Mainstream article about Terry Funk's relationship

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http://www.redraiders.com/stories/032303/wbb_032303016.shtml

 

 

Bond between Ayers, godfather unbreakable

 

By PATRICK GONZALES

Avalanche-Journal

 

Texas Tech's Jolee Ayers (33) has emerged as one of the Lady Raiders' toughest players during her three years with the squad. Ayers learned to be tough from her father John Ayers, a former NFL lineman, and her godfather, wrestler Terry Funk.

 

The first memories Jolee Ayers has of her godfather are those of amazement.

 

But then again, Terry Funk tends to have that affect on a lot of people.

 

Whether it's rolling around in barbed wire or getting smacked across the forehead with a chair, Funk has become one of most world-renowned hardcore wrestlers in the last 30 years.

 

The 58-year-old West Texas native, who still makes his home at the Double Cross Ranch in Canyon, has never been shy about sacrificing his body to give his fans their money's worth.

 

The same can be said about his relationship with Ayers, a junior guard on the Texas Tech women's basketball team.

 

Their story is united by friendship. Funk was best friends with Jolee's dad John, who died more than seven years ago. He has devoted himself as a caretaker for Jolee and her family ever since.

 

His support is immeasurable.

 

One might catch Funk with his guns up at a Lady Raiders game, including today when they face Southwest Missouri State at 6:05 p.m. in a first-round NCAA Tournament matchup. One might see him walking Jolee down the aisle at her wedding later this year, filled with so much pride you would think it was his own daughter.

 

Simply put, "Terrible" Terry Funk, considered by many as one of the most ferocious wrestlers alive, has finally found a hold he can't escape.

 

"You can never substitute a pop, and her dad was a good one, but I'm just trying to make the best of it," Funk said. "I wish I could say that I taught that kid everything she knows, but I didn't. She's just a great kid that I love dearly. It's easy to be a good godfather when you have a great goddaughter."

 

Keeping it simple

 

The secret behind Funk's and John Ayers' friendship was simple: The two country boys were one in the same.

 

It was like that from the beginning. Funk first met Ayers in the early 1970s through mutual friend Ted Dibiase, whose father Mike was considered one of wrestling's early pioneers. Funk played football for West Texas State University in Canyon from 1963-66 and helped get the younger Dibiase a football scholarship at the school about a decade later. Ted Dibiase, who would go on to make his own name in professional wrestling as the Million Dollar Man, would occasionally drop by the Double Cross Ranch near campus to visit Funk. One day he brought along fellow freshman football player John Ayers.

 

"He was just a big, goofy, lanky kid at the time, but we hit it off pretty quick," Funk said. "We were just a great deal alike. We both liked drinking beer and just driving around in the country. We both liked hunting, we both liked horses and we both liked dogs. We just both liked keeping life simple."

 

The bond became contagious as the years trekked on. Funk's wife of 36 years, Vicki, soon became best friends with Ayers' bride, Laurel.

 

Nothing changed when the kids came along, either. Funk and his wife became the godparents for both Jolee and her older brother John T., which brought the families even closer.

 

Late-night games of pinochle and spades soon became a weekly ritual.

 

"I just remember every time we went over there he would do crazy things to impress us ... or at least we thought they were crazy," Jolee Ayers said. "He would be eating an apple and then eat the core, just because we thought it was cool. He was always eating weird stuff just to impress us."

 

The families also spent holidays together. There was Christmas Eve, when they joined forces and spent the entire night singing along to carols before Funk did his annual reading of the Christmas story from the Bible.

 

The Fourth of July was even a bigger treat. After a day of relaxing, cooking and eating, Funk and popping firecrackers took center stage at nightfall.

 

"He would put a lot of cherry bombs in his belt and set them off at the same time, and we just thought he was so amazing because it never hurt him," Jolee said. "He would shoot bottle rockets out of his hand and just do all sorts of crazy stuff. There was never a dull moment when he was around."

 

Thing started to get dark, however, for both families in 1993 when John Ayers was diagnosed with cancer. He battled for two years before dying on Oct. 2, 1995.

 

Funk rarely left Ayers' side, and occasionally snuck his partner a pinch of snuff, even if it was prohibited.

 

"Terry's daughter was a hospice nurse and took care of my dad, so Terry was over there all the time," said Jolee, who was 13 when her father died. "He would give him anything he wanted. It was a tough time, but he tried to make it better for everybody."

 

'As close as you can get'

 

Making things better for Jolee and her family still serves as motivation for Funk.

 

Jolee went on to graduate from Canyon in 2000, as one of the best high school players in the state. She averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists and helped power Canyon to the Class 4A state championship. She was named the state tournament Most Valuable Player and named first-team all-state, before accepting a scholarship with Texas Tech.

 

Through it all, Funk gave his utmost support.

 

"Even before my dad passed away, I've always thought of Terry a my crazy uncle, who was always looking after me," Jolee, 20, said. "That was especially true after my dad passed away, because he was always there for my family and always came around to check on us. He'd just come around and do the dad things, like making sure your car was running OK. He was always supportive of what we did.

 

"A dad is irreplaceable, but he's as close as you can get."

 

Funk also is quick to point out that his role as godfather has been an easy one, thanks to the great job Jolee's parents did raising her. Especially when it came to basketball.

 

"I didn't teach her how to bounce a basketball, that's for sure damn sure, but I showed her a pretty good headlock," Funk jokes. "Jolee is such a great person with a great attitude about life itself. She is an intelligent lady and a great competitor. She loves the simple things in life, and there is nothing wrong with that."

 

And Funk said John Ayers had the same type of humility, even after he won two Super Bowls as a lineman with San Francisco in 1981 and 1984.

 

"He wasn't much of a bragger, he would just go out and play his tail off every day," Funk said. "I think a true leader of a team is the person to be followed, and John Ayers was a leader. You can't just go out there and say 'Hey guys follow me.'

 

"It's your actions that will do that. I thnk that is something Jolee inherited from her father."

 

The feeling is mutual. And when Ayers got engaged with Texas Tech track athlete Ryan Curry, she couldn't think of another person whom she wanted to walk her down the aisle. The wedding is set for Aug. 2 in Canyon.

 

Funk hopes his body will hold up by then, as he is feeling the effects of more than three decades of wrestling. He said he's retired about 20 times and just returned from a match in Japan about four weeks ago.

 

Funk doesn't have any cartilage left in his knees, but he plans on being there for Jolee on her wedding day even if he has to crawl down the aisle.

 

"Oh my gosh, what an honor," Funk said. "It just thrilled me to death when she asked me. I just hope it's the only time I walk her down the aisle."

 

Evoking memories

 

But the support comes in many other fashions.

 

Funk is a self-proclaimed Lady Raider fan and is excited about Tech's upcoming run in the NCAA tournament, which begins today. If the Lady Raiders are able to defeat Southwest Missouri State today, he will be back at the United Spirit Arena on Tuesday for the subregional championship.

 

Tech coach Marsha Sharp is thrilled to have one of the meanest wrestlers in the world on her bandwagon. Sharp, who grew up near Canyon in Tulia, can still remember watching Funk and his brother Dory when they were just beginning their wrestling careers.

 

She can definitely see some of Funk's toughness in the 6-foot-2 Jolee.

 

"Jolee is one of the most physical kids that I have ever coached," Sharp said. "She just has this mentality about her, that she's not going to let anybody drive in the paint without getting a little roughed up. She's probably our toughest defender. I'm sure Terry has shown her a few take-down moves."

 

Funk has also met several of Jolee's teammates, including Natalie Ritchie and Casey Jackson, who are all from the Amarillo area.

 

Ritchie remembers taking a camping trip with Jolee on Funk's ranch a while back and laughing for almost the entire trip.

 

"Terry is a blast and a really fun guy," Ritchie said. "I can see Terry as being the life of the party when he was younger. I know he's older, but I think he is still that type of guy. He wants to make sure that everybody in the room is having a good time.

 

"He's really proud of Jolee and watches over her just like a dad. I think that's pretty cool."

 

Funk would next like to take the role of wrestling manager for Jolee. He plans on training her after she finishes her basketball career and putting her in a wrestling ring.

 

Chyna, who has been one of the most famous women's wrestlers in the past few years, wouldn't have a chance against "Terrible" Jolee, Funk said.

 

Jolee just laughs at the idea.

 

"I can't wait to watch her beat the crap out of Chyna in a short period of time," Funk said. "I think she could do it. Chyna wouldn't know what would happen if Jolee got a hold of her. Jolee is a lot better looking, too."

 

But no matter what the future holds, the two will forever be etched together by John's memory.

 

When Funk is asked if he sees a lot of John in Jolee, he replies "You bet I do. She has everyone of his traits." He pauses, as to take a second to reminisce, lets out a chuckle and then adds "She's a great deal like her dad."

 

That's exactly why Jolee also enjoys spending time with Funk. He helps keep her dad's spirit alive. They don't spend as much time together since she started attending Tech, but they will occasionally talk on the phone. And when Jolee ever heads back north to visit, she always has to make a stop at the Double Cross Ranch.

 

She always leaves thinking her godfather is even more amazing than he was before.

 

"Terry and my dad were a lot alike — that's why they were best friends," Ayers said. "He talks about my dad a lot, and it's special to have that reminder. He brings out a lot of things that I love about my dad. He's a great man, and I couldn't have wished for a better godfather."

 

 

 

 

 

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