|
McCartha Pleasants, a lifetime Caroline County resident, will be inducted into the American Football Association Hall of Fame tomorrow. |
Every winter, Virginia Ravens football coach Hal Lockhart gets the same worried calls from players struggling with a decision to suit up again next season.
"Is Tall coming back?" they ask.
Lockhart's answer often determines the player's fate. And so far, its been a resounding "Yes!" every time.
McCartha "Too Tall" Pleasants, a 45-year-old lifetime Caroline County resident, has played semipro football for 26 years.
For 16 of those years, he's been a Raven.
Tomorrow, Pleasants will be inducted into the American Football Association Hall of Fame in Sarasota, Fla.
His name will be enshrined alongside such greats as former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas and San Diego Chargers general manager A.J. Smith.
But while such an honor is usually the culmination of a career, Pleasants has no plans of slowing down.
Especially not after the 6-foot-3, 261-pound defensive end recorded 18 sacks and helped lead the Ravens to their first ever Eastern Football Alliance championship this past season.
"I've got to play again next year," he said. "When you win it all, you've got to come back and defend the title."
Pleasants said he'll play for a couple more years, but he "won't get crazy about it."
His durability alone may have been enough to get him into the AFA Hall of Fame.
But since Pleasants joined the Ravens in 1988, he's been selected to the Mason Dixon Football League's all-star game every season.
He's been named to the league's first-team 15 of those 16 years.
He holds career league records in sacks (365), tackles and tackles for a loss.
Lockhart attributes Pleasants' durability to a healthy lifestyle and "good genes."
"He doesn't smoke and he doesn't drink," Lockhart said. "And he keeps decent hours. He's a very clean-living man."
Pleasants spends his time in the offseason staying in shape. He works out to keep his stamina high, but said he's "not trying to be the Hulk."
He's grooming his 10-year-old son, McCartha Stevens, to be a standout player, as well.
Little McCartha already stands 6-foot and weighs 251 pounds.
"He's up to my chin," Pleasants said. "He weighed too much to play [in Caroline] so I've got him playing in Ashland."
Pleasants was a standout defensive lineman for Bowling Green High School, where he earned his nickname because he played like Dallas defensive end Ed "Too Tall" Jones.
He helped lead the Mustangs to the 1975 Group A state title game, where they lost to Clintwood 10-7.
Pleasants didn't get any scholarship offers, so the following year he decided to play for the Fredericksburg Rebels, a former area semipro team.
The Rebels went defunct in the early 1980s, and Pleasants signed on with the Fredericksburg Firebirds. After they folded, he moved on to the Ravens, who are based in Richmond.
That's where Pleasants became an MDFL legend.
New teammates call him Mr. Tall. Opponents have to respect him.
Rep Lampman, an offensive tackle for the Central Virginia Storm, has battled Pleasants for the past 12 years.
He said all week before facing the Ravens, teammates razz him about the prospects of stopping Too Tall.
"They always say, 'You better not let Too Tall beat you,'" Lampman said. "But he's so fast off the ball, he's hard to stop. Everybody has respect for him. He's like [former NFL defensive end] Reggie White before he retired. He's a pillar of the league."
Pleasants has had just one significant injury in his career. In 1984, a broken ankle forced him to miss the final two regular season games and one playoff matchup.
Those are the only contests he's ever missed. He's played through pain and through long, tiring road trips.
Just a few years ago, Pleasants worked a double-shift between his government job in Springfield and a part-time post in Caroline.
Instead of going to sleep, he drove to Jacksonville, N.C. for the MDFL all-star game, where he played offense, defense and special teams.
Because of a steady rainfall, Pleasants developed blisters the size of quarters on both big toes, but he continued to play.
"That's that old-school football mentality," Pleasants said. "You're supposed to play through anything."
Added Lockhart: "That just shows that he's very loyal and courageous. And those are two qualities you want in any human being."
Pleasants has told Lockhart that he won't retire until the 69-year-old coach does. He said the two have a "father-son" relationship.
Lockhart, who coached at Louisa High School from 1971 to '82 said he plans to continue until his health fails.
While Pleasants may or may not play that long, one thing is for sure: when he does step down, a slew of teammates could go with him.
"When the players call me, 90 percent, always ask 'Is Tall coming back?'" Lockhart said. "I've always been able to say 'Yes,' but I'm dreading the day when I have to say 'No.'"
To reach TAFT COGHILL JR.: 540/374-5526 tcoghill@freelancestar.com
