Dublin mourns a local legend as Richard “Truck” Stevens, a Philadelphia Eagle, Baylor Bear and Dublin Lion died Saturday, Aug. 17, leaving a story that dreams can come true with enough passion and determination.
Richard was born in Dublin to Carl and Dorothy Nell Stevens. As a boy, he didn’t have to look any further than across the street for one of his greatest ambitions as the family lived across from the Dublin football stadium. Stevens would climb up to the roof on dark fall nights and picture the day when he could play on that field.
“Long before I enjoyed my own version of Friday Night Lights,” Stevens when interviewed by the Citizen in 2009, “I sat on the roof of my house, watched football games, and dreamed of glory days— of playing pro football.”
Richard attributed some of his athleticism to working for the roofing company owned by his father and uncle. The hard work kept him in shape year-round and the conditioning, along with practice, led to honors in several sports like All District and All Area distinctions in basketball and advancing to state in track.
As a member of the Dublin Lions football team, Stevens dominated the field during the mid 1960s, earning All State and Prep All America team honors. A 1966 graduate of Dublin High School, Stevens shared the field with John Turney, Eli Bell, Rodney Armstrong, Pinkie Swindle, Johnny Holtzinger, Roger Freeman, and Larry, Randy, and Phil Fletcher, some of whom went on to collegiate football careers of their own. Following his senior year at Dublin, Stevens was selected to play in the Coaches’ All Star game in Houston and the Big 33 game, held in Hershey, PA, that pitted the best prep football players in Texas against the best prep players in Pennsylvania.
A blue chip recruit, Stevens accepted a scholarship to play football at Baylor University, as he made plans with his high school sweetheart and future wife, Pat Thiebaud.
Stevens’ uncle Gordon Collon was a Baylor football letterman in 1942-46 so he attended Baylor games when he was growing up. “He was a tremendous influence,” Stevens said of his uncle. “I was always a pretty big guy, bigger than everybody in our class. So, when I started playing football in junior high, going into high school, I felt like there was some potential there. And I think my uncle recognized that, too, so he started recruiting me at an early age.” As a Baylor B e a r , Stevens earned All Southwest Conference and preseason All American honors and played in two post season games, the Hula Bowl in Hawaii and the Lions American Bowl in Florida.
Beyond the games, Stevens and his teammates formed a special bond off the field.
“My college teammates and my family forged a lasting relationship,” said Stevens. “Many of us married at the same time and our wives have been friends for decades. We have a camaraderie, a close-knit kinship that transcends what happened between first and ten and touchdowns and win-loss records.”
Stevens graduated from BaylorwithaBachelordegree in Business Administration, and was drafted into the National Football League by the Philadelphia Eagles as an offensive lineman.
“It was a milestone event in my life,” said Stevens. “Even though several teams contacted me before the draft, it was still a surprise when the Eagles drafted me.”
“Playing pro football was my childhood dream -- an unlikely dream for a player from a small town with one red light, a remote possibility for most players even from big-name universities,” said Stevens. “The odds definitely weren’t in my favor, so I consider every single moment of my pro career to be special. You can’t imagine the pressure of two-a-days workouts as a rookie or the fear as you wait for each roster cut. You can’t imagine the butterflies the first time I ran out onto the field for my first NFL game.”
“In reality,” Stevens said, “a [professional] player must be focused year round to be given the opportunity to play and they must stay in topnotch condition to prevent injuries. Players have to learn the team concept, even in defeat. Players have to work through the frustration and the pain associated with rebounding from career threatening injuries.”
This work behind the scenes allows the player to better understand their opponents’ strengths and weaknesses.
“Behind every dreamcome- true story,” said Stevens, “there has been a great deal of sacrifice, hard work, and dedication combined with a bit of good luck and being at the right place at the right time.”
Following his retirement from football, Stevens transitioned to a career in banking, working as a branch manager, regional manager, and, later, a district manager for Bank of America. Stevens would still get on the field from time to time—as a high school football referee.
Even after he hung up his helmet, Stevens continued to get honors. He was named to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine’s All Decade Team and honored at San Antonio’s Alamo Dome. He was also inducted into the Baylor University Hall of Fame in 2014.
Funeral arrangements are being made under the direction of Wiley Funeral Home of Granbury. Plans are reportedly to have a small family service in the coming days with a larger celebration of life open to the public at a later date. (More details will be shared when the obituary is available.)