My brother Mark Mabry sent me a message this past week that Tommy Schumpert had passed away. I am a busy guy, and it took me days to consider writing about his passing. The reason for the delay was my abject inability to find the right words to honor his memory.
Coach Conrad Majors, Lee Beeler, Coach Bud Bales, Coach Tommy Schumpert and Thomas Mabry at the 50th Anniversary of the first game at Dan Y. Boring Stadium (photo courtesy Jackie Raley)
Those words finally came to me in the darkness before dawn as I “hiked with spikes” up the icy and snowy Appalachian Trail on Roan Mountain in subzero weather a few days ago. An outline of thoughts snuck into my consciousness in a setting where the Badger feels most alive. The solitude of the outdoors in outrageously cold weather provided the impetus to consider what Coach Schumpert meant to me, and so here goes.
We all have people in our lives who have influenced us in various ways. Without going into great detail, if it were not for Coach Schumpert, one of my best memories, team achievements, and life lessons would never have happened. He was instrumental in many ways, but I will never forget his role in convincing me to rejoin the Knox Central football team in the spring of 1972. It was not what he said, but how he said, “Tom, you are going to help us if you are willing, but if you are willing, we will expect you to give it your all.”
Thinking back to my days on that 1972 Central High Bobcats football team — undefeated in the regular season under head coach Boomer Boring with the only loss in the playoffs to national champion Tennessee High — Coach Schumpert remained insistent that we all do our best — as a team. He wasn’t just about Xs and Os; he was the guy who built us up with that quiet strength and real dedication, turning us rowdy kids into men who could handle life’s hits when necessary.
As a proud Central alum through and through, he lived that “pride and tradition” by teaching teamwork, resilience, and caring about each of us like family. For us Bobcats, you’ve read about Coach Schumpert’s achievements and dedication to the Fountain City and Knox County communities. To me, his remarkable achievements just scratched the surface. The lessons stuck with me way past the field, just like how he kept giving back to Knoxville as a teacher and leader.
To me, his superpower was his innate ability to care about us as individuals within the team concept. I dare say that he would have been pleased to know that I was thinking about him as I trudged in the ice and snow and howling winds to photograph a creation of God’s great glory. When the sun finally rose toward the horizon to create a glow on the mountaintops, one special scene caught my eye. The image created through my lens was a de facto dedication to his memory; an unforgettable moment of gratitude for the blessing of having Coach Schumpert as a mentor.
Grace has been defined as a kind, unseen force beyond our minds that boosts spiritual growth via fortunate coincidences, exquisite timing, and inner strength, helping folks rise above tough times if they’re open to it. Coach Schumpert epitomized that person whose qualities opened the door to Grace in my life and in the lives of so many others. May he rest in peace with a legacy of giving that very few humans have ever achieved.
Coach, you left a big hole, but your spirit’s still coaching us all.
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