A Boy Named Pooh

In 1969 Johnny Cash’s live recording of “A Boy Named Sue” shot to number one on the country charts.

The wildly popular song spun the yarn of a father who named his son Sue to force him to become fast and tough because he knew he wouldn’t be around to protect him.

A little more than 15 years later, a baby boy in Florida was about to pick up a name that would also help force him to become fast and tough.

The name was Pooh.

Earnest “Poohbear” McNeal eventually climbed to the top of the Mansfield University rushing charts.

“He wasn’t given the name to make him tough,” cooed his mother Cynthia McNeal. “He got the name because he was such a cute rolly, polly little baby boy. I think he still is.”

She has a point there. At 5-8 and 195 pounds, McNeal does have a Pooh bearish body that barely contains the wide, infectious smile that often lights up his face. Sometimes you just can’t help but to want to give him a big hug and take him home with you.

“I don’t ever remember anyone calling me anything else but Pooh,” says the junior running back who ranks fourth in the PSAC in rushing this season. “All through Pee Wee football and high school, everyone called me Poohbear. Some players on the other teams would try to intimidate me by saying stuff like ‘Pooh, I'm going to crush you’ and other trash like that, but by the end of the game they weren’t saying much. It’s tough to talk like that when you lose.”

Poohbear became legendary around his hometown of -- where else -- Orlando, Florida, helping vault Lake Highland Prep to the top of the state rankings. Highland’s feared triple-option featured a triple helping of Poohbear’s honey as he would line up at tailback, wide receiver or even quarterback in what became known as ‘triple-pooh’.

He had more than 2,000 all-purpose yards in his senior season alone and started getting noticed outside the Sunshine State when Bowling Green University, among others, began calling with scholarship offers.

“I liked it there,” said McNeal of his one season as a red-shirt at the Ohio school. “But the coach who recruited me left and the new coach wanted to make me a wide receiver and I knew there weren’t a lot of 5-8 wide receivers in Division I.”

McNeal left Bowling Green and returned to Orlando where he continued to work out at Lake Highland Prep. David Bernatavitz  was one of Poohbear’s high school coaches. As luck would have it,  the native of nearby Elmira, NY was also a  Mansfield alum.

Bernatavitz contacted then Mansfield University head coach Chris Woods, who was desperately looking for a running back that would be the final ingredient for a winning team.

“Coach Bernatavitz sent a tape and I came up to visit for the spring game that year,” recalls McNeal. “You could see they already had the makings of a good team and I loved the size of the offensive line. I decided right then and there this was the place for me.”

The rest played out like a fairy tale with a happy ending for both McNeal and his Mountaineer teammates. Poohbear earned nationwide publicity as a freshman in 2003, helping the Mountaineers to a school record tying 8-3 record while leading the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference in rushing with a school record 1,683 yards. In addition, he led the nation in all-purpose yardage to earn All-American honors.

Although 2004 wasn’t as productive for Poohbear or the Mountaineers, he still managed to rank among the conference rushing leaders averaging 102.9 yards per game.

He came back to pre-season camp this August in the best shape of his playing career, determined to get himself and his team back on track.

Even though the Mountaineers have struggled this season, McNeal has been the Poohbear of old displaying his shifty running style and field vision that makes him one of the best in the conference. He has also gotten back to his triple-option roots, rushing for 774 yards and catching 18 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. Poohbear’s even thrown a 29-yard touchdown pass.

McNeal hit a personal and school milestone last week at West Chester, surpassing Lee Brannon (1996-99, 3,268 yards) as the school’s all-time rushing leader on a seven yard gain in the third quarter. He broke the record in just his 26th career game with a season and a half remaining before he graduates.

While a whole lot of honey for himself is all that his namesake Winnie the Pooh wanted in life, it’s team success that Poohbear McNeal hungers for.

“We’re not that far away,” says McNeal about the Mountaineers potential. “We have a very good offensive scheme and John (Hengehold, a former teammate at Lake Highland) keeps getting better and is going to be a great quarterback. It may take a little more time, but we’re going to get there.”

Anybody for a hike in the 100 Aker Woods?

"A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny Cash, Audio Clip
http://www.johnnycash.com/songclips/songclips.htm

A Boy Named Sue

My daddy left home when I was three
And he didn't leave much to ma and me
Just this old guitar and an empty bottle of booze.
Now, I don't blame him cause he run and hid
But the meanest thing that he ever did
Was before he left, he went and named me "Sue."

Well, he must o' thought that is quite a joke
And it got a lot of laughs from a' lots of folk,
It seems I had to fight my whole life through.
Some gal would giggle and I'd get red
And some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head,
I tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named "Sue."

Well, I grew up quick and I grew up mean,
My fist got hard and my wits got keen,
I'd roam from town to town to hide my shame.
But I made a vow to the moon and stars
That I'd search the honky-tonks and bars
And kill that man who gave me that awful name.

Well, it was Gatlinburg in mid-July
And I just hit town and my throat was dry,
I thought I'd stop and have myself a brew.
At an old saloon on a street of mud,
There at a table, dealing stud,
Sat the dirty, mangy dog that named me "Sue."

Well, I knew that snake was my own sweet dad
From a worn-out picture that my mother'd had,
And I knew that scar on his cheek and his evil eye.
He was big and bent and gray and old,
And I looked at him and my blood ran cold
And I said: "My name is 'Sue!' How do you do!
Now your gonna die!!"

Well, I hit him hard right between the eyes
And he went down, but to my surprise,
He come up with a knife and cut off a piece of my ear.
But I busted a chair right across his teeth
And we crashed through the wall and into the street
Kicking and a' gouging in the mud and the blood and the beer.

I tell ya, I've fought tougher men
But I really can't remember when,
He kicked like a mule and he bit like a crocodile.
I heard him laugh and then I heard him cuss,
He went for his gun and I pulled mine first,
He stood there lookin' at me and I saw him smile.

And he said: "Son, this world is rough
And if a man's gonna make it, he's gotta be tough
And I knew I wouldn't be there to help ya along.
So I give ya that name and I said goodbye
I knew you'd have to get tough or die
And it's the name that helped to make you strong."

He said: "Now you just fought one hell of a fight
And I know you hate me, and you got the right
To kill me now, and I wouldn't blame you if you do.
But ya ought to thank me, before I die,
For the gravel in ya guts and the spit in ya eye
Cause I'm the son-of-a-*** that named you "Sue.'"

I got all choked up and I threw down my gun
And I called him my pa, and he called me his son,
And I came away with a different point of view.
And I think about him, now and then,
Every time I try and every time I win,
And if I ever have a son, I think I'm gonna name him
Bill or George! Anything but Sue! I still hate that name!