Story by Madison Ford
Entertainment Editor
Video by Kara Allison
KCBY Staff Member
A life can change in an instant.
This was made clear to Coppell High School freshmen on Monday as they sat in attention as guest speaker John Patton told his story. A former Austin College football player, Patton was in his last semester of college and headed for law school when, on March 23, 2002, his whole world flipped upside down.
Coming home from a party, Patton rolled through a flashing red light only to collide with an oncoming car moments later. Two of the three people in the other car were injured; the third was flung from the vehicle and killed instantly. But this horrible accident was more than just an accident, because Patton was liable. His blood alcohol level was past the legal limit. This was no longer an accident; this was a drunk driving accident.
Suddenly, a typical American young man was no longer on the fast track to law school, but rather, he was on the fast track to prison. Neither his good legal standing nor his family connections could save him from this fate, and Patton went on to serve what was supposed to be a 15-year sentence.
Following his early release from prison, Patton decided that his story needed to be told, his message needed to be heard. This need to share his experience and the lessons he learned with America’s youth brought him to CHS.
“I’m here because I was in a drinking and driving accident that killed someone and injured two people in the other car, and therefore, I went to prison,” Patton said. “So I’m here to tell my story.”
CHS is not in the dark when in comes to the negative outcomes that come with irresponsible and underage drinking. Numerous anti-drinking and anti-drug campaigns have passed through these halls in various forms. However, Patton brings a unique perspective to the topic. He does not simply swear off drinking all together, but his purpose is to speak against drinking and driving.
“Anytime you have a fresh message, I think that has an impact,” teen leadership teacher Nicky Fryman said. “OK, this guys not saying never ever drink, you’re never going to do that, you’re going be a prude loser, or something like that. He is saying, if you make those choices, be really smart about never driving.”
This is not to say that Patton advocates underage drinking. In fact, he openly admits to his avoidance of alcohol due to the consequences it can bring.
“He also makes a comment that he has learned in his experiences that now he just can’t drink, because he doesn’t trust himself,” Fryman said. “If he drinks too much, and then were to drive, he would go to prison for the rest of his life. So I think he realizes too that, once you get into that state, it is so hard to say, oh yeah, I’ve had too much. Very few people are smart enough to be able to be that proactive. But I do think that that’s a fresh message. I know the kids have responded to that really well.”
The honesty and accessibility Patton possesses makes his speaking all the more powerful to his primarily teen audience.
“I thought he did a really good job connecting with us and everyone was listening to him,” sophomore Sierra Broadhead said. “He was really good at [not just saying] ‘Don’t do drugs, don’t drink’, but really good at [explaining] ‘This is going to happen, but you need to know that if you do that, these are the precautions of it.’ He was pretty much chill about the whole situation and just really informed us, not trying to have a sob story about everything. Really going in depth about what happened to [him], and not trying to say you’re a bad person if you do this, but just letting you know what he went through.”
Patton, now 33, but appears much younger, creates a youthful and relatable atmosphere when talking to the students. According to Fryman, this contributes greatly to the success of his program.
“He’s got a very youthful appearance, so that helps him,” Fryman said. “He just has that vibe, especially with the guys, he knows how to talk to guys in a room. My kids have told me time and time again they didn’t feel like he was condescending to them, he didn’t exaggerate, and yet he was very real with them, and he told them, this is what you’re going to expect.”
This youthful presence was one of the driving reasons, among others, Patton was inspired to visit high schools with his message.
“The fact that I look really young, and I just look like and average, everyday type guy, I figured students would be able to relate to me,” Patton said. “And hopefully they would hear my story and realize that drinking and driving affects all different types of people. And it’s very dangerous and the consequences are a lot of times more than anyone would want to handle or deal with.”
One possible consequence of drinking and driving is a possible prison sentence.
“He gave them all a very realistic view of what prison is like,” Fryman said. “In a way that was scary, but truthful at the same time.”
For some students, the realism of Patton’s experience hits close to home.
“My cousins just got in a drinking and driving accident of Easter weekend, so this whole thing has really made a lasting impact of how lucky they were and how lucky they were to still be here and not be injured,” freshman Rachel Donaldson said. “[The presentation left an impression] just to know never to make that decision because it really can impact your life a lot.
As the freshman exited the gym Monday, they were left with a tale that will perhaps affect the way they make decisions in the future.
“You think it’s not going to happen to you, and he was just a normal kid, he played football, all that stuff,” Broadhead said. “He had been doing that his whole entire life, drinking and driving, and he never got caught. And then one night he got caught. It can happen to anyone.”
