RECONNECTion #5: Eddie Thomas

He had more names than anyone. The Fossil. Eduardo Fonzarelli. T-Cobber. Ed-Man. ET. He was older than everyone else, so maybe he deserved them. I was sure that after I dubbed him Eduardo Fonzarelli, I might not wake up the next morning. Little did I know that 3 months later we would be inseparable and five years later we would talk more often than he had new names for himself.

Eddie was the guy all the guys wanted to be. He had wisdom beyond all of our collective years and knew how to have fun regardless of location, weather, or mood. He could punt a football farther than most college kickers and had a fastball better than most minor leaguers. He was the only one who had ever heard of team handball, so I suppose it was best that he be the one to coach it. (For info, go here.)

On the handball field, he met the likes of Brazilian Bone and Wilderness Willie, two rogue competitors from back when the game was pure. He employed them to teach the youngsters the in and outs, the flash and the finesse that made a handball player one to his or her very core. That was Eddie: he tried to be the best, and if he wasn’t, he surrounded himself with those who were.

Eddie is one of the few I’ve actually seen over the last five years. After camp, I was able to go to Texas and see Eddie in his element: college teacher (dare I say professor?). Teaching fitness and racquetball classes, Eddie was able to use his gifts and passions to challenge people to better themselves (something he challenged himself to do everyday). Everyone wanted to take Mr. Thomas’ class because it was fun and interesting. And you felt like he cared about you.

One person who knows beyond all shadows of all doubts that Eddie cares for her is his new fiancée, Ashley. Eddie called me last week and read me the poem he would read to her, ending with the important question. Last Saturday night, she said yes, and as Eddie told me last night, “You didn’t tell me being engaged would be so much fun!” There is no doubt that Eddie’s relationship to Ashley has been the highlight of his last five years, teaching him more than he ever learned in a classroom, and enabling him to do more than he ever could on an athletic field. (Disclaimer: Eddie did want me to mention that had he not met Ashley, his highlight would have been coaching his church softball team from the division cellar to become league champions.)

Eddie’s next five years will be better than his last five. I for one will be excited and honored to be able to watch them go by, as he gains yet more names: Husband. Son-in-law. Father.

And to me he will always be: Friend.