KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — David Wininger hasn't missed a Central High School football game since 1982. He has spent 43 years helping out on the sidelines as the Bobcat's ball boy.
Wininger started the job as a Central High School student and was eager to be as close to the action as possible.
"I wanted to play football, but it didn't work out, so I thought the next best thing was to help out," said Wininger.
There is a lot that goes into the job. Wininger runs up and down the field, replacing loose balls having to pay full attention to every play. He's made a name for himself over the years.
"When the umpires get here, they are like, 'Don't worry about Central's ball boy. He's got it under control,'" he said.
Wininger has worked with six Central High School head coaches and over 40 quarterbacks, including former Central standout Todd Helton. But his favorite memory happened more recently.
"Two back-to-back state championships was probably the best of being here at Central High School," said Wininger.
However that same year, in 2018, Wininger also received some of the most challenging news of his life. His mom had died right before the start of the school's championship season.
"The day that we won the state championship, I wanted to call her, but I remember thinking, 'She's not here now,'" he said.,
Wininger's dad and brother also passed away within the last 11 years. He said it never gets easier without them. But Friday nights are his distraction, and he finds comfort in the community around him.
"It's somewhere to go when you don't have anybody," said Wininger. "I can go down on Friday nights, be around the coaches and players, and just get ready to do my job; it's like any other thing."
Central High School is lucky to have someone like Wininger around, and he is just as thankful to have not only a cool job but also an escape during hard times.
"I've been blessed to be here; it's probably one of the best jobs you can have," said Wininger.