Chilly temperatures in the 20s couldn’t deter these devoted 1977 North Allegheny grads from playing their 50th Turkey Bowl over Thanksgiving weekend.
About 10 friends who graduated nearly five decades ago gathered at the North Allegheny Intermediate High School football field on Nov. 30 to reminisce and reconnect.
“This is about seeing everybody, getting together, telling the same stories we told last year, and laughing just as hard,” said Paul Bailey, traveling from Tampa, Fla., to play in the annual game.
Along with other Floridians, fellow classmates were in from Texas, Georgia, Washington, D.C., and even California to play in the Turkey Bowl, which has changed from tackle to touch to just staying out long enough until they get too cold or tired.
Sons and daughters, in-laws, friends and even other NA grads from the ’70s join in the yearly game.
Amanda Ott of Atlanta, another 1977 grad, said she came up specifically for the game, bringing her daughter and son to play.
All those years of football may not have been possible without their “MVP,” Lowell “Lody” Smith, who helped organize the games over the decades.
Smith, who now lives in Hampton, said the games are just an excuse to get together.
“I do these games because I love you guys. We play a little bit then go have a party and about five times as long,” Smith said.
Jeb Mershon, Class of ’77, said Smith is the reason for the game.
“He has been our social glue. He was that way in middle school, high school and college,” said Mershon, who was in from Austin, Texas.
Bailey, who grew up in McCandless, said they’ve always been a very close group, noting his best friend from kindergarten was also present at the game. They recalled their days in elementary, middle and then high school, getting driver’s licenses and spending their free time playing pool or Ping Pong.
In college, “everyone drifted their own ways,” but with the help of friends like Smith, they’ve kept in touch, Bailey said. They’ve been through weddings, jobs, children and even heartaches.
“We’ve experienced it all with each other, college graduations, marriages, births, death of parents and a spouse,” he said.
When a classmate’s wife had aggressive breast cancer and passed away, Bailey, Smith and another classmate flew out to Texas.
“That encapsulates what this group means to each other,” Bailey said.
A few were eager to share their Turkey Bowl war stories, such as Jim Steinmetz, Class of ’77, who lives in Florida. He tore his ACL playing the game in 1998. His twin and Hampton resident John had a tooth come through his lip during a game in 1997.
Not everyone makes it each year, but this year was particularly important, marking the 50th and potentially final one.
“I personally am thinking this may be the last. But knowing the guy who organizes it … he might keep going until we’re all in walkers,” said Bailey, 65.
Also in to play were Smith’s daughter, Abby, from Boston, and his son, Lowell, who lives in Mt. Lebanon.
“The game is fantastic. I’ve been playing for about 20 years. This is why I love Thanksgiving. We play and then the party is just as fun,” said the junior Lowell, who graduated in 2013.
The classmates gifted Smith with an NA football jersey bearing the number 50.
A valiant effort was provided that Thanksgiving Saturday.
“We played about two hours. Final ‘score,’ 5 to 3, and the game ended on the touchdown of the losing team,” said Bailey, “It was great seeing everybody. It was a fun day. No injuries. We had a blast.”