Eddie Meador led a straightforward, pragmatic existence and was very clear about what he wanted out of life. Thus, Meador traveled 485 miles from Russellville, Arkansas, to College Station, Texas, after receiving his high school diploma in 1955.

Meador said he wanted to play football for Texas A&M coach Bear Bryant when he strolled into his office. “You need to go somewhere else,” Bryant said, glancing back at the 5-foot-10, 165-pound, towheaded 18-year-old and declaring he would never play big-time football.

Unfazed, Meador got back in his vehicle and traveled 437 miles to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to join the Golden Hurricanes, a team that finished 0-11 in 1954 under the coaching of Bobby Dobbs. Meador surmised that Tulsa was desperate. He wouldn’t be turned away by the school. However, it did.

Meadorwent back to Russellville, enrolled at the tiny Arkansas Tech, and went on to smash every school rushing record while starting at tailback and safety for all four years. He was selected by the Rams in the 1959 draft and signed for a $500 bonus; as a rookie, he made it into the starting lineup.