K-Rod remembers Dale Earnhardt, 20 years later

I am not a hero worshipper. People are people. But for most everyone, there are always a rare few that stand above all in helping define your life’s joys and special memories.  

Dale Earnhardt was such a person to me. He was larger than life. And in a career that has allowed me to meet many of the personalities I admire most, Dale Earnhardt stands alone.

He was already a towering figure in the sports world when I met him, known as "The Intimidator!" "The Man in Black!" "Ironhead!" He cast a great shadow wherever he walked.

So, imagine standing in my shaking boots when I found myself standing face to face with The Intimidator following his latest victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 10, 1996.

I was in a group of timid reporters who were staring at each other, wondering who would have the nerve to ask the first question!  

So, as The Intimidator suddenly turned to me, I must have visibly "gulped" before firing away.  

And to my pleasant surprise, what followed was, not a boring, pre-packaged interview, but a lively conversation about racing! It was wonderful! He even asked me questions! He spoke to me as if we were sitting on a dock sipping a cold one. I will never ever forget that moment. The photo of the two of us at that moment is one of my prized possessions.

There are so many so-called "stars" you meet in life that disappoint you. Dale Earnhardt only elevated his stature to this young reporter that day. I was already a fan because I loved his aggressive driving. He was in it to win. If you were the unfortunate driver running between him and the finish line on the final lap of a race — well, it was nice knowing you!

However, I became and personal admirer because I discovered he was a great guy.

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 4, 1981: Dale Earnhardt Sr sits in his #2 Wrangler Pontiac Grand Prix while it is repaired after an accident during the 1981 Firecracker 400 at the Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 1981 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Ph

Expand

So, it is with a heavy heart that I remember the day we lost him on Turn 4 at Daytona on Feb. 18, 2001.

We’ve all been asked the question at some point in our lives: "Where were you when…?"

I was working in Los Angeles at the time. Watching the race from home, Earnhardt became even bigger to me as I watched him block two other drivers in order to allow Michael Waltrip to take the checkered flag, with his son, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., finishing second. I jumped in the car as soon as the race was over in order to get to the FOX Sports studio on time. I had been in such a hurry that I was unaware that Dale Earnhardt had passed away during a wreck that seemed rather tame to the untrained eye at the time.  

I brought along my prized photo so I could show everyone in the office my experience with the great Intimidator.  

Being from the South, I was eager to express to my friends on the West Coast what a big deal this guy really is.

As I walked in with photo in hand and a great smile on my face, it became apparent to them that I had no idea what had just happened. Dale Earnhardt was dead.

I walked to my desk in stunned silence and sat for what felt like an eternity. My head and heart were spinning. "This is impossible," I thought. "Dale Earnhardt is indestructible! He means too much to us!"

Not to be overly dramatic, but things have never been the same since. Sports had lost its John Wayne and Neil Armstrong rolled into one. An old-school, self-made champion. We lost a great slice of Americana that day — and a piece of our hearts.

Dale Earnhardt, driver of the the #3 Richard Childress Racing Goodwrench Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Monte Carlo spinning out of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series The Winston race on 24 May 1998 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina, Unit

Expand

If there is any positive to draw from it, it is the fact that no one has died in a NASCAR race since. Earnhardt’s death led to flurry of safety upgrades to the sport. The thought was that if it can happen to Superman, it can happen to anyone.

Has it really been 20 years?

Dale Earnhardt once said, "If I ever get killed in a race car…I don’t want nobody crying and moaning and groaning… It’s what I love to do."

WATCH: FOX 5 Atlanta live news coverage

_____

Sign up for FOX 5 email alerts

Download the FOX 5 Atlanta app for breaking news and weather alerts.