J Karl Raschke played offensive and defensive line for the Waves football team, as well as a Post for the basketball team, and was a member of the very first MHS baseball team. J Karl was a 3-sport letterman, something you don’t see much anymore, and made his presence known in each sport. J Karl could open up running lanes for running backs on the grid iron, set teeth-jarring screens (or tooth-jarring if playing Greenback) on the basketball court, and go yard on the baseball diamond.
The “Where Are They Now” interview consists of 2 parts: (1) Where are they now and (2) a Q&A.
Section I: J Karl Raschke, Where Are You Now?
Well I am currently living in Hooterville, otherwise known as Ooltewah, TN. Home to the soon to be famous Ooltewah Owls. We have lived here a little over a year and love the area. They say that I have a million dollar family but I think the hospital kept that money because I haven’t seen a dime. Seriously I have been married to a beautiful woman, April Raschke, for six years and have two wonderful children, Jadyn and Miller. I am still working for Mountain View Ford in Chattanooga and am destined to be there forever…I think. April is a flourishing real estate agent and has just recruited me as her assistant. Now I have two full time jobs so if anyone needs a car or house we are the family to see.
I know this all sounds very exciting and the readers are glued to the screen, but hey, a married guy with two kids and two jobs doesn’t leave a lot of time for hobbies. All kidding aside I love it here in Hooterville and I am very blessed to be surrounded by my wonderful family. I am also excited to hear of the SORSN because it is so hard to keep up with everyone from home and I think this will be a means for all of the alumni to stay in touch.
Section II: Q & A
SORSN: It has been reported that you were once nicknamed Turbo. Can you tell us how this nickname came about?
J Karl: That report unfortunately is true. If I’m not mistaken I believe that nickname actually started during a game between the Mighty Green Wave and the Vonore Blue Devils. I was on first base after a massive grounder that only netted me one bag. And much to my surprise I was given the all clear signal to steal second base. I’m sure you are aware that this came as quite a treat for me as I have cat like quickness and am a rocket off the line. I don’t know who was more shocked, me and the fact that I actually stole a base, or the pitcher, who allowed a 275lb lineman to take 2nd bag from him. Needless to say by the time I finally came in for the score, I was branded with the infamous nick name “TURBO”, which has become a household name.
SORSN: You were a member of the very first MHS baseball team, a team defined by the ravishing yellow, green, and white baseball hats. Tell us about some of your memories of being a part of Midways first baseball team and how you think you looked in the yellow, green and white. Has your wife ever seen a picture of you in this uniform?
J Karl: Oh I could tell you that we were the only team that had to actually build our own field in order to play. Or I could tell you that the opposing team’s fans had to sit on pine stumps in order to enjoy the game. And possibly even dazzle you with stories of the massive swamp out in right center that attracted every fly ball hit. My most treasured moment of Midway High School baseball is when one Bryan “Dumas” Walker, after taking a thumping by Knox Webb and being unmercifully heckled about our field, took up the trusty Easton bat and proceeded to walk out on to the field and tell the opposing teams parents to “line up on the field for an A** Whoopin’.”
I’m not sure where the Yellow came from, but I believe they made the hats out of the old basketball uniforms the school made us wear that were from 1974.
What are you kidding, everyone knows that when you tell your parents that this might be the one that you marry, the first thing they do is go and get the photo album with every gorky school picture.
SORSN: Now the finance guru at Mountain View Ford in Chattanooga, you were once the guy that the salesman went to see when they said they need to go see their guy. Can you tell us the role of “the guy”? Can you tell us why he has to sit in an elevated platform like a modern day “Buddha”? Can you give us an insight to this sales tactic? Does “the guy” have to go see another “guy” when he buys a new car?
J Karl: The “guy” is actually a fictional character made of pixy dust, rubber bands, and leftover sausage balls. When you are the “guy” at a dealership that just means that the salesman has to come to you and tell you the newest joke he just heard and have time to answer the nagging wife on the cell phone to find out when he’s coming home, while you sit and toil about the thousands of dollars about to fly out of your pocket. It’s all very scientific.
The “tower” is all part of the illusion. If you the customer see your salesman walk up to this massive tower and seek the advice of the great one, then you in turn are convinced that you have received the best deal. I mean let’s face it, if your salesman ran to a short fat guy sitting in the corner of the showroom behind a $20 dollar desk from big lots you would feel that he’s not the “guy” and that there may indeed be another “guy” that makes the best deals. We could never allow that kind of confusion and frustration for our customers. It’s all very matter of fact, and such and so forth. You know.
The sales tactic is simple, if you can make the customer like you, there’s an 80% chance that they will buy from you.
