A Trace of Payne

Coach Howard Devone Payne, Sr.

I get it...I finally get it!  My dad was so proud of his dad and also proud of the towns he coached. Anywhere we went around the state of Louisiana...My dad would share stories of his dad or even his coaching days.  I missed a lot of what he was telling me because I was young and probably interested in other things at the time.   And probably something that didn't even matter.  Of course whatever consumed my mind was no match for the stories my dad shared.  Pride.  Good pride.  Proud of his name and proud of where he came from...33 years later...I get it and I've felt it like never before.

I honestly felt it for the first time as I walked on to the turf at the University of Louisiana at Monroe just several weeks ago.  Pride welled up inside of me and I shared with my 6 year old son, stories of my granddad.  And guess what?  He could not have cared less.  He doesn't get it.  Just like I didn't get it.  My granddad was head coach at NLSC (I believe was Northeast Louisiana State College) when he passed away at the age of 44.  Though he was young when his career ended far too soon, he dominated, which led him to his induction into the Hall of Fame at ULM in 2007.  (if my memory serves me correctly)  So when I stepped onto the field at ULM, it was as if I was transported back in time for a minute. I could see the crowd cheering and I could see my granddad coaching. (For those that have never seen pictures of my Granddad, my dad looked just like him)  I was proud.  I was proud of where I came from. No one there knew me and more than likely they didn't know who Coach Howard Devone Payne was either or what he did for the Indian football team.  He was named Gulf States Conference Coach of the Year in 1956.  I couldn't help but smile as I looked around the stadium even though it wasn't the exact field my granddad coached on, I could still feel the pride of knowing my granddad changed and impacted lives while he coached the Indians.

Recently I drove through Pineville and I noticed the sign for Louisiana College, another school my granddad had coached at and it hit me.  Everywhere I go, there are traces of Payne.  Whether it's a trace my granddad left or my dad left behind.  The legacy they left will always be remembered.

Even in Baton Rouge, our state capital, sits a picture, somewhere on the campus of LSU, of my Granddad for the Louisiana Coaches Hall of Fame.  I was honored to attend the event when my granddad was inducted and though I was young, I knew it was a big deal.  The four Payne boys were able to still hold their head high and see their dad honored for all he had done in his short life of only 44 years.  What an amazing man he must have been. 

I feel the same pride when I drive through Farmerville (The Big Orange), Winnfield, West Monroe (Western Pride), Tallulah, and countless other towns.  I'm proud that I am able to see traces of Payne.

Though we may not all have a great legacy left behind, it's never too later to change our lives.  What we do today can change lives of many, years from now. My granddad is still changing lives...and my dad is still changing lives because of their legacy. 

What is it that we can do today that will impact others tomorrow?  What is it that you love? Figure out what your passion is and go after it with all your heart.  Passion creates a positive energy that will spread to everyone you come across.

Will you leave a trace of Payne or a trace of pain?  It's up to you.