Oklahoma Farm Bureau has a mild mannered employee with an astonishing past that might even make the superhero envious.

uddy Batten displays a small Btrophy presented to each member of the 1956 Coffeyville Junior College national champion football team during last fall’s reunion. The same group also became the first entire team ever inducted into the National Coaches Hall of Fame by the National Junior College Athletic Association.

10 • Country • Spring 2007 ove over Clark Kent! The First The mild mannered Man of Steel in “Everything went our way,” Buddy says of the championship game. disguise has met his match, a real-life mild E“You’d have thought the bigger school would have had the best team on mannered man who holds a distinction even paper. Most of our team was small, and probably was considered an Superman never garnered. underdog.” Buddy Batten, who has been an Oklahoma Farm Bureau fixture for The Red Ravens theme for the 1956 season was “one play all the more than 38 years, earned an honor last fall that might make even the way.” The first time the Red Ravens touched the football in the game mythical superhero envious. resulted in a punt return for a touchdown. The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJACC) inducted Buddy wore number 40 and the program listed him as 5 feet 8 the 1956 Coffeyville (Kansas) Junior College football team, which inches, tipping the scales at 152 pounds. featured the talents of the Farm Bureau technical services manager, “We had some smaller than me,” he says. “Our team was mainly fast into the National Coaches Hall of Fame. It was the first entire team and had a lot of desire.” ever to be inducted. When the final gun sounded, the 2,000 fans watching in the The 1956 Coffeyville Red Ravens played in and convincingly won the coliseum saw the scoreboard read 46-6 in favor of the Red Ravens. first official junior college national championship game at the Los While the crowd was small for the venue, Buddy says it still was about Angeles Coliseum Dec. 15, 1956. Buddy was a two-way player, manning 1,600 people more than saw any other Red Raven game that season. both the offensive and defensive halfback positions. The Red Raven coach played his first and second units in the first He was a defensive starter on the 1956 championship team, which half, and the third unit played the entire second half. notched a lopsided victory over Michigan’s Grand Rapids Junior College. Buddy had two outstanding plays in the championship game. He “I can still see that beautiful green grass (in the coliseum). It was so played left defensive halfback and stopped a running play on the right soft. You could make cuts,” says Buddy, who will turn 70 this summer. side of the line for no gain. The coliseum turf was a far cry from the home-and-away fields His other play might have been even more impressive. It was against Coffeyville played on during the 1956 season. Buddy vividly remembers the team’s 6-foot 4-inch end. the almost rock-hard clay fields where the team played, where players’ “Being rather short, they put a 6’4” guy against me. He button cleats barely penetrated. hooked, and I was behind him. The quarterback couldn’t see me. I “The Los Angeles field was so much different, with the lush grass.” stuck my hand through and knocked down the pass to him. The guys Each team earned the right to play in the inaugural championship really gave me some high fives for that one.” game by finishing atop their respective Western and Eastern Divisions Buddy’s team also recorded another first while in Los Angeles – they in the coaches’ final weekly poll. got to go to the newly-opened Disneyland, the first national champions Coffeyville, which had just 461 students, finished the 1956 season 10- to visit the lavish theme park. 0-1, scoring 336 points while surrendering only 75. The only blemish on The championship game was on radio – Buddy said there was no the record was a 19-19 tie with powerful Northeastern Oklahoma. television then. Buddy’s team finished first in the Western Division, ahead of Boise “About all we ever saw,” he remembers, “was in the local paper. They (Idaho) Junior College – today’s Boise State University, which defeated had a function for us when we got back. A doctor took us out for a steak the University of Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl in overtime. dinner. It was the first national championship for Coffeyville.” Grand Rapids, which had 1,261 students and was then the only Michigan junior college fielding a football team, topped the Eastern The Road To Coffeyville Division, finishing 5-1-2. Its lone loss and two ties came at the hands of Buddy’s road to Coffeyville Junior College went through Texas and four-year Michigan universities. BOklahoma. His father worked for an oil company, doing seismographic work, and the family never stayed in one town much more than a year. He remembers playing organized football starting in the fifth grade while growing up in Texas. The family’s frequent moves did allow Buddy to play on many different teams in Texas. “I had several years experience when my family finally moved to Oklahoma.”

