Okay, children, listen up. My comments will be sporadic and disjointed as they will be typed as I can remember. And, my memory, she's not so good.
I used to live in the SW part of Houston and Earl lived about 4 blocks from me. Most dark and early mornings, as I was on the way to the hosp. for my morning rounds, I would always see Earl jogging by Braes Bayou with his two, unleashed, Rottweilers. I can assure you that the oncoming joggers gave him a wide berth. That's when I got a closer look at his huge thighs everyone commented on.
Anyway - on to the Oiler comments.
I played in a couple of pro-am golf tournaments and had Pastorini as a partner in both. By-the-way, Dan's life is an interesting story in itself.
Anyway, he and I and a few others would have supper and a few adult beverages, after the round, and the talk went on, sometimes, into the late nights. As it turned out, Dan showed me his hands whereby Earl had broken a few fingers - while Dan was trying to hand off to him. Dan said that Earl was the quickest big man he had seen, in his football career and if he didn't get to just the right spot, Earl would slam into his hand and crack a finger or two. Dan said that is why he preferred pitching to Earl and that is why he kept Bum mad at him because he wouldn't run the play that was called - if it was a hand off. Dan said that Earl literally sounded like a freight train when he was running. He snorted and grunted and his big feet stomping the gound made him fearful sounding.
Also, the OL was terrified of Earl. If they didn't block their man out of the way, Earl would run right over them and make his own hole. In this light, Dan said that most of the opposing teams would have their LB's come to him and beg him not to call a play in their direction with Earl running. He said the mighty Pittsburg LB's were the biggest wusses of them all.
He also said that Earl played injured almost the entire time he was with the Oilers. They would "juice" him up before every game and have him carry the ball 30 - 40 times. The problem with this was, in the huddle, Earl was unintelligible when he talked. Dan would call a play that Earl didn't hear and when he asked what the play was, Dan would say "Yeah, sure" and Earl would run what Earl thought the play was. Dan said some of Earl's longest gains were running a busted play because he didn't hear the play called.
I'll post them as I remember them - but these are a few "cookies".
