Vestavia Hills Board of Education President Scott Brown is an alumnus of Vestavia Hills High School. In this edition of our "Back When" series, he reflects on memories of friends and football games during his high school years.
Q: What's the story behind this photo?
A: This picture is from September of 1990. It was taken on a Friday night before Vestavia played Berry High School, which was, as it is now, a big rival. Of course, Berry is now Hoover. But, some friends and I, some old friends and some new friends who became life-long friends, got together before the game and decided to paint our faces. I don't remember why, but I do remember it was a fun night as Vestavia beat the Bucs.
Photo courtesy of Scott Brown
Scott Brown (front left) in September 1990, preparing to go to a Vestavia Hills football game against Berry High School with friends.
Q: Tell us about you then. What year was this? What was going on in your life then?
A: In September of 1990, I would have just started my junior year of high school. I would be thinking about upcoming varsity basketball tryouts, which would have been in October, and probably thinking about when I was going to take the SAT or ACT so I could be ready to apply for colleges. And then, mostly, grateful that my brother and I had a car that we could share and I could go out with our friends on the weekend.
Q: If you could go back in time to that day, what would you tell your younger self?
A: If I had the opportunity to give advice to my younger self, I would say keep working hard. Don't be afraid to take risks. Trust that God is sovereign and he has a plan for you, even if it looks different than what your own plan might look like. And, really treasure the friendships and relationships that you build along the way because those are, ultimately, the things that are most meaningful in life.
Q: What might people be surprised to learn about your younger self?
A: My friends and family are very aware that I have no rhythm and, oftentimes, have trouble picking up the beat to whatever music may be playing in the background or in the car. So, I think they'd be surprised to know that I was a trumpet player and even made first chair in middle school at Pizitz. They would not be surprised to know that Ioften hid behind the more talented trumpet players, like Matt Davidson and Travis Walters and Brian Baker.
