Randy Smith: The Cain Legacy

I've spent a lot of time covering sports here in the Tennessee Valley...actually 49 years to be exact. I can remember watching some of the best prep football players to ever play in our area. To name just a few...Reggie White of course, Andy Kelly, Charles White, Gerald Riggs, Jr., Tommy "Freight Train" Taylor, Dale Jones, I'm afraid to mention anymore because I'll leave someone out but be assured if you're not on that list it means nothing at all. There is one player I think fondly of. Not necessarily the best, but when you consider toughness, competitiveness, and heart, he has to be among the greatest ever.

I'm talking about Josh Cain who was a multi-sport athlete at Sequatchie County High School in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He signed with UTC and was a two-time All-American linebacker for the Mocs, and even set an FCS record by recording 30 tackles in a single game against The Citadel. He was selected as a member of the Mocs all-century team and he ranks second on the Mocs' career tackles list. He would hit you so hard, you would feel it a week later. After graduating from UTC in 2002, he signed a free agent contract with the Chicago Bears but lasted only a couple of years.

Why am I writing about Josh Cain you may ask? Well, my son Davey and Josh were teammates at UTC and I've known him since he was a student in high school. He comes from a great family and speaking of that he has a son who's a seventh-grader at Boyd-Buchanan and is a teammate of my youngest grandson Boone. I didn't realize that Josh had a son at the school until I saw a youngster who was all over the field, making tackles, scoring touchdowns and looking like one of the best players on the field. His name is Hudson Cain and he plays just like his dad. When I realized who he was, it was not surprising to me at all. I knew that Josh was involved in the school because his daughter, Gibby Kay is an outstanding golfer at Boyd-Buchanan. I should have known when I heard the youngster's name was Cain the first time I heard it, who he was.

Josh has become an outstanding businessman in Chattanooga, owning Cain Development and building some of the most beautiful homes you'll ever see. When you met Josh when he was much younger you just knew he was going to be a success no matter what he chose to do.

Hudson has the athletic genes and so does Gibby Kay...of course she may be getting her genes from her grandfather, Gibby Gilbert one of Chattanoogas' best golfers. It remains to be seen yet if they have their dad's heart and toughness but if I were a betting man I'd say they do. It's really hard for me to pick my favorite players over a 49 year span but I guarantee that Josh Cain is very near the top of that list.