THOMASVILLE, Ga. — The world may know him as Gen. Lloyd Austin, but back in the late 60s and early 70s, he went by a different moniker.
“We all have nicknames,” said former Thomasville High School Head Coach Jim Hughes. “He was this skinny little kid. We called him Blade. He may very well answer to that now even though he’s filled out quite a bit since then.”
Why Blade?
“Blade; like something that would cut the turf or the ground if he fell on it. Blade. Slim,” Hughes chuckled.
Far from the skinny kid of his youth, Gen. Austin is now known as something else: President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for Secretary of Defense.
The news is not surprising to Hughes, who has stayed in touch with Austin to this day -- and calling to congratulate him when the news was released.
“He’s accustomed to responsibility; he’s accustomed to big jobs,” said Hughes. “He was quite a presence, in the building, in the classroom, and of course with us in Athletics.”
Austin played basketball and football during his time at Thomasville High. But, his main area of focus was his education; partly thanks to his mother.
“I remember his mother as being extremely strong in her determination that her children were going to get a quality education,” Hughes remembered. "If they didn’t do anything else, they were going to get that. He was a mature, pleasant person. Very bright. He went directly from Thomasville High School to West Point."
Lynn Stowers, a long-time teacher at Thomasville High, never had Austin as a student but still remembers the impact that he had on everyone around him.
“The entire faculty and the student body, I think, held him in regard. He was a nice, nice guy. Very gentlemanly and already showing qualities of leadership at that age,” Stowers said over the phone. “The kids listened to him and the teachers respected him for his behavior and his outlook on life.”
Austin was voted Senior Superlative by his classmates because of their respect for him at the time. He went on to have a more than 40-year career in the United States Army and is a retired four-star general. His possible appointment, should he get confirmed, would make him the first Black sectary of defense.
“He is a role model and not just for black kids, he’s a role model for all of us who want to maximize our abilities and have an impact on the society around us,” Hughes said.
“You sound like you’re talking about one of your own children,” 11Alive’s Hope Ford quipped.
“Well, I would be extremely proud if he were one of my own,” Hughes said with a smile. “My son is a career military person and that’s one reason that helped us stay in touch with Gen. Austin over the years.”
Hughes and Stowers described Austin as a man who never forgot his roots and remains proud of the community that nurtured him. In return, Stowers said, many in the community remain proud of him.
“I told my students about this the other day. Of course, they’re 16 and 17 so they had no idea who he was,” said Stowers. “When I told them that he had been tapped by President-elect Biden, they were really astonished. It amazing to say that from this little school in South Georgia, he made such an impact on the world.”
Austin will need a waiver to fulfill the position as current requirements maintain that the position is filled by someone who has been out of active-duty military service for at least seven years.
In an op-ed piece about Austin in The Atlantic, Biden wrote, "In his more than 40 years in the United States Army, Austin met every challenge with extraordinary skill and profound personal decency. He is a true and tested soldier and leader. I've spent countless hours with him, in the field and in the White House Situation Room. I've sought his advice, seen his command, and admired his calm and his character. He is the definition of a patriot."