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We lost a big Tiger fan - Tribute to my Daddy
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We lost a big Tiger fan - Tribute to my Daddy


Feb 17, 2022, 4:22 PM

February 2 the world lost a big Tiger fan - my daddy, Eddie Whitaker.
Daddy left Inman in 1952 to be a rat at Clemson. After a year, however, he found his way into the Air Force and never returned as a student. But oh he raised me right.
Daddy brought me to my first football game Oct. 29, 1977 to see us play Wake. I never turned back.
Over the years he brought me to many more games. I'm fairly certain some of those Saturdays he would have rather been home resting after putting in 9-10 hours a day of work and commute each day. But we'd load up and take off. Even while I was a Clemson student I'd come home on Fridays and drive back and forth with him on Saturdays. I didn't know why I did that then, but oh those extra hours are golden to me now.
As he aged I'd call on Saturdays and make sure he knew the time and channel the games were on. If things didn't go well I'd expect my halftime call to ask me why things weren't going so well!!
The last Tiger game he ever saw was the bowl game from this year. He was already sick but we got to discuss it and the win sure made him happy.
I miss him. I'll miss that half time call. But I always, ALWAYS, have those beautiful Saturdays in the Valley with him. Thanks, Daddy, for making me a Tiger.

And for a fun story my college roommate reminded me about after Daddy passed - Summer of 1985 we're visiting campus for my orientation. We stumble across Michael Dean Perry. Daddy, being Daddy, goes up and starts up a conversation with him like they've known each other for years.
As we're walking off he turns to MDP and say "My boy is going to be here the next four years. How bout looking out for him for me."
MPD assured him he would.
That was Daddy.

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