Chuck Carree - Shrine trip makes all sorts of memories

Wed. December 14, 2011 at 1:57 p.m. | By Chuck Carree | StarNews Staff Writer

Forty-four years ago, Larry Tootoo represented Wilmington in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas.
But he had an inauspicious start.
He arrived to the annual football game in Charlotte by bus. As one of 11 children, Tootoo had no other transportation since his father was away on a ship for the Coast Guard.
Tootoo left early in the morning on the reporting date, but the Greyhound bus stopped at virtually every small town along the way.
By the time he checked into the hotel headquarters, his teammates were asleep.
He was a teenager away from home alone for the first time and considered this a once in a lifetime experience, staying in touch with teammates for years.
His roommate, Duke Clarke, who blossomed as a high school senior in Greenville, received a scholarship to East Carolina as a center.
Most of the North Carolina team played Division I football, and Tootoo became an all-conference and all-district, small-college player at in-state Catawba.
Yet, before his participation in the game, he had no idea the Shrine Bowl existed. His New Hanover High School coach, the late Jap Davis, had to explain the significance of being chosen.
"Then he told me to go there and make us proud,'' Tootoo said.
It was a daunting task for a 5-foot-11, 170-pound linebacker and the smallest player at his position.
The coach, Marvin Hoffman of Fayetteville, thought so little of Tootoo he had him hold the tackling dummy during the first workout.
Tootoo phoned home, letting his brothers know he was offended and couldn't wait for contact drills the next day, where he could prove he was a hard hitter, despite his size.
"Before the second practice was over, I was on the first team,'' he said.
When the game rolled around, Tootoo told himself to be aggressive. Before the game, the American Legion Memorial Stadium seemed spacious, yet he didn't seem astonished. If anything he appeared too charged up, incurring a penalty for a late hit to the chagrin of a defensive teammate.
"He told me to let up some,'' Tootoo said. "I was upset too over the late hit.''
Tootoo played the entire game, won by South Carolina 27-21.
In the waning minutes, an assistant coach urged him to remain close by, a signal of something memorable occurring.
Tootoo was chosen Defensive Player of the Game for North Carolina and received a large trophy.
He eventually coached for 37 years before retiring. But the Shrine Bowl still remains something special.
"As a high school player, the Shrine Bowl was the highlight for me,'' Tootoo said. "Those are memories I will always cherish.''

Staff writer Chuck Carree can be reached at 343-2262 or Chuck. Carree@StarNewsOnline.com.