db: John Murray, for TJ

All athletes should look up to John Murray, if you play a game I suggest you play it like John.

“Out on the ocean sailing away…”

Dateline: Lake Havasu

“Of course my father was a soccer player, he used to play very good. Then when I was young, 8 or 9 years old, 10 years old, I just want to be like my father.”
~ Pele

“db…db…this…this…you know…for TJ…for my…son…”

The truck cab is silent, now.

The silence you hear when the real truth has been told.

John Murray is just looking down at the steering wheel in front of him, his fingers tap lightly on the bottom of the circle.

I watch him swallow, he tries to break into a smile, but his chin quivers, his fingers leave the wheel and just rest on the thighs of his legs.

The only sound, the truck A/C on Med/Hi.

I follow his gaze into the parking lot, I see only dolled up Elite trucks.

John sees only…TJ.

“…db…”

I have known John, his wife Amy and their son, TJ, since the moment they joined the tour, I held TJ when he was a baby, now 6 years old he runs up and hugs me every time he sees me, I’m a road grampa.

“…db…TJ…”

I know what’s coming, and I have to look away, can’t watch John as he says…

“…TJ…my son…db…my son…he’s never saw me win…”

And with that, two friends, two dads, just sat…

…the A/C the only sound within the truck cab.

“…I can hardly wait to see you come of age…”

“John Murray is my hero, he is the one I look up to out here.”
~ Skeet Reese

All athletes should look up to John Murray, if you play a game I suggest you play it like John.

Play it humbly.

Play it with a constant smile on your face.

Play it with love, play it because you CAN’T not play it.

Oh, and never, ever, complain.

“It’s the only job I have ever had, db, been blessed to have been doing it now for 30 years.”

Quick John Murray boxscore:

  • Only pro angler to win a bass boat on every major western waterway from New Mexico to Washington…32 boats, five trucks.
  • Six time Bassmaster Classic Qualifier.
  • Two time US Open Champion.

Skeet Reese: “John is a flat out legend on the West Coast, if you look at his career in my opinion he is right up there with the likes of Clunn, Roland Martin, he’s just as impressive.”

John has just weighed in a big bag on Day 1 of the Lake Havasu Elite shindig, he finished the day in second place, behind the stage he’s been asked all the normal “game day” questions, but here, inside the cab, inside the cab with a friend he speaks not of himself, he speaks mostly, of Skeet.

And I know why, “It all started here db, right here…”

“It,” is his 28 year friendship with Elite Angler, Skeet Reese.

As John looks out at Lake Havasu, it is all coming back, “I drew Skeet in a tournament right here on this lake, he was 17, I was like 19 or 20, drew him right here…he was a real wise ass.”

John is talking while looking at Skeet’s truck parked two spots over, “Back then Skeet gets on my boat, he has a Vanilla Ice haircut, earrings, open unlaced sneakers and the first thing he says to me…”

Outside Skeet climbs into his truck, looks over for John’s truck, the two lock eyes and wave at each other, John laughs and says, “…the first thing he says to me as he gets into my boat is this, ‘Nobody has ever beaten me in the same boat.’”

John turns to look at me as Skeet drives away, “That day I had a monster day out here, as we got off the boat all I said to him, just two words, said to him exactly this…’til today.”

They have been best friends ever since.

“…but I guess, we’ll both just have to be patient…”

“John is the best sight fisherman in the sport, period.”
~ Skeet Reese

John has just come off of one of his best days fishing this year, and yet, yet all he wants to talk about is his buddy Skeet and how proud he is of him, how happy it makes him to see Skeet’s success.

I am great friends with both of them, know both well, they are, Ying/Yang out here.

Skeet: “John is the most unselfish angler out here, doesn’t push for himself in this sport, he’s very humble…”

John: “Seeing Skeet go from zero to the top of the world is the greatest thing for me, he is the perfect friend for me, you know Skeet is, is, you know, sort of out there, loves the limelight, takes a public role, me I’m not that at all, Skeet kind of takes all that pressure off me.”

Skeet: “I love the guy.”

John: “Love him.”

Trust me, they will beat each other up competing against each other, both are two of the greatest competitors I’ve been around but it’s not a Mantle/Maris deal it’s more like a Ted Williams/Johnny Pesky friendship, both help each other, both are there for each other.

Both will be friends long after they walk away from the game.

“…’cause it’s a long way to go, a hard row to hoe…”

John is looking out the front window, looking at the foothills that frame the town of Lake Havasu, he is telling me how he grew up in Phoenix, how often he fished this lake, how much he likes this town.

I never asked him a question about any of that.

Those hills, this town, this lake powers the memories…of family.

“db, my mother was a college Professor, got her Masters Degree in Chemistry from Harvard, my dad was also a teacher, taught high school, coached in high school.”

I’m just listening.

“They wanted me to go to college, ‘just go two years, get some sort of a degree’ they both told me, get the degree and then…”

John is an only child, his dad passed away in 1996, his mom, Marilee is alive and doing well in Arizona, “…then after I finished two years my mother let me quit, both of my parents told me, supported me following my passion and my passion was, has always been, fishing.”

And then, without asking, with only listening, John opened his soul.

“I’ve never won for TJ….”

“…yes, it’s a long way to go but in the meantime…”

TJ is John and Amy’s son.

TJ, is also, like John, an only child.

Only son.

“All those things I’ve won, I’ve won in the past, I haven’t won anything that he’s been able to see.”

John is not looking out the truck cab window now, now he’s looking directly at me.

“TJ, you know he see’s all the other dads winning out here, he see’s Skeet win, he sees Ike win, he sees his friends’ dads win but he never sees me win…”

I just listen.

“…win…I want my son to see me win….”

…to see me win.”

“…take my hand…”

To my friend, John Murray, let me write what I couldn’t speak yesterday in your truck cab, couldn’t find the words then, let the keyboard be my mouth.

John buddy, everything you do shows TJ you are a winner.

Example, your answer to my simple question: “Do you want TJ to be a pro angler?”

“Doesn’t matter, I fully support him in whatever he wants to do, my parents supported me and allowed me to follow my passion and I will do the exact same thing for him.”

Do that my friend, and TJ, like you yourself, will have a winner for a dad.

It is never about the hardware, it is always about the software…about your heart, your soul, the soft, kind, gentle way that you will pass on to TJ.

Your legacy sits on your lap, not your mantle.

You my friend, have already won for TJ.

One day, yes, you will hold high an Elite trophy, and TJ will see it and smile, but his biggest pride, his greatest love comes when you hold him.

John Murray…for TJ…

…is the win.

“…beautiful, beautiful, beautiful beautiful boy.”
Beautiful Boy
John Lennon

db

“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person. He believed in me.”
~ Jim Valvano