I just read this on the chattanoogan.com. I thought it was a great read on Layla Kiffin and her Dad John Reeves. Wanted to pass it on.
September 10, 2009
Roy Exum: The Kiffins' Secret
by Roy Exum
posted September 9, 2009
Roy Exum
When the University of Tennessee thoroughly whipped Western Kentucky last week, winning the opener of the "Kiffin era" by a ferocious 63-7 count, there was a far-bigger victory sitting in the stands. You need to know that by the end of the day, John Reaves had gone 103 days without taking a drink.
In a world where we too seldom see past the glitter and the glitz, the "Big Orange" pompoms and the band that plays "Rocky Top" with such zest, last Saturday was a huge day for the Kiffin family. Forget about the game for a minute, or the way Lane and his gorgeous family have captivated the state in the past nine months. All that matters is that "Poppa John" was there last Saturday.
"Poppa John" is one of the greatest football players this world has ever known. John Reaves is also the father of Lane Kiffin's stunning wife, Layla, and in a story that will leave you gasping, the two had not spoken in over a year. You see, today John Reaves is little more than a pitiful drunk.
When John played at Florida, he became the college game's all-time leading passer with 7,549 yards. He then played in the NFL for 11 more seasons after becoming Philadelphia's No. 1 draft choice, but, along the way, he started playing as hard at night as he did on the football field.
In 1980 he got sober, but, in the year 2000, a bunch of bad breaks, including the death of his mother, led him back to booze and drugs. His life has been a downward spiral ever since and Mick Elliott, a brilliant writer, detailed "Hell And Back" last weekend in a story on AOL's Fanbase that was largely ignored in the college football's opening week of hysteria. It should not have been.
No, instead the whole world needs to see that even a giant like John Reaves can fall prey to addiction and that the last nine years of his life have reduced the once-proud hero to the point he's selling his mother's silverware to pay the electric bill.
Far worse, in the summer of 2008 he made such a fool of himself in front of the Kiffins that his daughter finally confronted the man she most loves in the world besides her husband. "I just felt, unfortunately, his lifestyle got to a point it wasn't healthy or safe for me to be a part of it.
"I finally said, 'Dad, I love you, but I can't support this lifestyle. When you decide to get help, I'll be there for you. But until you do, I just can't subject myself to it. It's too hard. Too hurtful,'" she told the writer.
So for an entire year John Reaves, still the NCAA's all-time leader, tried to call his daughter and she refused to answer the phone. He tried everything he could think of to see the grandchildren, to talk to Lane, but, no, this was it.
Get the picture here. As Lane was being embraced by the Vol faithful and the swooning demands on Tennessee's new First Family of Football were constantly afoot, Layla held a secret deep within, unable to do anything but pray.
Her dad made another fool of himself, this time at a Florida Alumni Letterman's Dinner in a way that didn't settle until the university president and athletic director sent letters of reprimand and, by the end of May, one of the greatest college quarterbacks of all time was down to his last hold card.
A backup center who played with Reaves from 1969-72 heard about his plight and Larry Morris, now a top-flight lawyer in Pensacola, had offered back in the winter to help him get through rehab. John had declined, but he ... well, kept Larry's card.
"It had been another weekend - right before Memorial Day, another weekend of loneliness and isolation and sickness like with any disease," Reaves told the Fanhouse reporter. "I was at the end of my rope. Bottomed out, basically. So I prayed and what came to me was that I should take Moose up on his offer."
Two days later the teammates met each other at the Atlanta airport and Moose took the shattered quarterback to a treatment facility in the Buckhead area called Talbot House. After a day or two, he texted his daughter with the two-word message, "In rehab."
Layla, who had not spoken to her daddy in over a year, called back a few minutes later and said, "I'm coming down there." She would later tell Mick Elliott, the great writer, "I had prayed and prayed for that day, but I have to say I'm not 100 percent sold on it yet," she said. "It has been nine years of hurt and lies.
"As he's doing his day-to-day, I'm doing my day-to-day, too. I'm just praying he continues this because it's awesome." Just before Tennessee began fall practice, the Kiffins were at the Florida beach house and Layla, with Lane's complete support, called her dad to come see the grandkids.
"I spent four, five hours there," John said. "I got a chance to swim with the three grandchildren. Hung out at the pool and then we went to lunch. After we had lunch, I was waiting in the car with Landry - the four-year-old.
"Landry asked me, 'What did you have to drink, Poppa John?' She calls me Poppa John. I said, 'Iced tea.' She said, 'What was in it?' I said 'Just sugar.' "
So that brings us to last Saturday, the one where the Kiffin family started anew in Knoxville with over 100,000 watching. Not as many knew the better story, the way John Reaves held his grandchildren and shared with gusto as the Vols sallied forth, but it was a big victory, too. Oh it was huge.
Maybe there will be more days like that. Maybe John Reaves will now have gone 108 days without a drink. Healing takes time, but maybe it can happen. Then again, sobriety is a lot like football; there are ups and there are downs, but there is always that maybe.
