Lexington to attend UK. Astandout halfback in high school, he had hoped to play for the Wildcats, butwas unable to try out for the team because he had to work his way throughschool. That didn’t stop him from going to the games. In fact, it took aworld war to separate Brown from Kentucky football.
“I was in a race with Uncle Sam to graduate before I got inducted into theservice,” Brown said. “I graduated in 1942 and got sent to Wright Field inDayton. You couldn’t get gasoline, and I didn’t have a car anyway, so Icaught the train from Dayton to Cincinnati to Lexington to see the gamesthat season. I didn’t miss any games in 1943 because, like a lot of schools,UK didn’t field a team that year.”
World War II finally got bigger than Kentucky football in 1944. Brown was anavigator/bombardier on a B-25 in Asia, part of a squadron called the “BurmaBridge Busters,” definitely too far for a weekend excursion to catch theCats. But he was discharged just in time for the 1945 season, and he hasn’tmissed a home game since.
A member of what has become known as “The Greatest Generation,” Brown helpedbuild America – literally. He was involved with the construction business, alumber company, and in real estate.
Even his marriage had a tie to Kentucky football. He married Carolyn Rodes,daughter of William “Black Doc” Rodes, a UK football star in 1915 and 1916.The Browns didn’t always live in Lexington. They lived in Carrollton from1952-63, and in Winchester from 1965-78. All the while, he kept turning outto see his favorite team.
“I always worked on Saturday mornings (at the lumber company). I left a lotof people standing in the store, saying ‘I have to go to Lexington,'” Brownrecalled with a laugh. “I wasn’t trying to set a record. It just happened.”
Brown’s favorite gridiron memories involve the 1949-50-51 teams that playedin the Orange, Sugar and Cotton Bowls, along with the mid-1970s teams thatwon an SEC championship and a Peach Bowl.
“People who go back that far feel that our 1950 team probably was our best,”said Brown, referring to the Wildcat squad that is the 1950 nationalchampion, according to the Sagarin computer ratings. “(Quarterback) BabeParilli was as good at deception as anyone I’ve ever seen. I was at a gamein Atlanta against Georgia Tech, and a Tech fan was sitting beside me. Hesaid, ‘It looks like Parilli is shaking hands with everybody in thebackfield before he hands the ball off.’
“That bunch in 1977 was probably the second-best team we’ve had,” Browncontinued. “They had a lot of terrific athletes, especially (future NFLstars) Art Still and Derrick Ramsey.”
As much as he enjoys talking about the past, Brown is just as excited aboutthe present and future. After 52 years of marriage, wife Carolyn passed awayin 1999. He married again this summer, and new wife Mary Anne Goodson Brownalso is a UK grad. Jim and Mary Anne recently drove to Salt Lake City for areunion of his World War II air squadron. (A member of that squadron wasArnold Spielberg, who is the father of a moviemaker named Steven.)
Brown also is happy with the current edition of the Wildcats.
“I’m very impressed with (coach) Guy Morriss,” he said. “Not only is he agentleman, but he is a sincere person and good coach. We’re going in theright direction with the new AD (Mitch Barnhart) and President (Lee) Todd.The whole university is charting an exciting course.”
Brown plans to continue going to Kentucky games as long as possible. And,he’s a model of faithfulness in more than football. He has a 36-year streakof perfect attendance at the Lexington Rotary Club. He’s also a pillar ofCrestwood Christian Church, where he is an elder emeritus. Asked about hisconsistency, Brown replied in what must be the understatement of the year.
“I’ve always had a tendency to be loyal,” he said.
