My Three Sons

In Bill Mallory’s Bloomington, Ind., office, there is a picture hanging on the wall of the former coach celebrating on top of his team’s shoulders. Like all good pictures, there’s a story behind this one, and it reflects what family and football is all about. In 1987, Mallory, in his fourth year as head football coach at Indiana, had his team off to a 5-1 start, and with wins over Ohio State, Northwestern and Minnesota, it was the Hoosiers sitting atop the Big Ten, awaiting a visit from mighty Michigan. Indiana had not beaten the Wolverines in 20 years, and Mallory’s teams had been outscored 96-21 in their three losses to Bo Schembechler’s squads. Memorial Stadium was packed with Hoosier fans on that October day. The Mallory family was in attendance: Wife Ellie rooting for her husband as always, and the couple’s youngest son, Curt, a high school senior, was in the stands