John Reaves, with Layla and the Kiffins standing behind him, has a chance, that's all, but I got to tell you this: I like his side of it.
royexum@aol.com
September 10, 2009
Roy Exum: The Kiffins' Secret
by Roy Exum
posted September 9, 2009
Roy Exum
When the University of Tennessee thoroughly whipped Western Kentucky last week, winning the opener of the "Kiffin era" by a ferocious 63-7 count, there was a far-bigger victory sitting in the stands. You need to know that by the end of the day, John Reaves had gone 103 days without taking a drink.
In a world where we too seldom see past the glitter and the glitz, the "Big Orange" pompoms and the band that plays "Rocky Top" with such zest, last Saturday was a huge day for the Kiffin family. Forget about the game for a minute, or the way Lane and his gorgeous family have captivated the state in the past nine months. All that matters is that "Poppa John" was there last Saturday.
"Poppa John" is one of the greatest football players this world has ever known. John Reaves is also the father of Lane Kiffin's stunning wife, Layla, and in a story that will leave you gasping, the two had not spoken in over a year. You see, today John Reaves is little more than a pitiful drunk.
When John played at Florida, he became the college game's all-time leading passer with 7,549 yards. He then played in the NFL for 11 more seasons after becoming Philadelphia's No. 1 draft choice, but, along the way, he started playing as hard at night as he did on the football field.
In 1980 he got sober, but, in the year 2000, a bunch of bad breaks, including the death of his mother, led him back to booze and drugs. His life has been a downward spiral ever since and Mick Elliott, a brilliant writer, detailed "Hell And Back" last weekend in a story on AOL's Fanbase that was largely ignored in the college football's opening week of hysteria. It should not have been.
No, instead the whole world needs to see that even a giant like John Reaves can fall prey to addiction and that the last nine years of his life have reduced the once-proud hero to the point he's selling his mother's silverware to pay the electric bill.
Far worse, in the summer of 2008 he made such a fool of himself in front of the Kiffins that his daughter finally confronted the man she most loves in the world besides her husband. "I just felt, unfortunately, his lifestyle got to a point it wasn't healthy or safe for me to be a part of it.
"I finally said, 'Dad, I love you, but I can't support this lifestyle. When you decide to get help, I'll be there for you. But until you do, I just can't subject myself to it. It's too hard. Too hurtful,'" she told the writer.
So for an entire year John Reaves, still the NCAA's all-time leader, tried to call his daughter and she refused to answer the phone. He tried everything he could think of to see the grandchildren, to talk to Lane, but, no, this was it.
Get the picture here. As Lane was being embraced by the Vol faithful and the swooning demands on Tennessee's new First Family of Football were constantly afoot, Layla held a secret deep within, unable to do anything but pray.
Her dad made another fool of himself, this time at a Florida Alumni Letterman's Dinner in a way that didn't settle until the university president and athletic director sent letters of reprimand and, by the end of May, one of the greatest college quarterbacks of all time was down to his last hold card.
A backup center who played with Reaves from 1969-72 heard about his plight and Larry Morris, now a top-flight lawyer in Pensacola, had offered back in the winter to help him get through rehab. John had declined, but he ... well, kept Larry's card.
"It had been another weekend - right before Memorial Day, another weekend of loneliness and isolation and sickness like with any disease," Reaves told the Fanhouse reporter. "I was at the end of my rope. Bottomed out, basically. So I prayed and what came to me was that I should take Moose up on his offer."
Two days later the teammates met each other at the Atlanta airport and Moose took the shattered quarterback to a treatment facility in the Buckhead area called Talbot House. After a day or two, he texted his daughter with the two-word message, "In rehab."
Layla, who had not spoken to her daddy in over a year, called back a few minutes later and said, "I'm coming down there." She would later tell Mick Elliott, the great writer, "I had prayed and prayed for that day, but I have to say I'm not 100 percent sold on it yet," she said. "It has been nine years of hurt and lies.
"As he's doing his day-to-day, I'm doing my day-to-day, too. I'm just praying he continues this because it's awesome." Just before Tennessee began fall practice, the Kiffins were at the Florida beach house and Layla, with Lane's complete support, called her dad to come see the grandkids.
"I spent four, five hours there," John said. "I got a chance to swim with the three grandchildren. Hung out at the pool and then we went to lunch. After we had lunch, I was waiting in the car with Landry - the four-year-old.
"Landry asked me, 'What did you have to drink, Poppa John?' She calls me Poppa John. I said, 'Iced tea.' She said, 'What was in it?' I said 'Just sugar.' "
So that brings us to last Saturday, the one where the Kiffin family started anew in Knoxville with over 100,000 watching. Not as many knew the better story, the way John Reaves held his grandchildren and shared with gusto as the Vols sallied forth, but it was a big victory, too. Oh it was huge.
Maybe there will be more days like that. Maybe John Reaves will now have gone 108 days without a drink. Healing takes time, but maybe it can happen. Then again, sobriety is a lot like football; there are ups and there are downs, but there is always that maybe.
John Reaves, with Layla and the Kiffins standing behind him, has a chance, that's all, but I got to tell you this: I like his side of it.
royexum@aol.com
imp_2:
