’27 Rover/Slot is a fine football player and much more
🎶Did you ever know that you're my hero?
And everything I would like to be
I can fly higher than an eagle
For you are the wind beneath my wings🎶
Songwriters: Larry Henley / Jeff Silbar, 1982
Jack Long is a fine football player. Last night, new assistant football coach, Kelly Myers, learned that isn’t all Jack Long is. Long is also observant and, owing to his keen senses of observation, Myers is still with us and looking forward to coaching this upcoming season. Sometimes football is about more than Xs and Os. The evening of July 28th appears to have been such a time.
HB Lyon, Scouting Director, “KPGFootball”
Photo Credit: “YourSportsEdge”
Hopkinsville, KY: One definition of the word “Hero” may be particularly apropos to the present feature. “Hero” may be defined as a “person admired for achievements and noble qualities; one who shows great courage.”
Jack Long, ’27 Rover/Slot for Christian County High (6A, District 1), has had to show courage. Long would know courage when seeing it. It numbers among his many noble qualities.
Long showed courage when he came back from being nearly killed getting run over by a snack truck when living in Jackson, KY. Long has shown great courage in stepping up and helping his parents care for his elderly grandparents. Long has shown great courage in helping his grandfather, fresh off major surgery, relearn how to get around the house and perform what amounts to basic human bodily function.
Suffice it to say, Jack Long recognizes a person in distress when seeing one. Long’s certainly been there and done that. Kelly Myers would thank the Lord for that also.
Last night (July 28, 2025), at Christian County’s practice, Coach Kelly Myers, a key addition to the Colonel coaching staff this offseason (Offensive and Defensive Lines of Scrimmage), had recently had quite a few teeth extracted. We will leave the number at “quite a few.”
Myers was just soldiering through practice, trying (and praying) to make it to the end. Eating had been an issue. Getting down enough calories through what was intolerable pain was a difficult to near impossible problem.
The Colonels were working on inside run when Myers blood sugar tanked. In and amongst the commotion of practice, and focusing on the drill, Myers heard a familiar voice. It was Jack Long.
“There is something wrong with Coach Myers,” Jack cried out at the practice. Myers was suffering from seizures, was confused, and hadn’t yet lost consciousness but appeared headed there.
There is something wrong with Coach Myers…
James Nicholas Whaley (Jack Whaley) Long, ’27
Myers couldn’t talk. Myers degree of consciousness was slipping. The situation was steadily descending into a danger zone.
In case you haven’t yet deduced this all important fact, Myers is a diabetic. Getting almost an entire mouthful of teeth extracted while also being a diabetic compounds problems.
Diabetic seizures, which was what it was believed Myers experienced last night at practice, may involve situations where extremely low sugar levels result in severe symptoms. These symptoms may include confusion, shock, loss of consciousness, strokes, and seizures.
Diabetic seizures can be fatal. Thanks to early detection from a kid quarterbacking the scout team offense in an ongoing drill, a bad situation may have narrowly missed turning out much, much worse.
Myers told KPGFooball, “I was struggling and trying to let Coach (Dereck) Ford know I needed a chair; but, I just couldn’t get the words out. While I couldn’t speak, I could distinctly hear Jack telling other coaches that I didn’t look good. That I needed help. He couldn’t have been any more right.”
Myers continued “I could hear Jack’s voice. I could hear what he was observing. It was impressive that Jack [Long], at practice and running the scout team, was able to see my colorization and recognize I was in serious trouble.”
Myers concluded “[Jack Long] is a remarkable kid to pick up on that while practicing. Thank God for it. Thank God for him. Jack [Long] might have saved my life.”
We have one more thanksgiving for the Big Man Upstairs. Thank God Jack Long got cleared to play and returned to the team and attended last night’s practice.
Thank God Long was even there. Thank God Long was granted the wisdom to figure out Myers’s situation when he did. Thank God Long felt compelled to tell the other coaches.
You know sometimes there is more to football than just making plays…
This is Friday Night Fletch, reporting for KPGFootball and KPI Newspaper Group, reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!
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