For the past four years my youngest son has been a member of the C. E. Byrd High School football team. I have had the privilege of serving as the Byrd Football Booster Club President for the past two years. This year I had a front row seat to an amazing display of what is good about sports and what is good about people.

This is the story about Byrd football player Norman Taylor #27, who sustained an injury to his spinal cord during a routine tackling drill. Norman spent two months in a rehab hospital in Dallas, Tx, returned home three days before Christmas and returned to school just after spring break. He continues to receive rehab three days a week here in Shreveport. Norman’s wit and determination has been sharp throughout this process.

He has learned to manipulate the wheel chair he uses for mobility and has learned to support his upper body weight. Currently the rehab specialists are continuing to help strengthen his upper body. There is still hope that Norman can walk again someday.

The story all began the Tuesday before Byrd was to play West Monroe. This was the third week of the football season. I attended most practices this year, but I did not attend practice this day. I got a phone call from a friend who did attend practice that day telling me that a Byrd football player had to be carried off the field in an ambulance.

That player was sophomore cornerback Norman Taylor #27. Norman had earned a starting spot on the Byrd defense. I did not know Norman that well at the time and I didn’t know his parents at all. I have come to know all of them.

That first night at the hospital is indelibly stamped in my memory. The one thing us parents of football players always have in the backs of our minds is an injury. You can’t dwell on injuries or you will be consumed by it. That first night I stood outside the family waiting room with the Byrd coaches and administration. What I heard inside the family waiting room was a grieving family. The emotion being expressed was moving, inescapable and heartfelt.

I first met the parents of Norman Taylor the next day. I have never had the experience where I was drawn to a person or persons like I did that day. I was instantly drawn to the Taylors and in fact uttered the words, “This is the beginning of a lifelong relationship”. Sometimes it’s good to throw a commitment out there and then live up to it. Living up to this commitment is a joy and pleasure.

On the other hand, there is not a week that goes by that I don’t think that I am not doing enough for the Taylors. I once heard a story of a person who was considering going into the ministry. He was talking to a mentor and the mentor posed this question to him, “Do you have to do this?” I now know what that question means. For me, I had to get involved in helping the Taylor and though my role was mainly coordination and support of them I initially felt compelled and still do. Here are some of the reasons why.

The main thing I have been drawn to throughout this experience is the character of the Taylor family – that includes Norman, Stanley (father) and Clara (mother). Norman is a competitor with a healthy self confidence. He is witty and determined. He is fun to be around and he is a fighter.

Clara is a person of faith who shares her love and appreciation to her son and to any and everyone who has helped her family. Stanley is a competitor also. He too excelled in football, first as a player at North Caddo High School and then as a player at Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe. He is a man of strong faith and I can say that every single time I have talked to him since last September it is I who has come away feeling supported and motivated. He has that kind of impact on you.

I have seen the good that people are capable of. Three days after Norman was injured at practice the West Monroe High School soccer teams raised close to $5,000 at the Byrd vs. West Monroe football game by taking up donations at the game.

One by one, the opponents Byrd faced the remainder of the season presented the Byrd football team with a donation for Norman. Ruston High School released 27 (Norman’s jersey number) purple and gold balloons prior to the game, the Natchitoches and Byrd football teams huddled up after that contest where Natchitoches head coach Benjy Pierce gave a moving presentation to both squads. At the annual rivalry game between Captain Shreve High School and Byrd, Shreve displayed a banner that read, “We love you Norman Taylor.”

Other donations rolled in from small rural schools like Sarepta High School, from Sunday school classes as far away as Alabama and from many individuals and groups. Vintage Realty, in Shreveport, spear-headed an effort to do some initial renovation of the Taylor house so that Norman would have a handicapped accessible bath room and have a wheel chair ramp. This work was either underwritten by Vintage Realty or donated by contractors who work with Vintage Realty.

