We will get there. Majors, a College Football Hall of Famer, died Wednesday at the age of 85. He spent four years as a Mississippi State coach in the 1960s. Majors was the coach of the Mississippi State’s defensive backs, which was one of the most successful State staffs ever. Paul Davis was also the head coach. Bill Dooley (North Carolina’s future College Hall of Fame coach) and Ken Donahue (Alabama’s right-hand man for Bear Bryant) were also on Davis’s team. (Davis later became one of Pat Dye’s right-hand men at Auburn. John Correro, a former player under Majors and who later helped Majors coach the 1963 staff, says that a team can win many football games with coaches like these. The ’63 team won. State beat Auburn, Tennessee, and LSU. The match ended in a tie with Florida and Ole Miss. The only loss in the SEC was by one point to an Alabama team, which would defeat Ole Miss at the Sugar Bowl. State defeated North Carolina State in the Liberty Bowl (16-12). Majors’ final game at Mississippi State was that 16-12 victory in the Liberty Bowl (then played at Philadelphia). Templeton said, “I was just young’un, but I could tell this was Johnny Majors: He wasn’t a player from Day One.” Correro says that “You could even tell way back then that Majors would be a head coach. And a big winner.” Majors was that. His 1976 Pitt team was 12-0 and won the national championship. His Tennessee teams won three Southeastern Conference titles. Donahue was one of the greatest college football defensive minds. He and Donahue reunited at Tennessee. Donahue’s defense kept the Vols’ seven previous opponents to only four touchdowns in 1985. In the Sugar Bowl, Tennessee defeated one of Jimmy Johnson’s most talented Miami teams by 35-7. Majors’ history will be familiar to avid college football fans. Majors was an avid reader, something many may not be aware of. Morris was one of his favorite writers. He wrote “North Toward Home,” and “The Courting of Marcus Dupree,” as well as “Good Ol’ Boy” and other works. Majors and Morris often corresponded by mail, with Majors writing a fan letter to Morris about Morris’s appreciation for the Dupree book. They never got to meet until JoAnne Morris (Willie’s wife) invited Majors for Willie’s 60th birthday celebration in Jackson, 1994. Majors, who was in Pittsburgh at that time, accepted the invitation and flew to Jackson to attend the party of someone he’d never met. Trust me, you should have been there. The party started at Hal and Mal’s, and then moved to the Morris house in the early hours. Around the grand piano at 4:45 a.m., there were still four people. Majors, Morris, Fish Michie (keyboard player for the legendary Tangents), and me. Michie was still playing as brilliantly as ever. Morris and Majors sang. I wish there were a tape. Michie, who lives in Nashville now, says that the two of them must’ve asked me to play ‘I’ll Be Seeing You’ at least 20 times. Majors and Morris both sang along. This report is required because of journalistic integrity: None of them sounded even remotely like Sinatra. This was the beginning of a Morris/Majors friendship, which lasted until Morris’ death in 1999. Majors was actually at Willie’s again on the evening of Sept. 8, 1998. I was there, too. As Roger Maris broke the Major League Single Season Home Run Record, we all watched as Mark McGwire’s home run was launched. Majors said that McGwire, a muscular man, entered the batter’s box and filled the four-by-6 rectangle with his pitch. It was a moment. Majors was last seen at a Starkville Quarterback Club meeting in December. Majors was there to hear me speak that night. It was a strange juxtaposition for me. I introduced Johnny, and told the crowd that they would have more fun if Majors was there. Over beverages, Majors took the stage and proved me right.