If you’ve never passed through Center Point, Texas - a  town of under 2,000 an hour northwest of San Antonio - you probably haven’t heard of it. 

It’s not-so-affectionately described as an ‘unincorporated community’ on Google, and, like so many other rural communities in the state, it’s a quiet town, full of folk who’ve spent their lives there and wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Center Point High School football, while far from a powerhouse, is a fixture of the town’s spirit. And for one man, it’s a way of life.

Neal Coldwell has been to 370 consecutive Center Point High School football games. At home or on the road, he has been on the sideline, pencil in ear, since October of 1987.

It’s a figure that borders on inconceivable; an accomplishment even more absurd when you factor in Center Point’s 33-67 record over the past decade. In spite of the losses, and on-average three hour round trip endeavor for road contests, Neal Coldwell keeps on keeping on.

Coldwell is not simply a fan, he’s the team’s statistician, a thankless job he once made a few bucks for but now does for free. He doesn’t use a computer, or a calculator, either, insisting on scribbling down numbers and keeping tallies in his notebook in keeping with his truly old-school charm. He’s a God-fearing man whose taxidermy shop keeps him occupied into his mid-60s – except for Fridays.

At the core of Coldwell’s undying passion is family. One of his two daughters accompanies him to the majority of Center Point games, forging a tradition that he can look forward to every Friday during football season. His other, at Neal's behest, teaches third grade 10 miles down the road in Comfort, a rival of Center Point.

“And when he has the streak going on, he literally will die before he ends the streak,” said Megan Winfrey, Coldwell’s oldest daughter. “He’s happy that I have a job but I would just say he would rather me be a Pirate than a Bobcat.”

Neal has repped Center Point and its football team harder than arguably anyone, ever, and it began when he attended the high school from 1972-1976. He played for the school's eight-man football team, a defensive end that clocked in around 125 pounds, earning him the nickname ‘Bones.’

While he was far from a star, and the Pirates were far from good – “terrible but interesting,”  according to Coldwell – he enjoyed his time in the black and white. Off the field he was a model student, not missing a day of school from kindergarten to graduation, a precursor for the perfect attendance he continues to boast for Center Point. 

Above all, he has roots. Coldwell’s great-grandfather of the same name was a Texas Ranger in the late 1800s who roamed the Hill Country frontiers for outlaws – “a real cowboy,” notes Coldwell –  who was buried minutes away in Center Point Cemetery. Of course, Neal’s father, who passed a decade ago, hits a bit closer to home.

“I think about my dad,” said Coldwell, getting choked up. “There’s a trophy case with a picture [at Center Point]. He played six-man football… in ‘55 they won regionals, Center Point, they ended up beating Friendswood in the regional championship six-man.”

Repeatedly, Mr. Coldwell shrugs off his record. He acknowledges it's impressive, but wants nothing to do with glory aside from collecting a game ball every 50th game he attends. No. 400, and his eighth ball, are three seasons out, but he’ll get there.

Neal insists on his dedication being for the boys. While news coverage is sparse and shrinking for football in smaller communities, Coldwell relishes in seeing a Center Point player’s name in the paper every so often thanks to the stats he tracked by hand.

“My heart is still there, in Center Point,” Coldwell said. “Are all these other kids that graduate today, does it mean as much to them? Probably not as much as it does to me. But it means the world to me. For the kids and for myself.”

Many current Center Point players grew up watching Coldwell on the sideline, and occasionally hearing him get fired up when the Pirates aren’t playing to his liking – a practice he’s reeled in as he gets older.

“Some of these kids, they remember in kindergarten, him being there,” said Center Point athletic director and football coach Mario Laque. “And then fast forward, 11 years later, it’s their turn on the sideline, and the guy is still there. I’ve heard several kids talk about that, and they know who he is, and they respect him.”

Laque, who assumed the role as athletic director in 2022, knew Coldwell the football fan, but encountered Neal Coldwell the man in 2021, when Laque spent a month in the ICU, fighting for his life against COVID.

“COVID almost took me out. And this guy texted me every single morning, at 6 AM on the dot, telling me he was praying for me and he wanted me to get better,” Laque said. “And I was just an assistant coach back then. He was faithful in that. I mean, that shows you the kind of character and the kind of gentleman that he is.”

Coldwell eagerly looks forward to the 2023 season that will kick off in a few short months. Hell, he’ll probably make it to a few practices in the dead of summer. Few fans live and breathe their teams as strongly as Neal Coldwell does. 

“If I’m not there, I’m going to be in the hospital or six feet under,” he said.