schools all the way up through college in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It had taken East Texas a long while to get on board with integration. In fact, Dunbar High, Mr. Kelleyâs alma mater, did not integrate until 1970, and only then because the school district was forced to do so by a federal court order. These experiences could have had a negative effect on anyoneâcaused feelings of prejudice or harbored angerâbut not with Mr. Kelley. Even early on, his friends said that he recognized that it wasnât up to him to judge others, and that as he had no control over how other people felt, it did him no good to worry about it. He would let the Lord judge him on who he was, and others on who they were.
As a boy, young Garlin and his friends would go to watch the Dunbar Tigers play every Friday night in football season. Dunbar High School had hired a coach by the name of Elmer Redd, who became a legend not only in Lufkin, but in the entire state of Texas. Dunbar had an abundance of talented athletes, but it was Coach Redd who molded that talent into state championship winners. Growing up in this environment, Garlin Kelley dreamed of playing football for the coach. He watched Tiger players like future NFL hall of famer Ken Houston receive college scholarships, and dreamed that he could, too, someday.
As Garlin entered junior high, he was smaller than many of the other boys, but that only meant that he had to work harder. From his parents and coaches, he learned the value of hard work, honesty, education, and the Good Lord. With encouragement and teaching from the coaches, and his own willingness to work and push himself, he progressed, and by the time he reached high school, Garlin Kelley was a force to be reckoned with on the football field.
Owing to hard work, desire, and plain old heart, Garlin Kelley first became an all-district player, and then was voted as an all-state player. He was instrumental in helping Dunbar High bring home three more state championships in his four years of high school. He was offered a college scholarship to Prairie View A&M University to play football. He would be following in the footsteps of not only one of his heroes, Dunbar star Kenny Houston, but also his mentor. Coach Redd had also attended the school.
Garlin Kelley never gained the stardom that Houston did in college or in the National Football League, and he wasnât a first ballot Hall of Famer like Houston. But in 1966, Garlin Kelley won a whole lot more than football gamesâhe also won the heart of a young lady named LaFrancis. Infatuation turned to puppy love, and continued to grow into a deep friendship and a lifelong love affair. After graduating from college, Mr. Kelley soon accomplished his greatest featâhe married LaFrancis.
Mr. Kelley first worked as an insurance agent and later for the Lufkin Independent School District. However, his love for football never ended. Through most of his adult life until his health failed him, he refereed high school football games.
Over the years, the Kelleys had three daughters: Ulrica, Angela, and LaTonya, and Mr. Kelley couldnât have been any prouder of them. He instilled in them the same values heâd learned from his parents and coaches, and all three girls graduated from college.
Then at the age of fifty-three, Mr. Kelley was diagnosed with renal failure. It took a while, but he finally had a successful kidney transplant. For a while, things looked good, but three years later, the kidney gave out and Mr. Kelley had to start dialysis. He began treatment at the DaVita Lufkin Dialysis Center. The doctors later said that he was in excellent health considering the problems he had; in addition to his kidney problems, Mr. Kelley had type 2 diabetes, COPD, and hypertension.
With all these health problems going on at the same time, Mr. Kelley developed gangrene in one leg. The doctors had no choice but to amputate it.
One longtime friend of Garlin
As a boy, young Garlin and his friends would go to watch the Dunbar Tigers play every Friday night in football season. Dunbar High School had hired a coach by the name of Elmer Redd, who became a legend not only in Lufkin, but in the entire state of Texas. Dunbar had an abundance of talented athletes, but it was Coach Redd who molded that talent into state championship winners. Growing up in this environment, Garlin Kelley dreamed of playing football for the coach. He watched Tiger players like future NFL hall of famer Ken Houston receive college scholarships, and dreamed that he could, too, someday.
As Garlin entered junior high, he was smaller than many of the other boys, but that only meant that he had to work harder. From his parents and coaches, he learned the value of hard work, honesty, education, and the Good Lord. With encouragement and teaching from the coaches, and his own willingness to work and push himself, he progressed, and by the time he reached high school, Garlin Kelley was a force to be reckoned with on the football field.
Owing to hard work, desire, and plain old heart, Garlin Kelley first became an all-district player, and then was voted as an all-state player. He was instrumental in helping Dunbar High bring home three more state championships in his four years of high school. He was offered a college scholarship to Prairie View A&M University to play football. He would be following in the footsteps of not only one of his heroes, Dunbar star Kenny Houston, but also his mentor. Coach Redd had also attended the school.
Garlin Kelley never gained the stardom that Houston did in college or in the National Football League, and he wasnât a first ballot Hall of Famer like Houston. But in 1966, Garlin Kelley won a whole lot more than football gamesâhe also won the heart of a young lady named LaFrancis. Infatuation turned to puppy love, and continued to grow into a deep friendship and a lifelong love affair. After graduating from college, Mr. Kelley soon accomplished his greatest featâhe married LaFrancis.
Mr. Kelley first worked as an insurance agent and later for the Lufkin Independent School District. However, his love for football never ended. Through most of his adult life until his health failed him, he refereed high school football games.
Over the years, the Kelleys had three daughters: Ulrica, Angela, and LaTonya, and Mr. Kelley couldnât have been any prouder of them. He instilled in them the same values heâd learned from his parents and coaches, and all three girls graduated from college.
Then at the age of fifty-three, Mr. Kelley was diagnosed with renal failure. It took a while, but he finally had a successful kidney transplant. For a while, things looked good, but three years later, the kidney gave out and Mr. Kelley had to start dialysis. He began treatment at the DaVita Lufkin Dialysis Center. The doctors later said that he was in excellent health considering the problems he had; in addition to his kidney problems, Mr. Kelley had type 2 diabetes, COPD, and hypertension.
With all these health problems going on at the same time, Mr. Kelley developed gangrene in one leg. The doctors had no choice but to amputate it.
One longtime friend of Garlin
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