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to Shane (left), Sam to his son by saying,
have ordered him any
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s versatile. He began foot-phomore year playing I told him that was where 1 girls werebut he's also ; linebacker and then mid-
this past season." niddle linebacker was a mension for his son. But
with courage, quickness 1 strength.
is the heart...if you don't i won't be a great football j the 'want-to'" a now weighs around 219 mce like the skinny fellow Atlas comic strip. In fact, te was called "Little Jerry
5hane was a quarterback all ;e, Jayvee and during his ar of high school, /anted to be where the ac-jt the money and the girls, j to hit someone, aying quarterback but it you did was hand off and ild be fighting for yardage," )h, I'd get tackled once in lidn't feel I was one of the
inged in that UK football sophomore year at Hender-
son County. He held his own as a corner back and felt that 25 more pounds would do wonders. It did.
The next year he came back 25 pounds heavier and was a defensive force at the UK summer camp.
"I got a lot of respect for myself at that camp," Shane said. "I had a good camp and played outside linebacker."
Shane doesn't feel he will have to prove himself just because he is Sam's son. But he is aware that people will compare. That's something that will be with him all his life.
It goes with the territory that people expect more out of Shane because of what his dad was.
"I guess I also expect more out of myself just because of who my dad is and who I am," Shane said. "When I do live up to my expectations of myself, I feel good. To hear people say that's Sam's son out there and he's a good player, .to hear that makes me feel good."
Shane is heady enough to know there will always be a downside to the relationship, too. He's well aware that there will always be people who say, '"That's Sam's son and the reason he's out there is because his last name is Ball.' That's part of it, too."
But to those people Shane wishes to point out some of the following:
"These people don't see me practice...or run laps, or spend hours in the weight room," Shane said.
"Sure, I get a lot of that Sam's son guff, but it helps motivate me. Since I am Sam's son he will tell me when I'm doing wrong."
Shane wore an unusual number when he played middle linebacker this past year for the Colonels. No. 19. Johnny Unitas' old number.
"Shane wants to wear 37 at UK." Sam said. "It's a reflection of my number.. .73."
The Colts are like family to Shane. His uncle is the infamous Mike Curtis, one of the most fierce linebackers in pro football history. Like Butkus, he was.
"I've watched him play," Shane said of the man they called 'Mad Dog'. "He was one of the most intense players in the league.I got a lot of pointers from him. He's proud of me."
The Colts will always be special to Shane..the Baltimore Colts, that is. That's because they were special to Sam.
Sam doesn't like to brag but he feels Baltimore had the most renowned offensive line in football in his five years in the NFL. He retired in 1971.
"Myself, Curry, Danny Sullivan, Glenn Ressler and Bob Vogel...we were the forgotten five," Sam recalls.
Sam Ball then recounted one of his favorite stories.
It concerned an alleged feud between himself and Deacon Jones, the great L.A. Ram defensive end, an NFL Hall of Famer.
One sportswriter, trying to stir up some interest in a game between the Colts and the Los Angeles Rams, wrote that the Colts had given Ball the game ball after he had done a number on Jones the first time the teams met that season.
Introduced at the Coliseum in a rematch that afternoon, Ball said 93,000 people rose up to boo him.
"Man, 93,000 people knew my name...there were more people there than in western Kentucky," Sam recalled. "I said to myself, 'Sam, you have arrived.'"
Now it is Shane's turn to arrive. A gifted painter, Shane has a 3.0 grade point average. He was also on the Henderson County School student council and served as president of the Colonels' Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
At church, he finds himself getting closer to his father.
"Sitting there in church, side by side,
i i
I guess I also expect more out of myself just because of who my dad is and who I am. When I do live up to my expectations of myself, I feel good. To hear people say that's Sam's son out there and he's a good player, .to hear that makes me feel good.
he (Shane) always tries to size up my knee to his," Sam said. "You know something...he's getting closer. I also think we look alike and he has mannerisms like mine."
Sam then got up to show a tape of a television interview with Shane. The sportscaster showed clips of Shane in action last year. Shane had 95 tackles, one interception and three blocked kicks last season in a brilliant individual effort. But he didn't make a tackle in any of the game clips shown by the TV station. "I can't believe they never got me once making a tackle.. .1 was always pursuing," said Shane, slightly mortified.
Sam chipped in. "But you were great for morale, son. "You were always patting everybody on their back."
Father and son chuckled simultaneously. Sam then echoed what Shane had said earlier.
"We're not only father and son..we're pals. It's just a high s to think he's mine." J
Sam (left) alongside Shane and Polo; Sam jokingly advised Shane he could continue his football career at any college in the country as long as it was in Lexington, Ky.