His name was Tillman Craft, and he came from a broken home in one of the poorer sections of Lexington County….

At the age of ten, his parents split up and went their own separate ways. The father not only beat on his mom but also his brothers and sisters. The old man drank too much and laid out at all hours. The mother had eight children to parent, and she was doing it all on her own. Sooner or later she would break-- and finally did.

The family came from poverty. Some called them "rednecks" and others referred to them as "lint-heads" because they worked in factories. A redneck would rather fight than compromise. Selfish and greedy people often deny their young to provide for themselves.

A high school teacher and coach had the chance to meet young Tillman, who was only in the fifth grade. He quietly took him under his wing. He couldn't legally adopt the child so he did the next best thing; he raised the boy without anyone's knowledge.

People would see young Tillman in the gym every afternoon. He was always the last one there because his job was to sweep and clean the gym after the kids got through practicing or playing for the day. What no one knew was the gym also was Tillman's home, thanks to the coach who took him in.

The coach knew he was breaking the rules to help a youngster who would surely have ended up on the wrong side of the law. He would have put him up in his own home if he only had the room, but the coach and his wife had children of their own. They fed and clothed Tillman and made sure the child got medical and dental attention, clean clothes, plenty of food and as much care as a surrogate parent could provide… but that's not the story here.

Two years later, the authorities caught Tillman sleeping in the gym and disciplined the coach and kicked the boy out onto the streets. It was after all, against the rules. The coach found vacant room over a law office across the street from the gym. He paid his rent and made sure Tillman got breakfast and supper. Lunch was served at school, for which the coach also paid. He took him to doctors; he took him to church; he took him to games. He was, in fact, the boy's father in every sense of the word… but that's not the story here.

By the time he was in high school, the boy had developed into quite an athlete and was also an excellent student. He was an all-state player and lettered in three sports.

After high school, he enrolled at the University of South Carolina, where he studied law enforcement. He graduated with honors from USC-- the first in his family to go to college. He entered the US Army, where he served his country and also excelled as an athlete… but that's not the story here.

He completed his military obligation and returned to USC, where he entered law school, earning his Juris Doctorate.

Upon graduation, he entered the FBI and became a highly successful agent for some three decades, climbing to the upper echelon among J. Edgar's finest' before finally retiring to private life.

He left the Bureau and opened his own security firm in Houston, Texas. Among his clients were the Houston Rockets and the Houston Astros…. but that's not the story here either.

He went on to purchase an oil company and has enjoyed success in business as well….but that's not the story here either.

No, the story here is simply this: I wonder which side of the law that a homeless fifth grade child would have ended up on were it not for the love and the care of his mentor… Coach J. W. Ingram. And now you know story here!