Unfortunately yes, the “guy” does go and see another “guy”. It seems that people that work at the dealership don’t like for the dealership to make money on them. It’s a common disease. People are constantly trying to beat the system to avoid paying any profit.
SORSN: You played football for UTC before injuring your back. Tell us about your time playing for the Mocs and the injury that ended your football career? Please describe playing conditions at Chamberlin Field. Did you ever mix it up with Terrell Owens? Teach him any touchdown celebrations? Score a touchdown and whip a Sharpie out of your sock?
J Karl: The time play for the Mocs was one of the best times of my life. Sure we didn’t win all the time, but it paid for school and a got a good education, and had a ton of fun. Much like high school ball, the best thing you take away from the whole experience is the friendships and memories.
Playing at Chamberlin Field is quite unique. Only Division 1 AA field that slants up in the corner of the north end zone. Smallest locker rooms in the world. Not to mention the awesome sky boxes …. HAH! But we did beat Marshall when they were #1 in the nation, so not to shabby.
Funny fact about Terrell. Terrell didn’t have a car in college so we all got to take turns driving him to the Buddy Green Show after each week’s game. But during our time there he was just one of the guys. I thought that I was extremely fortunate to walk on then receive a scholarship, but he was the real Cinderella story. The only reason that he made it to college is because of his best friend Derrick Hall. Derrick had a full scholarship to UTC but worked out a partial scholarship for his friend Terrell Owens to get him out of their home town. I doubt that story ever winds up in Sports Illustrated. Who Knew?
A lot of people don’t like some of his antics on Sundays, but he has fun, he has earned it, and for the kind of money he gets paid, come on!!!
SORSN: What do you miss about South of the River? Do you stay in touch with “Ziggy”, “Hick”, and “Dumas”? Tell us about growing up near Anglers Cove. Any problems from a former neighbor (Mike Hayes)?
J Karl: Like anyone else, you always have a spot in your heart for home. I defiantly miss being on the water and being able to go fishing anytime I want. I miss the closeness of the community that I had at home. I miss my friends from school, but we try to stay in touch. We had our ten year in ’03 so I got to see several people that I hadn’t seen since graduation. That was fun.
I talk to Ziggy from time to time, usually around the holidays. I talk to Dumas the most, got to keep up with the new hall monitor for the ol’ High School. Anyone else out there just thinks “WOW” about Dumas being a cop? I mean I could tell you some stories ……..
The Cove was cool. Ziggy had a boat so we spent a lot of time running the water. Dumas used to live in the cove when I first met him at the ripe age of 3. So we had some good times there.
Coach Hayes, to my knowledge, never really had a problem with me. I left him pretty well alone. I’m sure I got pinned for a lot of the episodes that occurred at his house, because of proximity, but I never messed with him.
SORSN: Rumorville has it that you live in a $100 Billion Dollar home on the lake. What is the square footage of your home and would you be willing to adopt the staff at SORSN? Would Mountain View Ford like to become a sponsor to SORSN? Do you know how much formula and diapers cost? On a related note, did you know the editor and owner of SORSN is about to become a father? Did you also know the SORSN designer is about to have another baby?
J Karl: I got it as a hand-me-down from Bill Gates, we’re big buddies. I don’t know how that rumor got started; no one from SOR will come to visit. I would gladly build your staff a wing on my house for part of the take of the SORSN IPO.
Sponsorship? Maybe……
Diapers and formula will cost you your marriage if you run out of either. In the famous words of my father “you do know what’s causing that don’t you.” Congratulations to both, they are a precious gift.
SORSN: Tell us about some of your memories that define playing football for Coach Stan Branson & Glen Wheaton, basketball for Darrell Ruffner, and baseball for Chip Strickland.
J Karl: The thing that sticks with me the most about Coach Branson is that when I wanted to play college ball with no hope for a scholarship he pushed me to take the chance and walk-on. I’m glad I listened.
Who could forget about the famous “Coach Weaton Dance”. The man should have a million career yards by now as many plays as he’s acted out on the side lines.
My favorite thing about Coach Ruffner is “INTENSITY”. If you can’t get intense with him as a coach you have no soul. Keep up the intensity coach.
With Coach Strickland it was hard to get in the limelight with Preston Moore and Michael Rose around. My baseball memories are from Coach Hirt. I mean “HELLS BELLS GUYS” come on.
SORSN: And lastly, do you still have the 2-toned, blue, Ford Escort hatchback?
J Karl: Unfortunately, like this interview, it came to an end. But they say on cold and foggy Friday nights in October you can still see its ghost at the “Pits” in Kingston.