By Mike Nichols

Oklahoma Country • Spring 2007 • 11

Buddy’s family settled in when he was 15. He went to he 1956 Coffeyville Junior College on the third row on the far left end. Taft Junior High and then on to Classen High School. His father Tnational championship team Inside the program was the grainy old (below)appeared in the program at left photo of Buddy(far left). He wore supported him playing football, and Buddy says his mother – despite that was reproduced by a member for number 40 and was the starting left never learning too much about the sport – liked to attend all his high the team at last fall’s reunion. Buddy is halfback on defense. school games. In the fall of 1955, the new Northwest Classen High School opened and Buddy says about 95 percent of his class moved to the school. The Northwest Classen team was a powerhouse, ranked number one in the state for several weeks. It finished the season with an 8-3 record, losing to Oklahoma City’s Northeast and Capitol Hill, and one Tulsa high school. Buddy earned Honorable Mention All City his senior year, when he played halfback on Football team members did get a “training table” meal in the both offense and defense. evenings Monday through Friday. The cooks at the Coffeyville High “Statistics weren’t kept, so I don’t know what mine were in high School prepared the meals, and players assembled at the high school school.” cafeteria to eat. One of the Northwest Classen coaches, Clay Davis, was a high school Each player always received a quart of milk with the meal, which teammate of a Coffeyville football assistant coach – Jack Hartman. Buddy says he “always drank.” The “training table” meals were usually Hartman, who later won renown as the basketball coach at Kansas “blue plate specials,” such as chicken fried steak, potatoes and gravy, State University from 1970 to 1986, split coaching time between the corn, green beans, rolls and a dessert. football and basketball teams during his six years at Coffeyville. While at Coffeyville, he lived in a big two-story house with seven “That’s how we got tied in with Coffeyville,” recalls Buddy. “I received other guys. His housemates were all football players – two were a letter that offered me a scholarship. . .” teammates from Northwest Classen. They shared a couple of bedrooms. Each one had his own bed and a small study table. Only Books and Tuition “We had to pay our own rent since the school provided only books and Unlike today’s collegiate athlete, Buddy’s scholarship covered only tuition. But, the houses were certified by the college to be used as dorms.” Ubooks and tuition at the Kansas junior college. “The chamber of commerce was real active. They found jobs for all A Winning Tradition the players.” Coffeyville has two more junior college football national champions Buddy worked several jobs simultaneously – he washed dishes at a Csince Buddy graduated, one in 1983 and 1990. In the school’s local restaurant for both the breakfast and lunch crowds; worked 80-plus-year history, it has accumulated three national championships, evenings at the local theater taking tickets; on Saturdays at the local 29 conference titles and a remarkable 35-game winning streak. drug store cleaning windows, stocking shelves and making deliveries; Buddy said some of the school’s most notable football alums include and on Sundays for a couple of elderly women mowing their yard and Mike Rozier, Ron Springs and Mel Gray. Some 37 school alums have doing other chores. gone on to play professionally. “That was tough,” he remembers, “playing football and working so The championship team Buddy played on had 19 players from much. We always had four days of full practice.” Oklahoma, nine from Kansas and two from Texas. Practices were usually from 2:30 to 5 p.m. daily, with Wednesdays He remembers traveling from Coffeyville to Tulsa for the trip to the being a heavy scrimmage and Fridays a walk through for game day. The championship game, where the team boarded a plane for the trip to team practiced on a high school field, and also played its home games California. It was Buddy’s first commercial flight. on the high school’s field. That plane stopped in Oklahoma City, where eight Oklahoma City With several jobs and being a full-time student and athlete, Buddy area players including Buddy posed on the boarding steps for the says it “wasn’t unusual to study past midnight. Studying was difficult to local media. tell you the truth.” “The newspaper reporters took a picture and ran the story in local But there were fun times, too. The manager of the theater where newspapers.” he worked taking tickets “always went to get a Coke” so all football The photo and story about the Oklahoma City area players appeared team members could come in for free while he was on break. Today, on the front page of the local sports section. Buddy