A tribute to a ranch, and a dad

I have always been a fan of pro wrestling and in recent years I have become a fan of podcasts. And one of the podcasts that I listen to regularly fits into both of those interests it's The Steve Austin Show (both regular and unleashed). I was never the hugest Steve Austin fan but I really like how he tells a story and conducts an interview. I'm much more of a fan of his podcast than I was as a sports entertainer.

In a recent episode Steve was talking about selling his ranch in South Texas, the so-called Broken Skull Ranch. It soon evolved into the story of the man he calls dad. Ken Williams.

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE

Steve Austin, was born Steve Anderson. But his parents split up and he and his brothers moved with their mom to a small town in Texas, where she met and eventually married an country western guitar playing insurance salesman named Ken Williams. He adopted her sons and they went on to have two more kids. Mr.Williams was (and still is) an avid hunter and outdoorsman. He found himself with three sons so he passed his love for the outdoors onto them. Because as Steve said that is what a dad does shares his passions with his kids.

The four Williams boys are all outdoorsy, not all of them hunt but that is only a part of what Mr.Williams past along. His daughter (and her kids) are talented singers and musicians. Another thing he passed along.

I was really taken aback, a big portion of this tribute to this ranch, was really a tribute to his dad. You could hear the pride in his voice when he spoke about his dads hunts on the ranch and the same routine he followed every day.

That ranch was not just a place for Stone Cold Steve Austin to hang out, do some hunting, drink some Broken Skull margaritas and drive around on his off road vehicles. It was about following a tradition that his dad gave to him. It was about a legacy.

Not a lot of men would step up and marry a divorced telephone operator with three kids. But Ken Williams was the kind of man who did. And that's why to this day he is so loved and revered by one of the most famous professional wrestlers of all time.