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Burl and Earl Wood named 2006 Distinguished Alumni 

Coffeyville Community College (CCC) honored two Ravens at the annual Distinguished Alumni Luncheon on Oct. 27.  Burl and Earl Wood grew up on a dairy farm in Cabool, Mo.  According to the book by Raul David Campbell, Always a Raven, in high school Burl was a 175 pound fullback and linebacker while Earl was a 145 pound, injury-prone, left-handed quarterback who walked with a limp because his left leg was badly broken during his junior year.  The brothers had a sister who lived in Coffeyville and told them about the college.  In August of 1962, they moved to Kansas in the hopes that they could play for Coach Bill Mills and the nationally ranked Raven Football Team.  Burl played from the beginning but Earl didn’t play until the 1964 season when he was 60 pounds heavier.  The brothers lived at Bordine’s Boarding house with 25-30 other football players.  Earl worked at Granny’s Restaurant near the railroad, washing dishes and working for meals. 

 Wood Brothers

Coffeyville Community College President, Dr. Don Woodburn (center), stands with the two most recent Distinguished Alumni, Earl Wood (left) and his brother, Burl Wood (right).  The two were honored at the annual CCC Distinguished Alumni Luncheon.

The brothers stayed in Coffeyville during the summer of 1963, working with a contractor putting tar on flat roofs.  The job started at 5 a.m.  They had a second job unloading grain trucks. So they were happy to see two-a-days come that fall. 

Earl and Burl graduated and went on to West Texas State University in Canyon, Tex. where they played two years as linebackers.  Burl was selected as an All Texas College Football Player.  Both earned Bachelor’s degrees and went on to play pro-football – Burl in the Canadian League and Earl in both the Canadian and Continental League.  The brothers also had careers as football coaches, Burl as the assistant coach at West Texas State, assistant and then head coach at the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell and the assistant coach at the University of Texas El Paso.  Earl was the assistant coach at the New Mexico Military Institute and the assistant coach at the West Texas State University.  In 1990 both Earl and Burl were inducted into the West Texas State Hall of Champions.  That same year Burl was inducted into the CCC Football Letterman’s Hall of Fame. 

Burl worked for State Farm Insurance in Plano, Tex. while Earl worked for the same company in Fort Worth, Tex.  They are both certified as Chartered Financial Consultants and Chartered Life Underwriters.  Both men believe the discipline that Coach Mills instilled was part of the reason they were so successful. 

Burl has been married 38 years to his wife, Linda. They have three grown children and four grandchildren.  Earl has been married 32 years to wife, Debbie.  They have two grown children and two grandchildren. 

Burl and Earl have been supporters of CCC for a long time.  They were instrumental in getting the Billy Mills scholarship up to endowment level and they have supported the phone-a-thon and the sports complex project.  

In October 2006 they joined the ranks of CCC Distinguished Alumni.  Since this award was initiated in 1988, only 22 other individuals have been selected as outstanding alumni.  Congratulations to Burl and Earl Wood.