SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. – You could scour the stadium of any game involving South Pittsburg’s football team and be hard-pressed to find a more loyal supporter than Danny Skyles.
You’d have to search a lot farther to find a father more devoted to his son than Danny’s dad, James.
Reclined in a specially designed wheelchair just behind the Pirates’ sideline, Danny Skyles is as recognizable at games as the orange power “P” that appears on everything from the team’s helmets to car tags and store fronts.
Born with cerebral palsy, Danny, 41, has never been able to care for himself physically. However, the condition has not stopped his cheerful outlook or the enjoyment he gets from being a fixture at games. Listeners may have to concentrate a little harder to take in every word, but Danny’s excitement at games is obvious.
“I like getting to see all the people at the games,” Danny said. “They like seeing me, too. I get real excited and I like yelling at the referees.
“When we score, I tell people I told Coach [Vic] Grider to run that play.”
Shortly after he was born, one doctor told Danny’s parents that he would be a burden to them for the rest of their lives. He spent more than a month in the hospital before the family could bring him home.
“We didn’t listen to what the doctors said,” James Skyles said. “He’s never been a burden to us, not for a minute. We never gave it a second thought and just treated him like we did our other kids. He played with the other kids and we all just went on like normal, as best we could.”
Danny’s brothers, Jamey and Michael, played football at South Pittsburg in the 1980s. Jamey’s son Trey played for the Pirates until his junior season, transferring to Signal Mountain last year.
“I liked watching my brothers play,” Danny said. “I wish I could have played.”
His mother, Mary, stayed home to take care of him until she died after a two-year battle with cancer. Shortly after that, James retired early from Lodge Manufacturing and took over as Danny’s primary caregiver.
“His mother took real good care of him until she died,” James said.
As his father spoke, Danny added, “I miss her a lot.”
Most days James helps Danny make his rounds through town by pushing his wheelchair to local businesses like Hammer’s clothing store or Harvey’s Pirate Drive-In or the Dixie Freeze restaurant. At each stop Danny is the center of attention, wearing an ear-to-ear grin and calling out to folks he knows. He often coaxes his dad to stop by football practice to watch the Pirates, and on Friday nights the two typically arrive at games two hours before kickoff.
“It just wouldn’t be the same on Fridays if I looked down along that wall and didn’t see Danny in his usual spot,” Grider said. “Danny is such a testament to courage. You never see him in a bad mood even though he’s been dealt a pretty tough hand. It makes you stop and ask yourself if you would be the same if it were you facing that kind of battle.
“I have so much respect for that family and especially his father. It’s so impressive to watch the way he shows love for his son. He’s so patient and caring and will do anything in his power to make sure Danny gets to do what he wants to do, even thought that’s not an easy situation. You won’t find a better man than James Skyles.”
Danny has made trips as far away as three-plus hours to Cloudland, Celina and Oneida. He was there, bundled in a sleeping bag and layers of blankets, two years ago at Trousdale County when the game-time temperature flirted with single digits.
Despite temperatures expected to dip below the freezing mark again Friday, Danny and James plan to be on the home sideline, supporting the Pirates in their Class 1A semifinal against Coalfield.
“I remember walking out of the locker room at Trousdale and it was about 15 degrees and about as brutal and extreme as any conditions we’ve played in, and I looked over at our side and saw James and Danny right there,” Grider said. “That put in perspective just how much this football program means to so many people that they were willing to travel that far and wait in those conditions to support us.
“Those are the kind of people that makes us put in the extra time as coaches and players to be successful. The kids play harder knowing we have so many in this community that live for our games, and Danny is a great example of those people.”