Dennis Johnson:  

IT'S BEEN A LONG AND BUMPY ROAD, AND OF COURSE QUITE A LEARNING EXPERIENCE. FOR A SHORT TIME IT WAS SCARY AS HELL FOR A LOT OF US , BUT THANK GOD MOST OF US MADE IT BACK, AND FOR THOSE WHO DIDN'T IT WILL FOREVER HAUNT ME. I WAS ASKED A COUPLE TIMES IN MY LIFE IF I EVER HAD A HERO SORT A SPEAK, OR SOMEONE THAT SHAPED MY LIFE, AND THAT I LOOKED UP TO.OF COURSE I LOVED MY FATHER VERY MUCH , BUT HE DIED WHEN I WAS ONLY SEVEN , SO I WAS NEVER ABLE TO HAVE THAT NORMAL FATHER SON RELATIONSHIP.WHAT I DO REMEMBER THOUGH IS THAT HE WAS A VERY PROUD WORLD WAR 2 VET,MARINE CORP.HE WAS THE SOFTEST, AND MOST COMPASSIONATE PERSON I EVER KNEW.KNOWING THAT HE HAS BEEN LOOKING DOWN AT ME ALL THESE YEARS I HOPE I HAVE MADE HIM PROUD."SEMPER FI" DADDY. MY DAD DEFINITELY GOT ME POINTED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.THE ONLY OTHER PERSON THAT HAD A PERMANENT INFLUENCE ON MY BROTHER AND MYSELF WAS OUR JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACH.THIS MAN WAS THE MANTEL OF BOTH OUR LIVES.HIS NAME WAS DICK GOURLEY.WHEN I WAS IN SEVENTH GRADE HE WOULD ALWAYS ASK ME IF I WAS GOING TO TURN OUT FOR FOOTBALL THE NEXT YEAR,AND I THOUGHT WHAT THE HECK ,SO I ALWAYS SAID YES.I REALLY DID'NT THINK ABOUT IT THAT MUCH BECAUSE NEXT SEASON SEEMED LIKE A HUNDRED YEARS AWAY,BUT BEFORE I NEW IT , IT WAS CRUNCH TIME,AND I WAS ON THE PRACTICE FIELD WITH THE NICE MAN THAT I USE TO BUMP INTO KNOW AND THEN IN THE HALLWAYS.NOW BEING A YOUNG,AND STUPID KID WHOM KNEW NOTHING ABOUT LIFE YET,OR THE LESSONS YET TO COME MY WAY I DID SENSE THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT QUITE RIGHT.THE NICE MAN WAS YELLING,AND SCREAMING,AND FREAKING OUT,AND I HAVE TO ADD THIS LITTLE SIDE NOTE= OTHER THEN MY MILITARY EXPERIENCE WHICH WAS STILL IN MY FUTURE= I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE SCARED IN MY ENTIRE LIF...Expand for more