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Checkout the Greatness Series of books written by Andy Purvis.

Have you ever noticed that we count time with stories? It may be one of the best ways to measure our lives. So often, we find meaning for our lives through stories. I’ve spent the last 12 years sharing others’ stories through my words, not so much for me, but for them. I give them a voice. The spectacle of sports is real and unrehearsed. Sports can help us heal and move forward. I love sharing their stories and the moments with all of you. The 48 stories you are about to read in my newest book, Greatness Revealed, are not just sports stories, they are also life stories. Sometimes life feels like a long series of losing people and things that you love, but I’m not going to lose this one. Some folks can’t come to terms that their family, friends, companions, and sports heroes are no longer here, but some of my sports heroes are and some of yours are, too. I carry all of their memories within me every day; they give me strength to forge ahead. They never go away. These legends don’t die just because the person does. As long as people talk about them, they are still relevant.

Why do we appreciate things so much more from the past, instead of at the time? In most cultures, there is a ritual that exists. When you speak the name of a loved one or ancestor, they continue to live. The same happens with our sports heroes. When these athletes make you smile, you remember them forever. You become best friends, because that’s what a friend does. They make you smile. Although we are sad that they are gone, look at the gift of athleticism they left behind. Throughout your lifetime, there have been countless moments in sports that will live on in your memory as a fan, like they happened just yesterday. This book is full of those moments that stand alone in sports history. Perhaps one of these players I have written about made that memory for you.

A lot of people care about these athletes in different ways. It’s not important to them that the press or their fans think they were one of the best to ever play the game. It’s what their opposition thinks, the guys they played against. As long as their opponents know, they are the people most important to them. As a kid I loved the thought of getting autographs from athletes, but later realized that what I really enjoyed the most was meeting, talking, asking questions and getting to know these guys on a more personal level. So, I became a sports-talk radio host and began to write.

It’s true that sports are driven by emotion, and from emotion comes storytelling. So telling stories becomes important to sports. John F. Kennedy once said, “We are inclined to think that if we watch a football or baseball game, we have taken part in it.” I think he was onto something.

To help the reader understand what made these athletes so great: I’ve spent years researching, trying to provide the reader interesting little known facts about these sports stars; yet I find that in the process I have learned so much more about myself. This may very well be the journey I was supposed to take. You see, grief isn’t meant to be shared, but comfort is. When I began to write their stories, I didn’t realize at first how deep a meaning of fulfillment their stories would provide me. I knew these folks were important in the world of sports, but I didn’t truly understand the gut feelings I would get. I didn’t expect that.

But when I finished their story, I realized that I had spent my time thinking about them, that I was giving them extra time. I was sharing their legacy and continuing it. I would like to think that my efforts keep their candles burning. All these folks have been lost no matter who they were, no matter where they started, what sport they played, or where they were from. They are all one now. None of these greats should be lost to the memory of time.

Actor Errol Flynn once said,” It’s not what they say about you, it’s what they whisper.” Are you satisfied with what you have done with your life? If things were to end tomorrow would you be okay? I married the love of my life, helped raise two wonderful boys into men and fathers, managed to grow a large family of 20, ran a couple of successful businesses, and spent most of my life doing what I enjoyed the most: attending, watching, talking and writing about sports.

I don’t write to make money. The feeling I get from writing makes me happy, makes me feel good. I feel complete and if someone decides to buy a copy of one of my books, then I consider that a bonus. Writing completes my creative side. Because I have taken on the responsibility of writing about the lives of deceased sports stars, you could say that I have had more than my share of loss, but I see God’s light in their stories every day. And although I may not understand it all, I trust in His plan for them and for us all. When my sports heroes die, I’m a mess; but through my words and thoughts, I try to be there for them in my own way. Now that I approach the last chapters of my life, I’m going to make them the best chapters of all. As long as I’m alive, these guys will be with me. That gives me comfort. I hope what I have done is appreciated. Regardless of your favorite sport, I do hope you will find that every story is better than the one before.

So, as far as I’m concerned, My Brush with Greatness is not filled with sad stories. The real tragedy of life is not death, but what we let die inside of us while we lived. Never forget that we are all going to die, only then will you appreciate life so much more.

Andy Purvis

These players bring our memories back to life. They bring our grandfathers, uncles, brothers, and dads back to life. They connect these games and the players to our lives. Maybe that’s why we care so much. Sometimes the folks I write about get a bad rap. This is my way of sticking up for some of these guys. I can’t right the wrongs that have been done to them, but I can help their families deal with the hurt. That is part of the power of kindness and the written word. When people allow you into their lives through the written word, the radio or TV, what greater compliment could you ask for? That’s powerful. How lucky am I? When I go to work, I know I’m going to help others have fun, smile and laugh out loud.

