Living in Texas in 1986, the city of Waco no less, was one of the loneliest chunks of existence my life has had and theres been a few. That Thanksgiving day’s assembly was just a few family members (because I didn’t have a lot of family down there) for dinner. After the small meal was over, my sister and brother went out somewhere, and my parents decided to hang with my aunt and uncle. I chose to go home to our townhouse which was just a couple of steps away from where my aunt and uncle lived, in their own townhouse.
There I’d watch the Packers-Lions Thanksgiving day game which is being rematched again this year, incidentally. Madden and Summerall were in tow. Now it wouldn’t be long before a decision was made to move back to Wisconsin, but I think that we were a couple of weeks away from that choice being executed. Texas was not fitting me in the least, and depression was setting in. I was in a funk.
So there I sat on Thanksgiving day, up in my bedroom watching on my Portland (a Daewoo product) mini-color tv. I’m not sure why because there was a bigger television in the living room, and as I said, I was the only one home. I watched the Packers and the lions go back-and-forth in a meaningless football game. With under a minute left, the Lions held a 40 to 37 lead and things looked grim upon one last possession change as the Lions failed on a late 3rd down attempt. I’m sure in the back of my mind I was thinking “What a great Thanksgiving; here by myself, feeling lonely with nowhere near the family I’m used to having around me, and the Packers are going to lose to the stinking Lions.” However, This should not have come as a surprise as the Packers only won four games that entire season.
But then a Thanksgiving miracle happened.
Wide receiver Walter Stanley directly disobeyed the orders of his coach, Forrest Gregg, one of the dirtiest and lousiest coaches in the NFL, (not to mention the man that cut my personal hero, Packers quarterback Lynn Dickey) and decided to not fair catch. Stanley fielded the punt around the 17 yard line, cut to his left, realized there was no where to go, reversed his field and ran around everybody and straight up the far sideline for the game-winning touchdown. Oddly, ol' Forrest didn't look mad that he was not heeded. He may have been one of Coach Lombardi's favorite players, but as a coach, he was kind of a dingus and that came in real clear here.
I remember jumping up and down for joy in this really minor but at the time major moment, one on a otherwise thankless Thanksgiving. My excitement was rattling the exceedingly weak wooden floor of the second level of our townhouse. I didn’t give a shit, No one else was home.
It’s because of this touchdown and victory that the 1986 Thanksgiving is one I’ll never forget .
Thank you Walter.
Watch it here with a click:
Walter Stanley's Thanksgiving Touchdown
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