News from October 2002:

Proctor inducted into Hall of Fame

By David Trinko
(Daily Sports Reporter)

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Glenn Proctor stood with his back against a wall, reflecting on his situation.

He'd been through 39 seasons as the Strasburg football coach, riding through the lows and the highs. Moments later, the crowd inside the banquet room at the DoubleTree Hotel would recognize him for all his accomplishments.

At a momentous occasion like this, decked out in a sharp blue suit with a brilliant red tie, he didn't regale old stories of games won and lost.

He simply wondered aloud how practice went for his Rams. For the first time in his career, he missed a practice for a reason other than a family funeral.

"That’s not surprising at all," said his son, Todd Proctor. "They practiced kind of long [Tuesday] because he knew he wasn't going to be there. But he's always thinking about football.'

The Virginia High School Hall of Fame rewarded that dedication Wednesday night, inducting Proctor with the 2002 class.

"I'm normally not at a loss for words," Proctor quipped. "I'm just not really an emotional kind of person. But I'm just so appreciative of these people taking the time and effort on something like this."

Proctor slowly chomped on a piece of gum as the announcer read the Rams' accomplishments during his tenure and pictures from his childhood appeared on a screen. Aside from the tie and suit jacket replacing his game gear, he looked no different than he does each Friday night, gazing at the opponent, looking for a weakness.

He received an oversized medal of honor. A plaque containing his name, picture and accomplishments -- plus those of the other seven administrators, coaches and athletes -- will now hang in the Virginia High School League’s offices near Charlottesville.

Proctor, who has led the Strasburg football program since 1964, had plenty of friends and family nearby. More than a dozen friends made the nearly two-hour trek to Charlottesville from Strasburg to share the evening. Purple jackets, purple turtlenecks and purple ties stood out in the crowd.

Among Proctor's guests were his wife, Sarah Lee, and sons Todd and Nick. Nick, his youngest son, flew in from Michigan to share the moment.

"We're probably more excited about this than he is," Nick Proctor said.

The coach of Friday's opponent, Madison County's Eddie Dean, came to the event to support his longtime friend. Dean, a member of the Hall of Fame's Class of 1995, clearly recalled the first time he saw Proctor coach, when the teams faced off in a scrimmage in 1968.

"We first got a chance to go at each other in that scrimmage," Dean said. "It was pretty obvious he was very good at what he does even then. You knew he had the right perspective: The important thing is the young people, not the wins or the losses or the records."

In his 39 seasons, Proctor has led the Rams to 12 district titles, seven regional titles and four state championship appearances. The Virginia High School Coaches Association football coach of the year in 1998 and 2001, Proctor led the Rams to five undefeated regular seasons. But Todd Proctor worried the one hole in the impressive resume might hurt his father's potential for induction.

"I thought this might never happen, since he hadn't won a state championship yet," he said. "But they're recognizing a very good person, a very good coach and a very good father."

Proctor said little had changed in his long tenure as coach. He admitted he still got nervous before games. As he neared his 40th year of coaching, retirement didn’t seem like a serious prospect yet.

"I still have a lot of enthusiasm for coaching," he said. "I get a real charge out of being the football coach at Strasburg High School. Call it the fire in the belly or whatever. I still really enjoy what I'm doing."