The Braves hoist Garrison on their shoulders and offer cheers of praise following a hord-
fought victory on the gridiron.
In addition to his gridiron responsibilities, Hawkins has served as head baseball
coach for almost a quarter of a century, posting a record of 19 winning Seasons.
Coaches reach
25 year mark
great situation to build with here, but I
never could have done it without him.”
After a hectic start and a dismal first two
season, a big change on the Chowan
athletic scene could be seen. “Things were
really hectic at first,” Garrison said. “We
weren’t blessed with the facilities and staffs
we have now and the coaches did
everything. We did laundry, acted as doc
tors and grounds crew and even baby sat. I
think we won maybe two or three games
those first two years. We really came out of
some humble beginnings.”
Philosophies Take Affect
Slowly, Garrison’s philosophies began to
take affect. Chowan athletic teams became
competitive; coaches were hired and
facilities improved. Those philosophies re
main a large part of the Chowan athletic
teams today.
“Discipline is the key. We have a great
discipline program here,” Garrison explain
ed. “We have never intentionally hurt
anyone either physically, mentally, morally
or otherwise. We will, however, do anything
to get a player’s attention. Whatever it takes
to wake up a player and realize our
philosophies, we will do it.”
“I think our main objective is to teach a
young person how to be successful at
whatever he does. I’m talking about winn
ing. Winning and success are the same.
Everything we do is predicated toward their
ultimate step to success, whether it’s on the
field or not.”
The success of the young people coming
from Garrison’s program are endless. Even
he has trouble remembering all the names
and faces after 25 years, but he still has a
pride in all his former Braves.
“At last year’s Homecoming, we had 22
members of the 1961 football team here,” he
said proudly. “Every one of them had gone
on to become an ultra success in their field.
There were doctors, lawyers, the heads of
three banks, school superintendents, high
school coaches and preachers. It was great
seeing these men and learning about what
they had done with their lives since
Chowan.”
Names from former Braves football
teams sprinkle the rosters of teams in the
NFL. Jerry Holmes, Robert Brown, Hal
Henderson, Dave Green and Ned Parrish
are some of the more recent players who
have gone on to professional football. Jody
Shultz is on his way to All-American status
at the University of East Carolina. The list
goes on and on.
Donnie Matthews is an example of the
quality of people who emerge from the
Chowan campus. Matthews was named
JJCAA Player of the Year at Chowan. He
"Hiring Jerry Hawkins was
the best day's work I Have
ever done."
went on to the University of Richmond and
had an outstanding career with the Spiders.
After a short, but successful, career with the
Newport News Shipyard, Matthews return
ed to study at a seminary and today is
Minister of Administration of the largest
church in Arizona.
Garrison sees his responsibilities to his
players continuing after their sophomore
football seasons. A TV station reporter
recently said Garrison has placed more
players into four year programs than any
other junior college coach in the nation.
From November through December, Gar
rison spends up to five hours a day on the
telephone in contact with major college
coaching staffs ensuring that his players get
every opportunity to continue their football
and college careers.
Garrison’s recruiting exploits are legen
dary among junior college coaching circles
and it has been said “that man could talk a
cat off a fish cart.” Garrison sees the suc
cess of the Chowan program as a deciding
factor when talking to a young high school
senior about Chowan.
Everyone wants to be part of a successful
program. Our past successes here play a
major role in our recruiting efforts. Also a
kid knows he will get the opportunity to
move on if he has the talent and the desire.
One principle I have is that I never lie to a
prospect. We tell it like it is and what he can
expect at Chowan. The parents really like
the idea (tf the type of discipline we main
tain.
Garrison has had, and will, in all pro
bability, continue to have, other coaching of
fers from larger schools. However, he has
become too much a part of the scene at
Chowan to seriously consider moving on.
Today, Garrison is a middle-aged coach
with a young man’s enthusiasm and Chowan
and Murfreesboro are as much a part of his
life as he is a part of them. His family settl
ed and have their roots in the area and Gar
rison entertains no though of changing.
“There have been offers at bigger schools
but I have never reaUy been interested. I
wouldn’t like the turmoil of recruiting and
living out of a suitcase three or four months
a year. We have established our program
here on firm footing and I am very happy
with the.situation,” Garrison said.
“The pressures are everywhere anyway.
Every coach, worth his salt, lives under
pressure from one source of another. The
administration here has been great and I
guess I get more pressure from myself than
from any other source. This school is good to
me and has been good for me.”
Garrison is a man who accepts his respon
sibilities and has dedicated his efforts
toward his community as well as to Chowan.
Despite the pressures and 18-hour coaching
days. Garrison still finds time to be a part of
the scene around Murfreesboro. He is a
Mason, Shriner, and member of the Mur
freesboro Baptist Church. He was a charter
member of the Murfreesboro Rescue Squad
and today holds down the highly volatile
position as Chairman of the Hertford County
Board of Education. Jim Garrison is not a
man who takes without giving back much
more than he receives.
Again, as his team prepared for the last
game of the 1982 season, Jim Garrison was
in his element. “This is great,” he said,
“This is what it’s all about. I’m really look
ing forward to my next 25 years at Chowan
College.”
I
A GLIMPSE OF THE PAST—In 1965, Garrison and Hawkins chat with three
members of the squod, prior to the opening game. Shown with the coaches are,
left to right, Spencer White, Tiny Matthews and Lawrence Edwards.
The Chowanlon, December, 1982—Page 5