Sports, social activities highlight bond between father and son

CRESTVIEW — The smiles told the story April 26 at the Crestview Bulldogs' last home game of the season.

A Crestview man and his son, John and Nathanael Smith, were there to cheer the Bulldogs on as they faced off against the Pensacola Tigers, winning 13-3.

Nathanael, 22, spent his senior year at Crestview High School after his family moved to Crestview from Destin. A U.S. Army soldier, he was injured two years ago in a non-combat related accident. After six months of medical treatment in Pensacola hospitals and several weeks of intensive therapy in a veterans hospital, he returned to Crestview.

John, his father, is his full time caretaker.

Nathanael gets around in a wheelchair and is able to stand and talk on a limited basis.

The two share a love of sports, John Smith said.

"We like sports, and we take any opportunity we can to get out of the house and be around people, because Nathan is very social.

"We were attending the Northwest Florida State game and the girls softball team came in — He flirted with them, and they flirted with him, and they invited him to (their) last home game," he said.

His interaction with the NWF State girls gave his father the idea to take Nathanael to the Bulldogs game as well.

John, who used to teach biology at CHS, met with his former colleague, Tim Gillis before the game. He and Nathan took photos with all the Bulldog coaches, and Nathan stood up and participated in the Bulldogs' pre-game chant. They also took photos with an Okaloosa County Sheriff deputy.

"We actually ran into Deputy David Keen at Taco Bell before the game and then we told him we were going there, and he told us he was working it, so we got to talk to him as well," John said.

John discovered Keen's wife is the resource officer at Riverside where his wife, Gail, is a teacher.

What didd they do after the game?

"We just came home," John said. "It was late. He's normally in bed by 10 p.m. at the latest. We shoot for 9."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Sports, social activities highlight bond between father and son