Ulcerative Colitis

"I told Louie I didn't know if I could walk that far for the coin toss and he said, ëWell, I will just have to carry you if necessary.' It was one of those special moments, very spontaneous.

He was out there without pads on and he still looked three times as big as me.

Heck, he was three times as big as me.''Kelcher helped his frail teammate to midfield, a scene that sent a sellout crowd into a frenzy and later would be called by Gene Klein as the most stirring moment in his two decades as team owner."That was a special moment in my life,'' said Kelcher, who keeps on his office wall a picture capturing the scene.

"People still relate to that.

I'm just glad he's still alive and doing well.''Looking back on it, Benirschke says that day played an important part in the fact he is alive today, enjoying a productive life in San Diego."Louie was a great encouragement for me,'' Benirschke said.

"He made that day special.

You don't know how many times I remembered that as I was recovering and wanted to give up.

I would think about that day and keep going."That moment indelibly paired us.''Kelcher's ability to be so co...

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