Albert Red Cheek: My Baylor Legacy

Lots of things happening around here!!

So on Saturday, I graduated from the greatest university on the planet, sic 'em! I was supposed to graduate in May, but my pesky foreign language requirement prevented that.  Oh well. Graduation was only two and a half hours as opposed to four in the spring.  Basically, I came out on top here! ;)

So while I'm here, I want to go ahead and talk about one of the reasons I even have my degree: Albert Red Cheek, as we all liked to call him, Pop.

In the 1940s, a poor kid from a small town in Texas headed down to Waco to attend Baylor and play on their football team. Two years in, however, he put that on hold to serve during WWII, and circumstances prevented him from going back to Baylor.  That didn't stop him from being one of the most loyal Baylor football fans in the nation, though.

When I started my college search senior year, Baylor wasn't even on my radar.  The only thing I knew about it was that Pop drove down to Texas for nearly every football game, and they weren't even that good.  I grew up in Stillwater, home of Oklahoma State University, and I didn't even know that Baylor played OSU. It was that far off my radar.  But something in me (maybe the pestering from my mom) convinced me to tour the campus and I absolutely fell in love.  It was truly love at first sight. Any one of my good friends from high school can tell you that I was downright obsessed when I got back.  Heck, for Halloween I was a Baylor super fan. And let me tell you, the look on Pop's face when I told him that I was going to Baylor is something that I would never trade for anything in this world.  I had never felt like I was carrying out a legacy more... that is, until I decided to become a teacher.

It's a well known fact that the Cheek family practically breeds teachers. The number of them on our family tree is borderline unbelievable. But, I'd like to think that Pop started it all.  He was the kind of teacher that I aspire to be-- one that impacts his students on both an educational and personal level.  I don't know much about his teaching years, but I know that he consistently made a difference in the lives of those around him. He was compassionate, loyal, selfless, and understanding.  I am so thankful that I got to know him-- who can really say that about their great-grandpa? I hope that he's sitting somewhere cheering on our bears (sic 'em), and cheering me on as I carry out another part of his legacy.

Baylor Round Up, 1940(ish?) Pop is the center picture.

-A