(Delivery Driver - Tyler Office) — Ask East Texas Delivery Driver Jerry Ford about Texas High School Football, and you’ll see this big grin flash across his face.

To reinforce his level of devotion to the game: Jerry was inside Texas Stadium on Nov. 26, 1994. The playoff match-up was Plano East vs. his beloved John Tyler Lions. It was the night that the most epic high school football game ever unfolded (apologies to anyone who would, albeit mistakenly, disagree).

It went down like this: John Tyler was up 41-17 with 3:03 remaining. Many fans began exiting. Jerry and his friends did not. But hold on to your seats, folks. The Plano East Panthers scored to make it 41-23, then successfully executed three on-side kicks in a row, scoring touchdowns on each occasion. Panthers 44, Lions 41, with 24 seconds remaining.

Then, the improbable comeback dagger. In a final, completely unanticipated twist, Roderick Dunn took the ensuing kickoff at his own three-yard line and sprinted 97 yards to the house. The play-by-play team (broadcast by Plano TeleCable) became synonymous with the wildness of the game. Highlights from the gridiron insanity rolled on ESPN Sportscenter the next morning.

“(After Plano East Scored to take the lead), I remember we all stood up and started walking toward the exits. We were in the concourse and we started hearing the crowd roaring. We looked at each other and said ‘We better run back in there! Something’s happening!’” Jerry recalls.

Everyone who knows him knows where he’ll be come Friday nights every fall. Jerry’s passion for the game is as genuine as it gets.

All that is to say, ask Jerry about his Datamax experience, and you’ll see a similar smile flash across his face. The passion for this organization, it turns out, is also as genuine as it gets.

What led me to Datamax?

Jerry had a friend who was delivering for then-East Texas Copy Systems; he knew Jerry was looking for a career change, so he recommended him.

“I remember I came over and interviewed, and about a week later they called and said, ‘Ready to start work?’ I’ve loved it ever since,” Jerry said. “I love being on the road, but I also love being the person who gets to see the excitement of the customer, and to have the chance to create that first great impression for our customers.”

My experiences at Datamax:

No doubt about it. In the same way that Roderick Dunn did at the tail end of the John Tyler game, Jerry covers a lot of ground to perfection. On any given day, he’ll drive as far south as Livingston, which hugs the Houston suburbs, and as far north as Paris, which inches toward the Oklahoma border.

As a delivery driver at Datamax for eight years now, Jerry meshes both professionalism and personality with perfect form. He exudes confidence in the client through his preparation and attentive approach, but also takes great joy in the excitement that new equipment creates for those in the office.

“It’s just amazing when you roll it in, and as you start taking the plastic off, it puts a big smile on their face,” Jerry said. “I’ve had people say ‘oh my gosh it’s so pretty!’ and ‘Can I use it now??”

Jerry adds that when you’re dealing with ALL the outdoor elements, it’s best to be prepared. He checks the weather every morning before arriving at work, and dresses accordingly. He’s got a five-liter jug always filled with ice water that rides along with him wherever he goes.

“There’s good days and bad days, sure. We deliver in the rain, we deliver in the heat. But you know what, there’s never a dull moment,” Jerry said.

What makes me want to stay at Datamax?

In 1992, the John Tyler football team adopted a new slogan, “CUJO” (It was created to counteract Odessa Permian’s famous catchphrase “Mojo” before the two teams played one another). The rallying cry means “Never Quit, Never Die.”

"When JT is behind or losing the crowd will be saying "CUJO" giving them the motivation, and then all of a sudden they come back, like they did in that 1994 game. Never Quit, Never Die and that's how I feel about Datamax. Never Quit, Never Die with the weather or multiple machines. Keep pushing."

Jerry possesses that CUJO motivation when he puts on a Datamax polo every morning. Simply put, when he wakes up, he’s ready to roll.

“What keeps me here? The atmosphere. The job that I do. I don’t know, I just really like being around people and I really like being around my coworkers,” Jerry said. “I really like Datamax, I love it actually. I tell you man, I get up in the morning and I am ready to come to work. I’m ready to GO!”