Ever wonder what our life’s purpose really is? We all have our roles. Most of what I set out to do, I did against great odds. We are all who we are, and it takes all of us to make a family. We can’t explain miracles; we can only give thanks for them. I never really knew what was in store for me in my life, but I have always been surprised and grateful. Finding God has been my biggest find. I have always believed that if you give something all you’ve got, everything you have; then it doesn’t really matter whether you win or lose, as long as you risk everything by putting all your eggs in one basket. I’ve tried to do that with my faith, my marriage and family. I also did that with my work in the restaurant business, my sports-talk radio career, and my writing. There’s no halfway with me. It’s all or nothing and that’s why I feel so blessed to have lived a charmed life.

It’s tough when we start seeing our sports heroes’ age. Then I look in the mirror and go “Oh yeah, me too.” I do believe that one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind is old age. I believe that one of the jobs of a great-grandparent is to help their offspring become great-grandparents. Maybe getting older is time’s way of reminding us how great the best moments of our life really were.

So, who’s going to remember us? That is a question all of us ask ourselves eventually. Who will remember our exploits after we’re gone?

What happens 50 years from now when the name Andy Purvis comes up and folks respond, “Who was that guy?” and nobody knows. That would be a travesty. That’s why I choose to keep these people relevant with my books. It’s hard to write about others without sharing with the reader some of yourself. Some of these people became my friends and most are Hall of Fame athletes. They were smart and funny and kind. They were also unselfish and loyal. So, I wanted to reveal to you what kind of persons they were. That way, I bring this book to life; for they will be with me and now you, for always.

In the movie A River Runs Through It, there’s great line that goes like this. “Now nearly all those that I loved and did not understand in my youth are dead, but I still reach out to them.” It’s true that these folks I write about are no longer with us. I choose not to mourn their deaths, but celebrate their lives. They may have even suffered at the end, but they were some of the strongest men and women I have ever known. Some of them even changed the fate of those who watched them perform. There are three things you have to consider to be a good writer. What you know to be true, what you think you know, and what you don’t know. When I write about these folks, I don’t see athletes, owners, announcers, or coaches; I see mothers and fathers and sons and daughters. My job is to show you how they made a difference. That is the true reason for what I do. Enjoy!

Andy Purvis

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My friends ask me why I write. I don’t have a really good answer except that I feel drawn to these athletes I write about. I guess it’s my way of thanking them for all the glorious moments they have allowed me to be a part of. This book isn’t just about their stories. This book is about all our memories. These inspirational short stories are about respect for those athletes that made us so happy. All the folks I write about have been a part of the sports world in some way or another, and I have seen and or met most of them in person. I enjoy sharing their unknown stories from the world of sports. I have lived my sports dreams through them. No one really ever dies if you look at it the right way. I want you to notice the goodness and beauty that made them who they were. We don’t need permission to be who we are, and tomorrow is never promised. The truth is, when we experience their performance, we too become a part of their story.

So, Why me? Why have I lived such a charmed life? Writer Robert Ingersoll once wrote “He rises by lifting others.” I hope I have done the same in their eyes. I’ve accomplished pretty much whatever I wanted to do, been to more places and sporting events than most, and always found myself surrounded by wonderful, caring people. Besides having a loving family and God’s grace and mercy, good luck was about all I ever had. I never thought I was good looking, overweight most of my life, but I always tried to be kind, giving, genuine and thoughtful.

As a sports historian, I don’t feel as comfortable talking about the present as I do the past. If we lose our history, we lose our future. In today’s fast-paced world, we are at great risk of losing touch with yesterday’s memories. That makes the role of these folks I write about more important than ever before. You see, a legend is a person that connects with those they have never met. One way to remember who you are is to remember who your heroes were. My goal in Legends of Greatness is to take you back to the front porch, a place where your dad and uncle told stories of the great sports stars of yesteryear; to share with you their back story. Their back story is about how and why it happened. It’s about telling the stuff others do not want you to know. These players and games always come back around. The game reminds itself of who it is, and the old ghosts are always rising up as they refuse to be cast aside. I enjoy connecting you to things from the past, things bigger than we are. I just want to be the voice of the facts. The hardest thing for most to learn is to keep our priorities in order. You have to realize that all you have could be gone tomorrow. I’m so blessed to be doing what I love, but I don’t love it as much as I love being a husband, a father, a granddad or a Christian. So, writing the eighth book of what I call the “Greatness Series” and talking sports on the radio are about fifth or sixth most important things on my list.