and three other Buddy believes the school probably reimbursed the theater manager members of the team were all first year players from Northwest Classen for allowing the team free access. High School. Oklahoma Country • Spring 2007 • 13 A Football Class Reunion “My knees wouldn’t let me continue. I was ineffective as an athlete. I Buddy’s championship team assembled in Coffeyville last September for didn’t have the speed or talent to move on.” Ba reunion and school induction ceremony. Some 20 members of the 60- man team came for the event, where the team was inducted into the After Football school’s Hall of Fame and presented mementos from the earlier Buddy graduated on schedule from Coffeyville with his associate’s national induction. Bdegree. He spent some time in the oil patch in New Mexico, barely After some 50 years, Buddy says the team has not kept in touch as avoiding two near fatal accidents before returning to Oklahoma City to might be expected. He previously ran into a teammate by chance in look for employment. downtown Oklahoma City. The former player was a captain with the “I couldn’t find a job, and I took at look at the Army,” where he Fire Department. enlisted. At the school’s Hall of Fame ceremony, Buddy says each team The Army shipped Buddy out the very same day to Fort Chaffee, member was introduced individually, given a memento and the Ark., and then to Fort Sill in Lawton for six months before sending him opportunity to speak and introduce family members that were present. to Korea on Christmas Eve 1959. “When it was my turn, I said I sure had a lot of wonderful, fond He was stationed near the DMZ, about 30 miles from Seoul. He memories and I’m going to keep them to myself.” worked in the communication center as a cryptologist with code machines to send orders to units in the field. A Tragic End “It was on the job training. The guy was shipping out, and he taught Buddy’s career ended tragically his sophomore year in the season’s me everything he knew. Korea was classified as undesirable duty, and Bfourth game. that was limited to one year.” A crack back block destroyed his right knee, ending his gridiron After a year in Korea, Buddy was shipped back to the U.S. and given days. He cannot remember the team Coffeyville was playing, but does his choice of three assignments – a cook, supply clerk or military police. recall the offensive halfback hitting his knee cap head on and the pain. He opted for MP duty, and spent the next year investigating traffic “I never saw him coming, but I suspected it was the end. My foot accidents for the Army. didn’t come out of the turf. Buddy was offered another tour in the military, but declined the “They took me to a local doctor. He looked at it and said it’s going to offer for a higher rank and grade when he was told he probably would be okay. He gave me some pain pills and wrapped it up. be sent to Vietnam as an advisory. “But it was like the knee was hollow. It was a very strange feeling.” After the military, he returned to Oklahoma City. Buddy had surgery on his knee about three years ago because of the “Coaching crossed my mind, but I had to find a way to make a living chronic pain. He went in the hospital at 1:30 p.m. and was on his way by and that wasn’t in the books.” 5 with absolutely no pain. If the same arthroscopic procedure had been He went to work for the City of Oklahoma City as a water billing available when he was injured, he believes his career might have supervisor, spending about three and a half years on the job. continued. “My wife decided I should finish school.” He did continue running track at Coffeyville after the injury, but Buddy finished his college studies at the University of Central knee problems also plagued him in that sport. Oklahoma, getting a degree in business administration. He was married for a second time, and had a son, Dustin, who is now 32 and pursing a master’s degree at a New Mexico school. He and his second wife have been divorced for about 25 years, and Buddy has made his home in an Oklahoma City apartment. He stays active in his church and is a good golfer. “At one time, I put some thought into playing football further. Our coach knew which teams were looking for bout 20 team members and relatives entire team to be inducted in the certain players. I had aspirations to play on.” Aattended last fall’s reunion at National Coaches Hall of Fame. Buddy, Today Buddy can only daydream what might have been. Coffeyville Junior College to be inducted decked out in his Red Ravens cap and into the school’s Hall of Fame as well as jacket, is on the row of those kneeling, “I love football. In fact, some days I feel like I could play again. accept congratulations for being the first the second from the right. I still miss it.” 14 • Oklahoma Country • Spring 2007 57738X 3/5/07 1:28 PM Page 1

