Nelson's greatness recalled, 100 years after his birth

The first thing that comes to mind aren't his hands. Oh, they were huge. They didn't just hold a club, they practically swallowed those old leather grips. Did pretty much the same thing to your hand when he extended it for a firm how-do-you-do. They were a working man's hands. On the golf course, then at the ranch. And always, yes always, in his woodworking shop. They wrapped their fingers around a cane as he got older, but they never tired of finding their way around a club -- or a knife or whatever substitute was handy -- to show someone the best way to finesse a shot. They were legendary. But they were just one of those things we fussed over. Kind of like those incredible 11 consecutive wins and 18 victories in 1945, the scoring average, the majors, the elegant swing and the legacy he left behind. Those were blessings, certainly. The kind that allowed him to walk away from competitive golf and live out his dream as a Texas rancher. The kind that made him a legend. But Byron Nelson knew that true greatness came from something much deeper. From faith and honesty. From love and respect. From humility and grace. And from character, which is -- and always will be -- the first thing that always comes to my mind. Byron would have been 100 today and you don't have to be a Texan to realize that's yet another reason to celebrate one amazing life...more