Adviser Update
SUMMER 2013
Page 9A
Summerall
T
Anne Whitt
is a 1997-98 Dow Jones Special
Recognition Adviser, 1999 Florida
Journalism Teacher of the Year and
2000 Distinguished Adviser in JEA’s
National Yearbook Adviser of the
Year competition. In 2002 NSPA and
JEA named her a Pioneer. In 2006
Florida Scholastic Press Association
gave her its Medallion. Her column,
“Whitt and Wisdom,” may be
read without membership at www.
Walsworth.com. Go to Resources
and then Columns. With her family
she also produces a community
publication. Whitt can be reached at
[email protected].
Nobody could have predicted the life
the late sportscaster relates
he clubfoot turned the
wrong way at the end of
Baby Summerall’s twisted
leg. A pediatrician said the
boy would never walk unless
surgery would be performed
while the legs were flexible.
So the man revered by the
NFL for his kicking spent the
first three months of his life
with that kicking leg in a cast.
Further, Pat’s name isn’t
Pat, Patrick or anything else
that starts with P. He claims
nobody wanted him, not even
his mother. So her sister took
the toddler to be a playmate
for her son nearly the same
age. The cousin was Mike.
The aunt wanted the two
Irish boys to be the Mike and
Pat show, so George Allen
BOOK REVIEW
By Anne G. Whitt
became Pat.
In time the aunt tired of the
extra boy. Only one person
cared enough for Pat’s welfare
to give him a permanent home
and unconditional support.
Grandmother, a retired
teacher with a one-bedroom
home, also had a radio, a love
for books, and a heart for the
stray child.
With little responsibility
and less companionship,
Pat spent daylight hours
playing any sport anybody
in Lake City, Fla., or the
surrounding national forest
had equipment to play. Afterdark entertainment consisted
of listening to Grandmother’s
reading or to Grandmother’s
radio.
The phone call that led to
the first radio job of delivering
minutes of sports commentary
was not meant for Pat. He just
happened to be holding the
phone when the call came for
a team member to audition.
Pat volunteered to go with
the teammate and the walk-on
got the job, not the scheduled
auditioner. Summerall says
when he took hold of the
copy, the years of listening to
Grandm