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Uncle Gary is extremely proud of the 20-year-old blonde who took the crown in Las Vegas January 29.

By Mike Nichols

ike any good uncle, Custer County Farm Bureau Agent contestants during the preliminary rounds after the nightly Gary Winters is extremely proud of his niece. sessions concluded. But about 3 million other Oklahomans now share The Monday night finale was broadcast live on Gary’s pride along with countless others in the CMT, and attracted a television audience of United States who watched win 7.2 million. the 2007 crown in Las Vegas Gary remembers the night well. January 29. “When she got to the top 10, we were sitting “She’s beautiful and very talented, and so on pins and needles. I told her brother that I pretty inside, too,” said Gary of his niece. hope she wins, but this sure ain’t bad. Then “She’s a super young lady and she will be a she gets into the top five, and I think boy this great ambassador. We’re very proud of her is really cool. and we’re still kind of on Cloud Nine.” “They announced the top three, and I’m Gary and his wife, Terri; Lauren’s shaking like a leaf by then. You talk about parents, Mark and Sherrell Nelson; and her exciting, my gosh, you just don’t know. When siblings, Logan, 15, and Morgan, 17, were her name was called, it just erupted. We among the multitude of more than 300 were jumping for joy.” Oklahomans who attended the Miss America Lauren was whisked away from the stage Pageant at the Las Vegas Aladdin Hotel. when the television coverage ended Jan. 29. The Oklahoma throng was there – start to FBI agents approached Mark and Sherrell finish – for the almost week-long contest. Nelson that night after the pageant regarding “Our family is really close. We went for the security measures. whole thing.” Family members also were invited to a secured Gary said the Oklahoma group toned down its area backstage for a brief reunion with Lauren. enthusiasm somewhat during the preliminaries, fearing Parents and siblings were allowed in, but others were it might jeopardize Lauren’s chances. Other contestants had prohibited. only 35 to 50 backers each in the crowd. Gary chuckles about being barred from the reunion. He told “She had quite a following and rooting section. Thursday and Friday security officers that he was Lauren’s “favorite uncle,” but his argument in the preliminaries, we toned it down some because we were so much fell on deaf ears. louder than the other states because we had so many there.” “It was,” he declares, “one of the most exciting things I’ve been to in “We had over 300 people come from Oklahoma, and so really every my life. I had never been to a pageant. I’ve never been to anything like time I stepped out on stage, I thought about performing for them,” that. It’s unbelievable.” Lauren said in one interview. The event might have been equally unbelievable for Lauren, a petite Despite his unwavering support for Lauren, Gary says he and other 20-year-old blonde who told pageant judges she wishes she were taller. family members “didn’t have a clue” of how she would do in the pageant. The Oklahoma contingent watched night after night – first the t was the second year in a row for to win the contest. preliminaries and then into the finals. The preliminaries lasted two Last year’s Miss America, of Jenks, crowned Lauren. hours or more, and Gary said they got to see all of the contestants It was the first time since 1960 that a contestant from the same state compete in all phases of the pageant. won the crown in back-to-back years, and Oklahoma’s sixth contestant Family members were allowed a brief, chaperoned visit with to win the crown, putting it in a tie for the most Miss America winners. 16 • Oklahoma Country • Spring 2007 Lawton’s Lauren Nelson is crowned Miss America for 2007 by Jenks’Jenks’ JenniferJennifer BerryBerry,, , Jan.Jan. 2929 atat thethe pageantpageant inin LasLas Vegas.Vegas. ItIt waswas thethe firstfirst timetime sincesince 19601960 young women from the samesame statestate wonwon thethe crowncrown inin back-to-backback-to-back years, and only the thirdthird timetime inin pageantpageant history that contestantscontestants fromfrom thethe samesame statestate wonwon inin consecutiveconsecutive years.years.

Far Left: Custer County Farm Bureau agent Gary Winters is the proud uncle of the 2007 Miss America. Gary and his wife, Terri,Terri, attended the nearly week-long pageant in Las VVegasegas and still admits to being on “Cloud“Cloud Nine”Nine” withwith hishis niece Lauren Nelson’s crowningcrowning asas MissMiss America.

