My life changed in the fall of 1964. I was an assistant junior varsity football
coach for TL Hanna High School in Anderson, South Carolina. One afternoon
at practice, fellow assistant coach Dennis Patterson and I noticed a young
man mimicking everything we did. He was an eighteen year old who could
not read, write, or speak. Coach Patterson and I befriended the young man
with the promise of snacks and sodas. This boy's love of music and his
transistor radio earned him the nickname "Radio," and the rest is history.
Radio, otherwise known as James Robert Kennedy, began helping out with
the team at practice and at both home and away games. Slowly, but surely, he
was accepted by the rest of the staff at Hanna and the community as a whole.
In the early 70's he started coming to the school and helping the coaches in
the gym. Coach Patterson took another job in a nearby town, and I went on to
become head track coach, head football coach and athletic director. Radio
continued to help with all of the athletic teams and was allowed to roam the
halls, delivering notes to teachers and even sitting in on some classes.
Radio was always with me on the sidelines and became loved by the entire
town.
In 1996, award winning magazine writer Gary Smith published an article about
the relationship between Radio and me. The article ran in Sports Illustrated
and was entitled "Someone to Lean On." This article introduced the world to
Anderson's favorite son.
I retired in 1999, but my relationship with Radio is as strong today as it has
ever been. I continue to take care of his needs, seeing him at home and at
school. We also take many trips together throughout the year, which Radio
looks forward to with great anticipation. Radio is still a fixture at TL Hanna.
He moves freely throughout the school handing out hugs and high fives. He
helps in the lunch room keeping students from "cutting the line," cleaning off
tables and taking out the trash. It is "my job," he says. He still travels with
and "coaches" the football team. Crowds from both TL Hanna and their
opponents adore Radio, and there isn't a moment when fans aren't yelling for
him: "Hey Radio, we love you. Come over here Radio." He waves, making
sure all of the fans see him, and then it's off for his signature cheer with the
cheerleaders.
One common bond we both share is a desire to help others through service.
Radio volunteers at the Jim Ed Rice Center for senior citizens and the Haven
of Rest (a mens shelter). He helps serve Thanksgiving dinner on
Thanksgiving Day. I am on the advisory board of the Salvation Army Boys and
Girls Club. I am also on the board of the Outdoor Dream Foundation, which is
a non-profit organization that sends terminally ill children on hunting, fishing
and other outdoor trips all over the world. At Christmas, Radio and I ring the
bell and collect money for the Salvation Army's red kettles.
Radio and I have learned so much from each other over the years. Recently
our story was depicted in the Revolution Studios' movie "Radio," a Columbia
Pictures release. Through the magic of Gary Smith, screenwriter Mike Rich,
director/producer Mike Tollin, actors Ed Harris and Cuba Gooding, Jr. and all
of the people at Revolution Studios and Columbia Pictures, sharing our story
with the world has been a truly blessed experience.
Thank you for visiting!
God Bless,
Coach Harold Jones
