Pig on a bus : Jimmy V. still reaches out to people

By Big12-Fans Writer Jason Brooks

“But when I look at Mike, I think, we competed against each other as players. I coached against him for fifteen years, and I always have to think about what's important in life to me are these three things. Where you started, where you are and where you're going to be. Those are the three things that I try to do every day.
It's so important to know where you are. I know where I am right now. How do you go from where you are to where you want to be? I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal. You have to be willing to work for it.
I just got one last thing, I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get you're emotions going. To be enthusiastic every day and as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Nothing great could be accomplished without enthusiasm," to keep your dreams alive in spite of problems whatever you have. The ability to be able to work hard for your dreams to come true, to become a reality.

"Don't give up, don't ever give up."”

Jimmy V. 1946-1993
Excerpts from his speech at the ESPY’S March 4th, 1993
To view entire speech visit the V-foundation website.

When I first heard this speech 13 years ago, it sent tingles up my spine. I would like to think it spent tingles up everyone’s spine. I hadn’t given it much thought at the time, but now I realize how that speech touch’s everyone’s lives at some point in time in their life.

For me it has hit home on several occasions. First it was when my good friend, and fellow lineman in football, Jason McEntee was diagnosed with Lymphoma Cancer when we were just 15 years old. Jason fought the cancer, and despite all of the odds being stacked against him, beat the cancer. Like myself, Jason never played football again after our freshman year in High School, but we found other ways to stay in touch with the game. I taped ankles, handed out the Ice Bags, and everything else associated with Athletic Training. Jason taped the games, and was a student coach during practices. Often times when we traveled on the bus to games I found myself feeling sorry for him. He would always tell me not too. Jason was football, football was Jason. Now because of this horrible infliction, he was no longer able to do what he loved so much. Jason is still alive, and despite a couple of flare-ups, he is in perfect health. He has a daughter, whom he loves very much. Jason and I still get together when I travel back home, and have a couple of beers. We catch up on each other’s lives, and relive the glory days. Jason is still with us because he didn’t give up, he never gives up.

The second time was with my Grandmother fighting Cancer. She fought bravely for 9 months, before succoring to the illness. I learned a lot from her over the years, but I learned even more in the 9 months leading up to her death. Now that I sit and reflect on this, I think of Jimmy V’s speech and how profound it is that this speech has touched me in yet another way.

This last time that his speech, and the famous words spoken that night, hit me was rather recently. It’s also the most important story that I want to share. I was fortunate enough to attend this weekend’s regional baseball tournament here in Lincoln. While at the game I went up to the main concourse to use the restroom. On my way I happened to notice a guy at the game that I thought I recognized. I hadn’t encountered this man for quite some time, and I wasn’t sure he would remember me. We were good friends in High School, and afterwards had lost touch. I walked up and said hello Jaimeson. He didn’t recognize my voice right away, but after I told him who I was he recognized me right away.

I first met Jaimeson Meza when I was in the seventh grade. He was in the same band class as myself, learning to play the saxophone. Jaimeson, at that point in time, could see about five feet in front of him. He didn’t have the dexterity to play the Sax, but that didn’t stop him from trying. Jaimeson and shared the same music stand. I was always showing him little tricks that I used to get finger placement right, how to anticipate a certain note, how I kept rhythm. Jaimeson and I spent many hours working together on that blasted instrument, I never once got frustrated just because he was determined to play that instrument right. He tried and tried for 3 years before he finally got it right, and quit playing the Sax. The thing that I didn’t understand was that Jaimeson had higher goals in mind.

By the time Jaimeson and I reached our freshman year in High School he was bound and determined to be a starter on the Varsity Football Team, and he had four years to do it. Jaimeson was 6’0” about 350 pounds, and probably the weakest person on the football team. While I wasn’t the strongest guy on the team, myself and another teammate, Jason McEntee, would lift weights with him. We pushed him to lift as much as he could, while he was never able to lift as much as Jason or I did, he gave it 100%. One day during freshman ball we had started stretching while Jaimeson finished the jogging route. He wouldn’t take the shortcuts the coaches told him to take. He was bound and determined to make it as a starter the right way. We’re stretching and Jaimeson is jogging, and this bee starts swarming around his head. Jaimeson starts swatting at the bee, and then suddenly we all see Jaimeson leap about three feet in the air letting every curse word in the book fly. He’s ripping at his chinstrap struggling to get his helmet off. Finally his helmet flies to the ground and Jaimeson is digging at his left ear. The Bee had flown into the ear hole of his helmet and stung him in his ear canal. After we made sure he was ok we all had a laugh at his expense, and practice resumed.

For 3 years of football camp this is how practice went: we would jog and start stretching while Jaimeson finished his jogging lap. We then would start the position drills. Jaimeson would try his hardest not to hold up the line, and no matter how hard he tried he always held up the line. Every time the coaches would give him a shortcut, he would refuse. Yeah it bugged us to get behind (especially me because I have very little patience), and there were days where we wanted to snap at him. But we never did. He practiced with more heart, and more determination in five minutes of practice than most of us put in an entire year. I never snapped on him, because I respected him for his heart and determination. I wouldn’t let anyone dream of snapping on him (not that they even gave it a thought), because of the amount of respect and admiration I have for this guy. Every year his eyesight would deteriorate more and more and by our senior year Jaimeson’s eyesight had deteriorated so badly he couldn’t see more than 3 feet in front of him. During our senior year the head coach came in during the pre-game speech, and announced that Jaimeson would start this years Homecoming game. While all of my time was spent on the sidelines taping ankles, and playing water boy, Jaimeson started three games that year: Homecoming, Senior Night (where he received a standing ovation from the entire game Visitors and all), and our first Playoff game. I watched on from the sidelines when he was fortunate enough to make a legitimate tackle during the Playoff game. During the four years of football we would laugh and joke with Jaimeson, and the bee story always got brought up. No matter how many times I told it, it was always funny. Jaimeson would sit there with us and correct me if I got a little overzealous with the story telling. Sometimes he would even re-enact the story as I was telling it.

Now Jaimeson walks with the aid of a Seeing Eye dog. He couldn’t see what was happening on the field, but as usual that didn’t deter him from enjoying the atmosphere. He would stand, hoot and holler, clap, and boo right along with the crowd. He couldn’t see the game, but he heard the game. I was humbled just to be in his presence. I sat and spoke with him for a while. I found out that Jaimeson is now in college at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, his major is Sports Administration. His love for sports goes beyond my (or anyone else’s) comprehension. Jaimeson will not be deterred from achieving his goals. He has one more year of school left, and will graduate next spring. I for one will be there to attend his ceremonies.

I thought about Jaimo the rest of the night, and all of Sunday. I thought about what Jimmy V. had to say that fateful night at the ESPY’S. “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.” Jaimeson hasn’t given up, nor will he ever give up. Be humble, be thankful for what you have, and don’t feel sorry for yourself. I know when I start to feel down, and out all I have to do is think of Jaimeson and I start to feel better. Jaimeson never felt sorry for himself, and he is in a far worse spot than any of us are. I am truly blessed to know him.

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