Start
Guymon, Okla.
Finish
Larned, Kansas
Mileage
185
Map of the trip so far (courtesy of Tom Hoyt)
By Bruce Wood
www.biggreen alert.com
LARNED, Kansas -- The number took Buddy Teevens aback.
Not the number of miles he’s bicycled since San Diego. Not the number of hours he’s spent in the saddle. And not the number of miles still to go before he reaches the East Coast.
What has taken him aback is the number of dollars you have contributed to the “Prouty Century Bike Ride & Challenge Walk Money for Cancer Research at Dartmouth's Norris Cotton Cancer Center” since his ride began a little over a week ago. Teevens had hoped to use the adventure to raise breast cancer awareness as well as to support the Cancer Center through the Prouty. After being informed at his hotel room in Larned, Kan., last night about the generosity of people following his trip, he was clearly humbled.
“I’ve started asking each person I speak with -- whether it’s someone in the grocery store, a coach, someone at the school, people where I’m staying, or just people meet on the road -- if they know anybody that has been impacted by cancer,” a pensive Teevens said. “I haven't had one person say no. A football coach I met today said his mother has breast cancer. Another one said a guy he played with, who played Arena football, has bone cancer. It seems like everybody has been struck. I asked a group of kids at a school where I stopped, and every one of them knew somebody who had cancer.
“Cancer impacts everybody's life probably to a far greater expect than I ever realized. When you randomly ask people that question you realize how unbelievably important it is to find a cure, because it will affect everybody's life. Obviously, I feel uncomfortable asking for money, but the more people you talk to, the more you realize everybody is being impacted by it. If donations can help accelerate a cure, the money is going to a great place. I can’t thank people enough for what they are doing.”
What Teevens is doing today is what he did yesterday and the day before. Racking up the miles.
Even with stops at three high schools and a farewell to riding partner Dave Shula, Teevens covered 185 miles Monday and thought seriously about taking a run at a 200-mile day. “If I hadn't made the stops I did today I would have made it,” he said. “I kind of bonked at 6. I hadn't eaten for a while, so I pulled over to a grocery store, sat on the sidewalk, made some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, had some yogurt, a banana and an orange and I was back at it.
“I had another 21 miles to go to Great Bend and was ready to go for it, but I asked a woman who knew the area and she said she wouldn't do it.”
Teevens' and Shula’s day began at a 6:30 a.m., breakfast with Anthony Fogle, head coach of the Guymon High School Tigers football team. “He was a defensive back at Oklahoma and then played with the Packers,” Teevens said. “He’s a friend of JJ Jackson (current Dartmouth assistant and former Oklahoma Sooner). He’s an impressive guy and re-energized the Guymon program in one year.
“He had the names of a couple of (possible recruits) who are on the bubble. But more than anything it's just helpful for someone to be able to put a name and a face together. It was a plus all the way around. Guys talk with each other. Now it might be, ‘Hey, the coach from Dartmouth was up.’ The awareness from something like this is helpful.”
Teevens and Shula were making a quick stop for water about 20 miles down the road when they stumbled into another school, Southwestern Heights. “It was in Kismet and I didn't even know it was there,” Teevens said. “I was about to pull over and take a break and lo and behold there was a school. There were a bunch of kids sitting out front, so I asked if they have a football team and if the coach was around. They said they would go get him.
“It was like I just arrived from a different planet with my biking stuff on. I looked like a goofball. You could see people looking out the windows. The kids wanted to know where I was coming from and where I was going. I told them I was a football coach and talked to them about college. Most of them want to be farmers. They were very respectful and polite. There was a lot of ‘Yes sir. No sir.’ ”
Before shoving off Teevens and Shula met Principal Dan Frisby and Southwestern Heights Mustangs’ coach Ken Schoenrock. “They asked if there was anything they could get for us,” Teevens said. “They were unbelievably accomodating.”
Schoenrock steered the pair toward yet another high school in Meade. “It was another ‘cold call,’ ” Teevens said. “We walked right into the lunch hall and everybody was buzzing. We met the principal, Jack Pavlovich, an old football coach, and he showed us around. We met Scott Moshier, football coach of the Purple Buffaloes.
"One of the teachers was going to throw her cake away, and she asked if we’d like it. I was starving and sweet deprived, so I hopped right on that. I think Shu enjoyed it as well.”
Although they enjoyed the cake, they had to draw the line somewhere. “Ruby, the lunch lady, was scurrying around trying to find us something to eat. She offered hot dogs but we passed. That was probably not a good call before riding.”
Teevens’ day included a photo op on the Yellow Brick Road in Liberal, Kan., ("The Wizard of Oz is one of my favorite movies.") and a quick buzz by the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang’s hideaway, which held special meaning for a history major.
“I learned about the History of the Old West with President Wright,” Teevens said. “That was one of my favorite classes because of the way he talked about the Old West. It was great to be out here and able to take a quick look. We were on the Santa Fe Trail with Dodge City, Boot Hill and all that.”
Teevens and Shula said their goodbyes not far from Dodge City, where Shula would be catching a flight back to Miami after eight days of riding together.
“I was sad riding up the hill as I left him,” said Teevens. “You kind of get conditioned to being together. I knew we'd get along great doing this. He's just a close, close friend and it was great to have him along. He was with me for the roughest segment of the trip when there were 60-80 mile stretches with absolutely nothing and I appreciate that. Now every 10 miles there's another town. It's a little bit easier. You see people. You see stuff.
“We split with a handshake, a hug and him admonishing me to be safe, take my iPod out of my ears, put my sunscreen on and so forth.”
Just like he did eight days before in San Diego.
A columnist in The Dartmouth says Teevens gives Dartmouth football hope:
It is still too early to tell whether the Teevens Era Part II will be beneficial to Dartmouth football, but he gave (and still gives) the program instant credibility with recruits. In much the same way, Harvard recently hired former Michigan and Seton Hall coach Tommy Amaker to head their basketball program, a decision that increases the program’s legitimacy with potential recruits.The column includes this:
After all, if the Red Sox can win a World Series, why can’t Dartmouth football win another Ivy League title?A Chicago Tribune obit from Dr. Charles W. Thomas -- Potato -- includes a few thoughts from Wayne Young, his former Dartmouth football teammate.
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