GILMER, Texas — "Draw The Line" - a book written by East Texan Dr. Hunter Taylor who was first a coach, but he’s now a professor, telling the story of beast Texas football as a doctoral assignment.
It’s a book highlighting some of the top East Texas football programs and their coaches, but most notably Jeff Traylor in his final season in Gilmer.
“One of the storylines obviously, is the last season,” Hunter said. “They're all together, right? It's the 2014 last dance, if you will.”
Gilmer historian Elwyn Henderson believes 2014 was something special.
“This is literally the most special season ever of Gilmer Buckeye football, because of what happened with Dez Pollard before that season started,” Henderson said.
Desmond Pollard was a teammate who unexpectedly passed away in March 2013 after collapsing on the basketball court. So his teammates dedicated the 2014 season to their lost brother.
“You go through a tragedy like that,” Taylor said. “And then there's all these kind of own characters on the player side where they're dealing with their own trials and tribulations.”
Mclane Carter, Blake Lynch and Kris Boyd were all key pieces to that state title season. Their stories are within these pages as well.
“I think they did a fantastic job articulating what that season meant to them,” Taylor said. “Then how they viewed each other what they played for how they honored a teammate that was no longer with them. But I just think it's a great story.”
With any great football story, there’s always a rivalry.
”You know, so many people still talk about the Gladewater, Gilmer game at Lobo stadium in 2014,” Taylor said. “That was kind of a rallying cry for Gilmer, prior to that game. And so that's where the title comes from.”
A game good enough to make the cover of the book, but also influence the title. So what was that game like? Coming down to the final seconds and a game winning drive from the Buckeyes.
“They would not let us lose,” said Assistant Head Coach Randall Canady. “And when I tell you, the last seconds, when we got the ball, and Kris Boyd scored, and the crowd went crazy. That was I think it was like 19,000, 20,000 people there. So that was really, really big. I remember just crying because, you know, I, I didn't know how it was gonna end and when we won it, I just knew that we were going to win state.”
Gilmer’s undefeated season put into words - a testament to not just the city but the region.
“Our kids put their heart and soul into this football program as well as our coaches,” Gilmer High Principal Brian Bowman said. “And so being able to see it in writing is going to be a pretty neat, neat deal for our community.”
Genius highlighted in one book as best as Taylor could tell the story, with the protagonist being the one and only legendary Jeff Traylor.
“I'll tell you in one simple word, motivation,” Henderson said. “Jeff Traylor is literally the best motivator I have ever seen. I told him one time years ago, I said I put you right up there with Lou Holtz, and based on what he did for the Gilmer Buckeyes, and this town in the school, this football program, no doubt in my mind, he's the best motivator on the planet.”
The book will be available for order starting June 28 in most brick and mortar stores.
