Owen says goodbye to a ‘Jack’ of all trades who mastered them all
Beloved teacher and coach retires after 27 years
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
January 23, 2024
Jack Slaughter, center, celebrates his retirement after 27 years at Owen High School with his former co-workers in the physical education department, from left to right: Kenny Ford, Nathan Padgett, Jenny Johnson and Anthony Lee. Photo by Fred McCormick
Jack Slaughter likes to talk about football, NASCAR, hot dogs and memories shared with the countless friends he has made during his nearly three decade career at Owen High School. One thing the Swannanoa native and Owen graduate rarely talks about, however, is his selfless dedication to his alma mater and its students.
Fortunately, as generations of current and former teachers, coaches, students and Owen supporters gathered in the school’s cafeteria, Jan. 23, for a surprise retirement party, there were plenty of others willing to share stories of Slaughter’s lasting impact on the community he served faithfully for 27 years.
While his approach to his job as physical education and health teacher and assistant football coach was unassuming, Slaughter, known for wearing camouflage shorts, vests and fishing hats, became an institution at the school from which he graduated in 1991. His role at Owen encompassed far more than his official title implied.
On any given day, Slaughter could be found at the school doing “things nobody wanted to do,” according to former Warhorse football head coach and current A.C. Reynolds Assistant Principal Nathan Padgett, who presented the retiree with a framed photo displaying snapshots of various memories over the years.
“He would be here at 5 a.m., sometimes, folding and hanging up players’ laundry and putting it in their lockers,” said Padgett, an Owen alumnus who taught at the school for six years. “You would see him down there dragging the softball field, weed-eating or whatever had to be done. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Slaughter coached football under four Warhorse head coaches after playing offensive and defensive line under Kenny Ford, who noticed his knack for doing what needed to be done at an early age.
“I remember one playoff game when we were playing a team known for throwing screens up the middle, and I hammered in Jack’s head to stay at home on that play,” Ford recalled. “Sure enough, we were in a close game and I was blitzing everybody when they dumped that screen pass off, and Jack was right there to drive that ball into the ground. That play is a prime example of his teaching and coaching career, because no matter what, he always did his job above and beyond what was expected.”
While earning his physical education degree, Slaughter played one season of football at Western Carolina University, where he was a teammate of current Owen JROTC Senior Army Instructor Major (retired) Brook King.
“I’ve known Jack since 1992, and he is the best person I have ever met,” King said. “He is everybody’s friend and truly has a servant’s heart. I don’t know how many people it will take to do all the work he’s been doing around here.”
While Slaughter has a reputation for quick wit and self-deprecating humor, he possesses an “outstanding football mind,” retired Owen athletic director and longtime offensive coordinator Anthony Lee said.
“That’s something Jack doesn’t get nearly enough credit for,” he said. “He doesn’t always like to present himself in that way, but he knows a tremendous amount about football.”
That was another characteristic that emerged when Slaughter was a player, according to Ford.
Former Owen head coach and current A.C. Reynolds Assistant Principal Nathan Padgett presents Jack Slaughter with retirement gift, Jan. 23. Photo by Fred McCormick
“He was the first player I ever coached who knew everything every single teammates was supposed to do on a defensive call,” he said. “He really understood every assignment, and that was something that was so helpful when he was a coach.”
His affinity for hot dogs, which were served at the retirement ceremony, made him somewhat of a connoisseur around current and former Western Highlands Conference stadiums.
“His favorite hot dogs were in Polk County,” Padgett said.
His jovial demeanor belied Slaughter’s compassion for students, according to Owen Principal Dawn Rookey, who came to know him during her 18-year tenure as a teacher at the school.
“He was always checking on his kids. At that time we had a pretty rough bunch, and he truly cared about them,” she said. “He is a great mentor to all of the students in this building, and not just football players”.
Rookey recognized Slaughter’s dedication before stepping into the principal’s office last July.
“I was pulling into the school at about 6 a.m. this summer and I saw him mowing,” she said. “He said he just wanted to come out and do a little weed-eating. It wasn’t even near the stadium, he was just making the school look good, and that’s a beautiful thing about Jack; he does things without being asked because he loves Owen High School.”
Slaughter passed those values down to generations of Swannanoa Valley kids, according to Owen Middle School Principal Bradley McMahan.
Jack Slaughter, left, is greeted by retired Black Mountain Elementary physical education teacher and Owen High School coach John Gibson. Co-workers celebrated Slaughter’s retirement after a 27-year career at his alma mater on Jan. 23, with a surprise party. Photo by Fred McCormick
“Other than my father, nobody has had a bigger impact on my education,” he said.
That bond was strengthened when McMahan suffered a severe shoulder injury in high school. He was “devastated” and lying in a hospital bed when the phone rang, unexpectedly.
“A voice came on and said, “Bradley, you coming back to school?’” McMahan said. “He somehow called the front desk and got put through to my room, but that’s who he was as a teacher. He really cared about us.”
When his former student was named the principal of the middle school, Slaughter showed up with a six pack of Mountain Dew.
“You know, we brought football back to Owen Middle this past fall, and that was a pretty big deal,” McMahan said. “We were in a little over our heads with the timeline and Jack showed up and got all the equipment together. He was out there everyday, and calling to check in.”
Slaughter was humble and brief when speaking to the dozens of co-workers, family and friends who attended the gathering.
“Thank y’all, I appreciate it,” he said. “I really appreciate everyone for coming out today.”
The event was not particularly emotional for Slaughter, who plans to continue supporting his school.
“I won’t be a stranger,” he said in an interview. “I’ll still be here finding ways to help out, however they will let me.”
His unique skill set makes it likely Slaughter will remain a valuable asset to the community.
“You’ve heard the old saying, ‘Jack of all trades, master of none,’” said retired Owen teacher and coach Bill Mott “Well, Jack is a Jack of all trades who mastered them all.”