Click here for updates on this story
Omaha, NE (WOWT) — Denny McElravy is the backbone of Doane football and that might be selling it short. As the equipment manager he makes sure everything works and is in place everyday at practice and on gameday. He knows what he’s doing too, Denny has 55 years of experience.
He started back in 1965, it was a side job back then because he worked for the gas company. At 83 years old he has since retired from that position but not the one with the football team. He says it keeps him young.
He doesn’t have any plans of hanging it up either, he did try once, that didn’t work out. In 2005 he disagreed with the coach and decided he had enough. That was on a Saturday, by Monday he was back. He also became a paid employee for the first time that week. The first 40 years he did it simply for the love of those around him. He still does it for that same reason, but he also makes $1200 a year. There were a few other perks too that were thrown in then.
McElravy is someone who used to a challenge, he spent a year in the hospital as a kid after he was diagnosed with polio. Because of that, one of his legs is shorter than the other, only by a half inch now. It was more severe when he was a kid, doctors pulled and pulled on that shorter leg, at one point he was in a half body cast for six months. It covered his entire lower body.
Doane recently bought him a cart to help get around, Denny loves it and made sure we saw it before leaving the day we shot this story.
His back has been acting up lately, in fact he missed a game this season for the first time since 1985.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
Regulators authorized AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for use in adults throughout the European Union on Friday, amid criticism the bloc is not moving fast enough to vaccinate its population.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former FBI lawyer was sentenced to probation for altering an email that the Justice Department relied on during its surveillance of an aide to President Donald Trump during the Russia investigation.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers lashed out Friday at rival Republicans who tried to repeal his statewide mask mandate, saying killing the order would be a ridiculous move comparable to abolishing speed limits.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — As some conservatives in South Carolina celebrated getting a bill that would ban almost all abortions in the state past a legislative barrier and likely becoming law, they said they are not finished trying to end all abortions.
A Moscow court on Friday put the brother and several allies of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny under house arrest for two months as authorities sought to stymie more protests over the jailing of the top Kremlin foe.