The great beating heart of sports tells you everything you need to know; it’s emotional, it is a way of communicating to people and how it affects the athletes who play the game. Sports are not about the actual play, they are about the interval between the plays. Storytelling is like that. It’s not the words used; it’s how the words are arranged, and how they are put together or organized into a sentence. The words themselves are not new. They don’t change. The hardest challenge for most is to go from a life that is structured, like sports or the military, to a more normal life. You can’t replace the adrenaline rush. It’s hard work to move past all the memories, thoughts, highlights and emotions, to see and feel what’s left after all the noise is gone. We don’t get to choose our moments, but you can create new focus. Just know that the hole left behind is sometimes hard to fill. That’s where I come in. I want my stories about these athletes to help fill that hole. You may get the feeling you are supposed to be doing something else. Don’t miss your moments.

While I was researching these athletes, I sometimes got overwhelmed by things I didn’t expect. There were so many moments during my research where I found myself emotional. I do believe in rewriting and it’s true, I do love the research. If my arrangement of words does not move me, how can I expect them to move others? We learn about their lives and sometimes their early death. All of the athletes you will read about in this book have passed away in the last two years. Loss is a part of life, but a loved one or sports hero never leaves you. You get over the loss of a wallet or your watch, but you never get over losing someone special, you only get through it.

So, when does an athlete become a legend? When do they come to symbolize something much greater than themselves? These athletes paid their dues. For years they worked hard and practiced their craft. And even after they became a star they had to fight off a new generation of players to stay on top. The public grew to love them and so did their peers. The true measure of a legend is not just when his friends, family, and teammates respect and love him, but when his adversaries do, too. There have been other athletes who have had the same qualities, but they have fallen short of becoming living legends. The truth is simple. There’s only one thing that can turn a star into a legend, “You,” the public. They become an icon because you are reading their story right now. You saw their name in the table of contents of this book and you wanted to know more. That is what makes these athletes legends.

So, give me a moment of your time and pick out a story of one of your favorite sports heroes. Let me take you to a game. I have a feeling you might just learn something new.

Texana Reads -- Dr. Manuel Flores Guest columnist

Latest in Purvis’ sports series reaches greatness

The master of the sports metaphor and simile is back in the saddle. And, this time, he has a hit a dinger over the center field fence and the ball is still going.

Andy Purvis, author of the “Greatness Series” of sports memorabilia books, has surely acquired legendary status with his new book “Shadows of Greatness: Keeping our Sports Heroes Alive.” This sports fanatic is wellknown in coastal and South Texas, but his prolific writing and talent surely transcend the regional aspects of his success.

“Shadows of Greatness” is the seventh book in his “Greatness Series” of documenting sports legends of days gone by and helping the reader re-live memories that were crystallized over a lifetime of following sports and their heroes.

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Andy Purvis

But this was no desperation “Hail Mary” pass in the waning seconds of game.

The well-researched and well-written book may be his best. Purvis chronicles the lives of 54 former sports legends in crystal-clear vignettes of three to six pages each. Similes and metaphors are sprinkled throughout the book to make the reading as interesting as watching a comet fly through the clear Texas night sky. But, more importantly, each description is unique to the character he is writing about, giving the reader a true understanding of the life of a former great athlete.

Among the athletes covered in this book are Roger Bannister, “Master of the Mile”; Rusty Staub, “The Big Orange”; Billy Cannon, “Always a Tiger”; Willie McCovey, “Gentle Giant”; King Kong Bundy, “The Walking Condominium”; and George H.W. Bush, “Glove Man until the end.”

You get the idea.

Even the titles of the vignettes are interesting and full of mystery as to just what Purvis uncovered about these heroes. It’s like listening in on family secrets.

My favorites include the essay on sports announcer Keith Jackson, he of the voice as mellow as a field of Texas Bluebonnets on a spring morning. He titled this one “Pert-Near Perfect.” “Whoa Nellie!” as Jackson used to say, that’s a good one.

My other favorite was on Texas high school phenom Cedric Benson, who went on to star at the University of Texas and as a pro.

Benson may be the best high school running back ever in the Lone Star State, snagging “headlines like he did touchdowns and always drawing more coverage than the Oscars” at Midland Lee High School.

Benson “moved faster than bad news,” Purvis said. But it was not all rah-rah for the Lone Star legend. His tragic death at the age of 37 is part of the story.

Purvis is more than just a good sports writer; he is a master of nostalgia. With his “Greatness Series” he has become the sports storyteller for the Baby Boomer generation, who now lives for the memories.

Writes Purvis in his Preface to “Shadows of Greatness, “Nostalgia is the art of remembering the things we want to remember.”

Indeed, we see our sports heroes in our dreams and Purvis’ writing helps jog the memory enough to rekindle thoughts and experiences that may have been veiled behind a fog bank coming in from the Gulf of Mexico.