Monday, April 28, 2008

The Birth of the Nickname Doc

OK, so Vin has been after me for months to tell the story about where my nickname came from so I figured it was time to share. Now don't get me wrong, its not as exciting or as creative at Mountain Cat but it will have to do. Now I could tell you as many people assume that the name came from one of my favorite movies "Tombstone" which featured a fantastic character named Doc Holiday, played by Val Kilmer. It would fit especially since I spent my college days hanging around with another of my best friends who is named Wyatt. But that's not how it actually happened so I better stick to the truth.

It all started (as everything does) with High School football. Now those of you who have been reading YJKOBT for awhile will remember that I was a super duper high school football hero years ago even if it was in my own mind. I suppose that every HS football player has that coach that they can't stand and who can't stand them. The coach who is always after you for even the slightest little thing. Well I certainly had such a coach and his name was "Coach O". He was my defensive backs coach and he was evil, mean spirited, and took great pleasure in torturing us daily. Even the head coach didn't like him and thought he was too hard on us. This guy was so mean that he wouldn't die, hell he was even bullet proof. This was proven my junior year when he was actually shot on the sidelines during a game but somehow survived to continue torturing us. He didn't even miss practice the following Monday after being let out of the hospital because he would have missed torturing us too much. If anything getting shot only made him meaner. Ask Vin if you don't believe me.

One day during football practice Coach O had the defensive backs including me run a specific coverage known as cover 2 during a drill against the first team offense where I ran the cover 2 and the rest of my teammates ran man-to-man coverage and of course the offense scored on us because of the busted coverage. Coach O was pissed off. He started screaming and yelling at me for being in the wrong place and allowing the offense to score. Well no one ever stood up to Coach O but this time he had gone to far. I was the only one who was in the right coverage and the other guys had run the coverage wrong but here I was getting yelled at. I snapped. I broke the cardinal rule, committed the big no-no and ripped of my helmet and yelled right back at Coach O that I WAS in the right coverage because he had called for "cover2" and my responsibility as free safety was the deep half. He paused surly about ready to rip my head off of my shoulders and drop kick it out of the stadium for daring to question him. It was one of those moments where time stops for an instant. You could have heard a pin drop. Someone had yelled back at Coach O. Uh oh... I was certainly in for it but something else happened instead.

All of a sudden Coach O whirled around almost seeming to be in slow motion and began pointing at the strong safety and cornerback. "He's right, he's right, you guys were all in the wrong place... He may not be the fastest thing on the field but he is a freaking genius, he is gonna be a doctor someday and all of you are going to be working for him!!" he chastised the other players mercilessly. Needless to say this new revelation from Coach O didn't go over too well with my more talented but less cerebral teammates who were now being berated double over the busted play when they thought they were in the clear. Good grief I heard mimicking of Coach O in the locker room the rest of the year. "He's gonna be a doctor. Ooooooh He's gonna be a doctor. You guys are gonna work for him" Yeesh I got sick of it them calling me Doc or Doctor over and over... However it was far better than what they had been calling me prior to that day which was Flash. Named after Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane's dog from the show "Dukes of Hazzard" so when they asked me in college what my nickname was in high school I chose to tell them Doc instead of Flash... It just kind of stuck. If you got a chance to pick you would done the same thing.

-Doc

39 comments:

Lu' said...

I think I'd have chosen Doc too Doc. Maybe if you'd have chosen Flash the women would've asked if you wanted them to rub your tummy and who knows...

The Mountain Cat said...

Great story Doc. I never met Coach O but I did hear the stories of the shooting on that tragic day.
BTW, was your old dog in high school named Flash too?

Doc said...

You did meet Coach O dude... Remember the time we were in the lower science building looking at the bullet holes in the glass and he walked up to us and asked me something? you were scared and wanted to get outta there.

Anonymous said...

Good, long awaited story, Doc! = )

Doc said...

Vin... our dog was named Scooter not Flash. LOL.

As American as Apple Pie said...

Lu has a point. Belly-rubbing could be good. Besides, Flash was adorable!

Unknown said...

You were guite the ballsy one that day, huh? And yea, Doc is MUCH better than Flash. Geez, people could think you were a flasher in high school! LOL

Doc said...

Flash was adorable!

Maybe but he was not emblematic of the most fearsome or fast football player of all time.... It wasn't meant as a "cute" nickname for me.

Karen said...

UM...Shot? Where the hell did you guys go to high school? Compton?

Funny story and all, but I am sort stuck on the shot part.

