Making the Case for Central’s Greatest Football Fan: Charlie Miller

By Elva Jo Crawford
    For decades, Charlie Miller, or "Charlie Boy" as most people know him, has been a fixture at Central High School Football games.  His unfailing confidence in and love for each year's team is certainly unsurpassed.  No matter how far ahead a Wildcat team is winning or how far behind they are losing to their opponent, Charlie is on the sidelines expecting to see certain victory ahead for them.  "Get  'Um Wildcats!!!!!!"   "Central's Gonna Win!!" are just a few of his encouraging cheers to the team throughout the game.  Besides celebrating Christmas, there is no bigger event for Charlie than being in Wildcat Stadium on football Friday nights.
    His room at home is an extention of his love for the team – wall to wall memorabilia.  He has scrapbooks filled with newspaper clippings, old letterman jackets, caps… you name it.  One of his most prized possessions is a Central jersey that was made especially for him many years ago by Darby James, Jr.  when Darby had a sports shop.  It is not an actual Central team jersey; but, it is a replica made especially for Charlie in maroon and white with the number "83" on it –  the number that belonged to Gaynell Whittington when he played on Central's 1966 State Championship team.  Charlie says Gaynell was THE BEST Central football player of ALL time! (And don't try taking that jersey, no matter how worn out it gets.)    Charlie also proudly and happily retains bragging rights for relatives of his who have played ball at Central.  His cousins, the McClures, played at Central and one of them went on to play professionally in the NFL.  Two of his brothers-in-law played football at Central and then at the college level.  Sue Ellen's husband, Danny Watkins, played at Central and then at Mississippi College.  Lynette's husband, Paul Long, played at Central and then at Louisiana Tech.
    Charlie's sisters say they have learned so much from Charlie.  Just watching his spirit of joy and faith in his team and his innocent child-like friendliness and trust – it's like getting a spiritual lesson in how to live the Christian life.  
    Sometime in Charlie's early childhood it became evident that he had a disability. By the time he was four or five years old he was not meeting developmental milestones, so his family made adjustments and tried many different schools and programs both in Baton Rouge and Alexandria,  to give him the best chances for happiness and success in his life.  The cause of his disability has never been pinpointed, and  we will likely never know what or how something happened to cause it.  Though the "Why?" questions will always be there till the Lord comes, they all say they cannot imagine life without Charlie.  Since Charlie's parents have both passed away, his three sisters, along with their spouses and their extended families of children and grandchildren, share in the responsibilities that come with looking after him – all contributing.  The sisters have made a pact between themselves that they will always care for him.
    Charlie's dad, Laurie,  died in 1962 from bone cancer at the age of 37.  In the 1950's Laurie had moved his family, which at that time consisted of himself, his wife Alice and their two oldest children, Carol and Charlie, to Louisiana College in Alexandria to pursue a degree in Bible and Accounting.  He had hopes of one day becoming a hospital administrator.  The two youngest children, Sue Ellen and Lynette, were born while the family was still in school in Alexandria, living in student housing.  Laurie worked at Baptist Hospital in Alexandria while going to college and graduated from Louisiana College in 1957.  During his senior year he found a mass growing on his upper arm which turned out to be cancer.  Even after a surgery that was thought to be curative, the cancer came back and Laurie died in 1962 after moving back to Baton Rouge.   Charlie was 14 and Lynette was 7.   After his dad passed away,  Charlie continued to be cared for by his mother, Alice, until her passing in 2004 at the age of 80 from a stroke.  
    Today, Charlie, who turned 67 this year, is active, happy  and healthy.  For many years he has been a part of the Sheltered Workshop of Baton Rouge, with his favorite jobs being in the department that packs and loads wooden surveying stakes, doing great work there.  He also likes to spend lots of time listening to Southern Gospel Quartet music. He loves going to church and always has a great time fishing.
    With Christmas right around the corner, the sisters reflect on him and say they do not know what they would do without Charlie for Christmas.  Their family has so many wonderful memories of him making the holidays bright and blessed.  One year they had put a sign in the front yard that said "Sleigh Parking" for Santa.  When one of the neighborhood dogs left a deposit of "you know what" by the sign, Charlie was sure to let them know that the pile was from the reindeer that had been there the night before.  And, since their house does not have a chimney for Santa, Charlie has a "magical" key that he leaves outside so that Santa can get in.  He has thought of everything – including leaving cookies and milk AND a Coke for Santa, along with his wish list. 
    Going out of the gates of Wildcat Stadium the Friday after a three point loss to Live Oak, Charlie yelled, "WE GONNA GET 'EM NEXT YEAR, WILDCATS!"  We're hoping so with you, Charlie!  We're hoping so.