Sunday, February 04, 2007

Hunter Punter

I now have the ability to type that I totally know somebody playing in the Super Bowl: The Colts' punter, Hunter Smith, of the University of Notre Dame, Class of '99. We met in a student Bible study group when I was a freshman and then pretty much never talked to one another again. So... not so much with the media pass from Hunter.

Here's what I remember about Hunter: If his sweet nature didn't captivate you, his general Texasism did. When he spoke, it was slowly, and where prayer was concerned, with a great deal of seriousness. One night, when the group leader asked for prayer intentions, Hunter put a hand in the air. He was invited to speak.

He sat there for a few seconds. "I have the hardest test in the world tomorrow," he announced gravely.

The girl sitting next to me offered to take it for him.

"Do you know anything about genetics?" Hunter asked soulfully.

"No," she admitted.

He sighed. "You'd probably do better'n me anyway." Then he took out a gutar and sang "Love, Me" and made everybody cry into their Bible bookmarks.

I have the high honor of absolutely horrifying him one night when I spoke about Psalms 103:1-5, and discussed what a mood-lifter it was. I called it my Mountain Dew verse.

"You're tired," I said, "you read this. You're sad, you read this. You're feeling obnoxious, you read this. I highly recommend it for PMS."

I sat back in my folding chair to enjoy the uproar.

"I don't get it," Hunter said when everybody had picked themselves up off the floor.

"Okay," said one of the ladies. "You ever had a long-term girlfriend?"

"Yeah."

"And what happens every month?"

"They... get mean?"

Revalation dawned for The Punter. He gaped at me. "I can't believe she just said that!"

Well, God bless, Hunter Smith. Unless, of course, you screw up. Then I'm all "I don't know nothin' 'bout no Hunter Punter."

still #17 at: mb@blondechampagne.com

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Save that one for the sequel.

Anonymous said...

Thank you MB, for mentioning your "Mountain Dew" verse. It is uplifting!

Oh, yeah, and GO COLTS!!

Anonymous said...

Good advice. I'll remember Psalm 103 next time I need a lift. I love those encouraging passages!

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