The phone rang at the office of one of Warren County’s football legends, and a man once described as &#8220tough as a nickel steak” answered.

We wanted some information on his life after his illustrious playing career to write a small vignette for a special section the sports department was producing on the great players from the 1950s and 60s.

Several minutes later, the reporter asked for a picture to enhance our section.

&#8220Sure,” he responded. &#8220Where should I send it?”

&#8220You can send it to sports(at)VicksburgPost.com,” I told him.

&#8220What is that? What kind of address is that?” he asked quizically.

&#8220Sorry, sir, I just assume that everyone is hooked up to e-mail,” I said.

&#8220I don’t fool around with those computers,” he said.

How the times have changed.

That’s the beauty of this undertaking is talking with the greatest of the great. The search covered all areas of America. It stretched from Vicksburg to Michigan to South Texas.

People spread out so far over the years, finding them turned us all into little detectives.

Some were easy to find, like Red Fuller who lives a stone’s throw from Bazinsky Field, where we spend most of our spring evenings. Johnny Brewer and Bob Temple, Walter Kinnebrew and Johnny Jones all stayed close to home.

Each had a unique story, or stories in Claude King’s case, to tell. Most of the time spent on the phone became me saying nothing, trying to get a feel for what it was like back then.

Johnny Jones dropped off a picture on Wednesday and spun tales of knocking opposing players to the ground, getting standing ovations for big hits.

Only a handful made a life of pro football, but most at least gave it a try. The usual answer when asked what happened in pro ball, became, &#8220those are where the big boys played,” or &#8220I needed to get a job and start making some money.”

Eddie Habert, the great St. Aloysius lineman, became a doctor in St. Louis and still practices medicine there today. Jimmy Winstead used to go door-to-door in Hernando trying to talk customers into taking family pictures. He is now an accomplished photographer.

So many players did so many great things during their lives, getting to talk to and write about them has been one of the most rewarding things in this profession.

When you look to see who made the team, remember that every player on that ballot was great in his own right. Everyone deserves recognition.

But when you look over those pictures, and into the eyes, you can imagine the stories behind the pictures.

This county has been mighty lucky over the years to have produced such great football players. Each winner should be congratulated, and each one that didn’t receive enough votes to make the team should also be lauded.