This year’s Pat Gerald Memorial Legacy Award recipient is the ESTES FAMILY. Their legacy began with Bob, who was a star running back on Abilene High’s first football team to reach the state championship game in 1922. His son Tommy played football and basketball at AHS and became a basketball coach at Cooper, Abilene High, Graham and McMurry. He coached the McMurry men’s golf team to four conference championships from 1977-81 and was an assistant basketball coach at McMurry on three straight conference championship teams from 1979-81. He then moved to Cooper where he led the Cougars to three 5A state golf championships in 1982, ’83 and ’84. Those teams were led by his son Bob, who is a member of the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame. An all-American at the University of Texas, Bob is a 4-time winner on the PGA Tour and is currently playing on the PGA’s Champions Tour. Tommy’s youngest son Jay played basketball and baseball at Cooper. He was a starting outfielder on Cooper’s 1987 state championship baseball team.