Lu' said...

Hey wait a minute, I don't think you told us why initially you were named after the dog Flash. Is it because you were so slow on the field? Did you have long droopy ears? Did you have sad hang dog eyes? Did you wag your butt when happy? Why was it Doc?

As American as Apple Pie said...

Maybe Bina is right? Were you a "Flasher"? THAT would have been fun.

Anndi said...

No one ever got shot at my school...

You know, Flash was a great dog...

Flash.. like: in a flash... ok, maybe that wouldn't be a good nickname, if a girl gave it to you...

Lu' said...

No shootings at my school but many many fights. Luckily for me, not me. One time it was only by the narrowest of escapes. Talked my way out of it. She went on to beat up someone else, ha ha, I guess she just had a fight in her that day.

Doc said...

UM...Shot? Where the hell did you guys go to high school? Compton?
close... Charlotte NC baby !! The wild wild WEST !! BTW - When tyhe coach was shot it's only blind good fortune that I wasn't standing right behind him.

Doc said...

BTW - The shots weren't meant for coach O - he was hit in the crossfire in a domestic bf/gf argument that erupted into the stands. The kid got tacked and went down shooting. Needless to say the 4th quarter was cancelled... We still won the game 30-6 though.

Doc said...

I don't think you told us why initially you were named after the dog Flash. Is it because you were so slow on the field? those guys claimed I was... I ran a 4.6 40 yard dash but still was one of the slower DBs and I was also

Lu' said...

I ran a 4.6 40 yard dash but still was one of the slower DBs and I was also
also what? What's the matter Flash, mind move faster than your fingers?

Doc said...

I forgot to finish that thought.. I was also picked on because I was the only white guy who played defensive back.

As American as Apple Pie said...

"Put in the white guy!"

The Mountain Cat said...

Yes Dr.,

Now I remember. I don't think I actually met Coach O but I remember you were speaking to him.

Karen said...

I cannot cannot believe you breezed over the shooting portion before. Thanks for clearing that up.

So is it a bit disappointing to go back to HS reunions and having everyone find out that you are not actually a doctor?

Doc said...

LOL @ Karen... That shooting stoy isn't the "good" shooting story (if there is such a thing)that Mt Cat and I have. That is a long one that I will type up this summer when I get some time....

Lu' said...

Geeze Doc how many shooting incidents were there at the school, while you attended?

KaritaG said...

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Tombstone. "I'll be your huckleberry" and all that jazz! Brings back good college memories...I think we had a Tombstone drinking game made up at some point.

Knight said...

Ha, he was shot. That's funny.

Acrimony said...

Was he shot by a disgruntled ex-player?

And, I have to say, your story is so much better than saying "I loved the movie Tombstone".

Anndi said...

"good" shooting story?????

Aunt Becky said...

Hehehe.

I got nicknamed "Stumpy" because I was short.

My brother is a real sweetheart, eh?

Doc said...

Geeze Doc how many shooting incidents were there at the school, while you attended?


4 that I am aware of but only 2 of them were actually on our campus.

Jahooni said...

Flash suits you!
But Doc is okay too... what's up Doc?
(had to do it!) ;)~

Ken said...

So.... did that nickname stay with you all the time up till now, or did it recently resurface, here in this world at our fingertips? Fess up!

BTW
I'd prefer to think of you, hangin around with Wyatt, shooting up the bad guys on the coast of North Carolina, sipping mint julips after the carnage and living the life of a......Carolina Cowboy.
LOL

Anonymous said...

Doc... I love your nickname, it gives me a feeling of you being very intelligent.. but if you were living in Australia the name "Flash" would have given you a rather big ego boost.
We had a guy called Gordon, and he was then named Flash Gordon on Big Brother. Then after a few naked showers he was nicknamed Donkey Boy for the rather large size of his .... unfortunatly he is now dead.. So you could have taken over the name...
Luv'N'Hugs, Lesley

Jay said...

Doc is a pretty cool nickname, but Flash Gordon was pretty freaking awesome too!

Doc said...

Thank you Jahooni... Never heard that one before :p

Micky... I have been stuck with Doc this entire time. It never went anywhere.

lesley... Now that you mention it... :p

I still don't know about the Flash Gordon Jay

Anonymous said...

hehehehehe.. Doc you made me have a very interesting image just then...

Phfrankie Bondo said...

If you had been a sailor, would your nickname have been Dock?...just wondering...

Anonymous said...

Such did not hear

Anonymous said...

The phrase is removed

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