As Super Bowl XLVIII approaches this seems an appropriate post.

Ah, the fun of cleaning up a bunch of old boxes. You never know what treasures you might stumble upon.

People often ask me how long have I been a photographer. I can’t really remember a time that I wasn’t. I covered 3 Super Bowls when they were still in single digits.

My father was a well known camera repairman in the Dallas area. I worked with him for a short time when I was a young teenager. That was a treasure in itself. He knew most of the well known area photographers, they came to him to get his help and advice. One of my favorite customers was Jim Laughead. He was a real character. He always donned a wide brimmed fedora and a red vest. He carved out a niche for himself photographing all the major college and professional football teams across the United States.

He asked me what I wanted to do for a living and I told him I wanted his job. He asked if I was interested in football photograph and I said yes. He invited me to come to a Dallas Cowboy game with him. He gave me and my dad sideline passes to come watch the Cowboys play against the New York Giant at the old Cotton Bowl on December 1, 1963. I was fifteen years old.

I got to watch Sam Huff, Y A Tittle (in his hi-tops in 2nd pic), Frank Gifford, Don Meredith, Eddie Lebaron, Bob Lilly, Cornel Green, Jerry Tubbs and Chuck Howley and of course Tom Landry in his iconic fedora.

I had only a twin lens Rolleiflex to shoot with, but it was more the being there. That was one perfect day, even if the Cowboys lost.

It was almost as much fun coming across a few of the photos I took that day.

You can visit the past, you just can’t stay there. en theos ††† jim