The Most Interesting Man in the World lives in Pampa

In my recent travels, I've met The Most Interesting Man in the World.

He's not Latin, he doesn't have a mustache and beard and he doesn't prefer Dos XX. But he does wear a Cowboy hat, and he lives in Pampa, Texas.

Buddy Cockrell is a 75-year-old retired pro football player and ProRodeo cowboy who was born and still lives in Pampa. He's going to officially become the 150th member of the Texas Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday for his athletic efforts, so I made my way up to Pampa on Saturday to talk to him and take some photos.

I had no idea that I was about to meet a person who's lived enough in 75 years to fill the memories of 50 normal men.

He did some cool stuff in his athletic career, much of which will be covered in my story that runs Friday. But what struck me were the things he's done and the places he's been as a businessman.

Cockrell (left) and I spent about an hour talking and shooting photos in his beautiful home on a plot of land east of Pampa. During that time we discussed playing for the New York Titans (now the Jets) and winning PRCA events.

And while all that was interesting, his trips to Australia and other countries was more fascinating.

He told me about traveling to Australia to buy airplanes from the Australian government.

Then came my natural question: Why were you trying to by planes from Australia?


"Trading," Cockrell said. "I made 90 percent of my money trading things. I'll trade for anything that's legal."

But Australia didn't work out a deal with Cockrell. Instead, he spent five months putting together a ranch Down Under, which he sold seven years later in 1987.

Then there was the story about his ranch in Brazil. He owned a large one for a while, until the Brazilian government passed a law that no foreigner could own more than 49 percent of a company.

"I didn't want to get mixed up in any part of that," Cockrell said.

He's also owned a gold mine in Costa Rica, and other various ranches around the Midwest.

The people he's known is quite a list, too. Bud Wilkinson and Sammy Baugh were both coaches of his. He's known rodeo icons, politicians -- he once rode in Air Force One with President Ford -- and country music stars. Some even before they got famous, like a 16-year-old Reba McEntire.

There's not much Cockrell hasn't seen or done. If I get to do half of what he's done in his 75 years, I'll consider myself very, very lucky.

Heck, I feel lucky just to have spent an hour living vicariously through him.