Toboggans for the Whole Team!

Orville Weldon Hinshaw's toboggan from his playing days, 
looking no worse for wear after 30+ years.
Photo from personal collection. 

I heard a great story from some alums recently. The football squads from the late 70s and early 80s had warm, hand-knitted toboggans to wear on winter walks to class, courtesy of Rick "Wild Man" Powers' mom, Lou Anne. She'd taken to knitting during his high school games, keeping an eye on the game and her boy, the other on the yarn.

Upon becoming a player for Guilford, his mother began knitting red and white striped toboggans for Rick, Weldon and their teammates. Everyone wanted one. She had a football roster and checked off each name upon completing a piece. The rows of white, separated by the red stood for their number (Rick was number 64, so he had six rows of white, a row of red, then four more rows of white).

Lou Anne churned out a number of toboggans for the boys through several seasons. Once, a younger teammate approached Rick asking if his mom would knit one for him before Rick graduated - he didn't want to miss his chance to be gifted one of her sturdy toboggans!

"Wild Man" and "Orv" have enjoyed reconnecting with players from that era, who usually report that they still have those knits and appreciate Lou Anne's kindness.

Lou Ann Powers passed away in January of 2011. Rick said it would please her very much to know his teammates still have her handmade toboggans after all these years.

Great story, great "team mom." Thanks, guys.