Oklahoma Country • Spring 2007 • 17 18 • Oklahoma Country • Spring 2007 LAUREN NELSON: Profile

“It was so exciting, not just for her but for the state,” the 2006 Miss Lauren Nelson is a student at the Singer: Faith Hill America told the press later. “It was a historic win. To have Miss University of Central Oklahoma, Author: Dan Brown Americas crowned in back-to-back years around our state’s centennial, majoring in music theater. While Television program: Grey’s it was just the perfect situation.” at UCO, she was chosen as one of Anatomy “I watched Miss America as a little girl since I was 2 years old, and two freshman to perform in the Thing to do on a weekend: Go fall production of “Pajama Game” to a University of Oklahoma never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would be one of those and was a featured performer in football game girls on that stage, and never did I think that I would be Miss America,” UCO’s production on “Hot N’ Cole: Charity: Make-A-Wish Lauren said in an interview shortly after winning the crown. A Cole Porter Celebration.” Foundation “It’s sinking in,” she said nearly a week after the pageant. “I’m Miss She is the daughter of Lawton’s Way to spend a day off: Hang America. Miss America. That’s just still so crazy.” Mark and Sherrell Nelson, out with friends by the pool Unlike many young women in the Miss America pageant, Lauren was who are Custer County What were you like a relative newcomer to the contest trail. Farm Bureau when you were a Gary said his niece, who completed her freshman year at the members. Mark is child? I loved to University of Central Oklahoma, first became interested in pageants employed by a perform whether it while attending Lawton MacArthur High School, where she graduated credit life was on stage or in in 2005. insurance my back yard. My company and friends and I “She didn’t start competing until her junior and senior year. She won Sherrell were known to the Miss Teen Oklahoma contest her first try, and then entered the Miss teaches put on backyard Grand Lake contest, where she was the runner up. Then she won the physical productions Miss State Fair contest and was its representative in the Miss Oklahoma education at a complete with contest that she won.” Lawton costumes, props Lauren is an aspiring Broadway star, who began singing in a church elementary school. and scenery. choir as a girl. She has appeared in musicals such as “Bye Bye Birdie” Lauren has a brother Who is the most and “Anything Goes” over the years. and sister, Logan, 15, influential person in “She has such a presence on the stage that it’s remarkable,” says and Morgan, 17. your life: My high school Gary. “I think, golly, she’s come a long way. Lauren’s character, her poise, In 2005, Lauren music teacher, Beth her presence and what she stands for – she’s the whole deal. She’s a graduated from Stukey, has been a MacArthur High huge influence. She very talented young lady – just everything about her.” School in Lawton. was the first While in high person to he will be on the road almost constantly for the next year, school, she was introduce me to traveling about 20,000 miles each month making personal a member of music theater appearances. the National and is the reason Lauren’s personal platform issue for her reign is protecting children Honor Society I study music from online predators. She also will work as an ambassador for the and a three-year theater today. Children’s Miracle Network as well as promoting her platform of recipient of the What is the Internet safety for children. Renaissance one thing about She received a $50,000 scholarship as the winner of the Miss Academic award. you that people you America contest. Her scholarship as Miss Oklahoma was in the $20,000 She was an active meet may not member of Student immediately realize? to $25,000 range, according to Gary. And she was the swimsuit Council, Fellowship of When you first meet me you competition winner in the Miss America pageant, which also carried a Christian Athletes and MacArthur see a trendy, fun loving, all scholarship award. Leadership Class. She was a American young woman. What “She’ll be all right,” declared Gary, “when she returns to school.” member of the Lawton Student you would never guess is that I Lauren’s scholastic ambition is to eventually obtain a master’s degree Civic Council in 2003 and a love the spotlight and grab any in musical theater, move to New York and one day become a Broadway graduate of the Junior Leadership chance to get on stage and belt performer. Class of 2003-2004. She was a five- out a song. She’ll only get two days off – Easter and Christmas – during her year- year member of the Lawton-Fort What was one defining long reign, so family time will be extremely precious for the Nelson and Sill Teen Council and chairman of moment in your life? The first Winters clans. the council for the 2004-2005 year. time I performed in a high school “I’m very proud, but I already miss her,” says Gary. Sport: football musical theater production I felt Sports team: University of the thrill and energy of a live Left: Lawton’s Lauren Nelson was crowned 2007 Miss America January 29 in Las Oklahoma Sooners performance and knew from that Vegas. She and her family are Oklahoma Farm Bureau members, signed up by her Actor: Will Ferrell moment I wanted to be on uncle Gary Winters, who is an agent in Custer County. Actress: Julia Roberts Broadway. Right: Lauren holds the trophy she received at the pageant after judges selected her as the winner in the Lifestyle & Fitness in Swimsuit. Oklahoma Country • Spring 2007 • 19