A History of Iowa Football PART VII: A High Porch
Picnic, 1979-1998  (Bumped for excellence, as usual. -- Ross)
John Hayden Fry  was Texas. A descendant of an original Texan
family--including one relative who fought with Sam Houston--Fry
epitimozed the Yellow Rose independent spirit as celebrated in
films such as GIANT, THE ALAMO, and, in its own way, DAZED AND
CONFUSED. (1) He was brash. He was bold. He did everything big
and he did it with style (he wore shades in the day!). He did
things his own way, and he didn't give a flying intercourse what
you thought of it. Because, in the end, he knew that you would
love it  As long as he won, that is. Everyone loves a winner.
Everyone loves a cowboy. And everyone loves John Hayden Fry.
The day they hired Hayden Fry, I remember thinking only one
thing: this guy sounds NUTS! (2)  They talked about his days as
a Texas high school QB. How he and a few classmated allegedly
flunked their senior year on purpose so they would get another
shot at a state championship (wh