I hesitate to keep listing specific individuals and programs because the outpouring of support was tremendous and I can’t list everyone. I apologize to those who made donations/contributions who I have not listed. I will say that all of that love helped this family know that they weren’t alone. That gift by itself helped them make it through the initial period of rehab. However, tangible gifts of donations enabled the family to purchase a handicapped accessible van and allowed both Clara and Stanley Taylor to be with their son on a daily basis.

There is more to be done. Clara is back to work now. A side note to this story is the fact that Stanley was forced to take a disability retirement several years ago. The reason ..... an injury to his back. Stanley knows firsthand what it like to have surgery on his back and to deal with rehab related to that injury.

The student body of C. E. Byrd has been another inspirational aspect of this whole story. Many fundraisers were held to support the Norman Taylor Fund, each thought up and carried out by students. The students lined the streets around C. E. Byrd High School the day Norman returned to Shreveport and you can see students wearing purple “Taylor #27” shirts around all the time.

One thing struck me just last week. On the last day of school for the C. E. Byrd seniors a slide show is shown of individual seniors. All of the seniors and the parents who attend come to the Byrd auditorium to watch the slide show. The seniors themselves submit those photos. It is a very upbeat assembly. Of course, there are crowd reactions after most photos.

The photo that drew the biggest reaction was one showing Norman in his wheel chair surrounded by several of his senior football player friends. The Byrd student body loves Norman Taylor. The faculty and staff do as well. The faculty held a fund-raiser for Norman and in lieu of teacher appreciation gifts they requested that donations be made to the Norman Taylor Fund.

Several people have commented to me that Norman’s injury must have been a strong motivator for the C. E. Byrd football team during the 2008 football season. I am sure it was, but my perspective on that is this. The C. E. Byrd football program is led by Head Coach Mike Suggs. He is a professional in every sense of the word. He runs a no-nonsense program. It was my observation that he was greatly affected by Norman’s injury, but I remain in awe of how he was able to help separate Norman’s injury from the task at hand – that is, preparing his football team to compete.

The Byrd team did not wear anything special on their uniform, nor was a single game or the entire season “dedicated to Norman.” The strongest statement I heard by the senior leaders of the football team was that they would often tell Norman, “You keep working hard and we will too.” They said that often throughout the season. Norman was able to listen to the radio broadcast of most games and Coach Suggs provided Norman with a DVD of each game the week after the game was played. You could not escape (nor would you want to) the aura of Norman at any football game.

However, my sense was that the football team focused on each game as competitors and then afterwards, during the course of each week, would involve themselves in various ways of supporting Norman. In sum, the Byrd football team was successful in achieving a balance of focusing on the business at hand (competing in a football game) and also supporting an injured teammate.

It is said that football mimics life. That it does. Football itself can be about mutual striving, relationships, sharing in a common mission, overcoming adversity and much more. Norman’s story is about all of that and much more as well. Norman’s story is one of compassion, appreciation, balance, taking nothing for granite, focusing on the positive, friendships, mutual support and most of all ..... love.

Anyone wishing to help Norman in a tangible way is encouraged to make a donation to the Norman Taylor Fund. To mail a donation, please write to – The Norman Taylor Fund, C. E. Byrd High School, 3201 Line Avenue, Shreveport, LA 71104. If you want to make a donation using a credit card or by use of a PayPal account please go to my Winnfield Tiger football web site at www.winnfieldtigerfootball.com. You will see a link on the front page that invites you to “Join the W Club”. If you go to that link you will be asked to put in whatever amount you choose to send. I will be notified by email that you sent this gift and the money will be deposited in my PayPal account. I will deposit those donations in the Norman Taylor Fund for you.

I know that Clara Taylor thanks people individually when they make a donation to this fund, so that will be your “receipt”, your way of knowing that the funds were received. The biggest receipt for me is getting to know the Taylors and to share this life experience with them.

.... kenramsey.com is very grateful to receive permission to share this high school sports article with everyone in our state. Are there any more writers out there who would like to share their stories with us? please contact kenramsey today!