A few weeks ago, a request was made about two brothers, Nos. 10 and 20, who played in the 1980s for the Coleman Bluecats. A hunter from Kaufman wrote, wanting to know their names because he thought they were the best cornerbacks he had seen.

Well, the hunter had their last name right, DeLaRosa and the right nickname. "Hitman" was Mark DeLaRosa (No. 10), who played in 1981-1983, was all-district and all-area, and who later played for Cisco Junior College.

Mark, who also was a Golden Gloves boxer, worked for an aircraft company in Dallas, and then moved back to Coleman in 2003 to work for a wind energy company as a supervisor of operations.

Albert DeLaRosa (No. 20), alias Hitman JV, played for Coleman from 1982-1985 and also was all-district and all-area. He attended Dallas Community College, and started a career with Men's Warehouse as a salesman, then became manager, district manager and is now in the corporate office in Houston after working in Dallas, Kansas and Denver.

Albert and wife Meredith are the parents of a daughter and another child is on the way.

The father of the two boys is Sammy DeLaRosa, who played for the Bluecats in the 1950s and their mother Gay cheered them on.

Now, if I can find the letter from the hunter.

n Golf Digest magazine has included the Abilene Country Club in its first-ever ranking of the "50 Clubs with the Best Players" and has ranked it No. 20. The magazine says "Current club champ Mike Cotter contributes to the club average, along with Ryan Heller and Conway Jordan."

The list appears in the fall issue of Golf Digest Index, the latest installment of Golf Digest's biannual publication.

Rated No. 1 is Dallas Athletic Club, which boasts 21 scratch or better handicap golfers. Seven other Texas courses are on the list.

n Wondering whatever happened to found former Wylie High and Purdue University football player John Lampert living in Fort Worth and working for UBS, a financial management company. He doesn't get out this way much except to hunt doves and play golf with his father, Bruce Lampert.

I think John was one of the best high school long jumpers, but an injury kept him from doing well at state.

n It was a long time coming, but Saturday, the University of Texas retired jersey No. 22, worn by quarterback Bobby Layne, who set passing records in the 1940s that lasted nearly 40 years.

Layne had a hand in every point in the Longhorns' 40-27 win over Missouri in the 1946 Cotton Bowl and he was voted the outstanding back in the 1948 Sugar Bowl in Texas' 27-7 win over Alabama.

He also went 28-0 in Southwest Conference games as a Texas pitcher, including two no-hitters. He also led the Detroit Lions to two National Football League championships.

Bobby, who passed away in 1986, was coached in high school at Highland Park by a former Abilenian, the late Eck Curtis.

Bobby had his problems off the field, but it did not keep him from giving his best.

When he left the pros, he lived in Lubbock where his wife grew up. I got to visit with him some when I worked for the newspaper there and he spent a lot of time at Lubbock Country Club.

One afternoon, a man asked Bobby if he didn't have to work. Layne replied, "If you can't get it done by noon, you had too much work to do.''

Probably his best known quote came after a close loss: "We didn't get beat, the clock ran out on us.''

Incidentally, Layne pitched for the Lubbock Hubbers in the old West Texas-New Mexico League before he went to start workouts with the Lions and his last start was here against the Abilene Blue Sox. He didn't last through the first inning.

Also having his number (No. 60) retired yesterday was linebacker Tommy Nobis. That makes five numbers that have been put out of use.

n End of quote: "They say nobody is perfect. Then they tell you practice makes perfect. I wish they would make up their minds." -- former basketball great Wilt Chamberlain.

Bill Hart is a retired senior sports writer of the Reporter-News. Contact him by e-mail at hartbf@msn.com, by fax at (325) 854-2812 or by mail at 640 Arch St., Baird, TX 79504.