As the calendar has turned closer to Thanksgiving and holidays before ultimately culminating in Christmas, local UPS driver Charley Couts has found himself busier than ever. ‘Tis the season for Couts to not only be delivering routine packages and parcels, but also Christmas packages already in transit to loved ones all over the area.
But it’s also football season, and UPS has a logistical advertising agreement with the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. Through this agreement, UPS selects a driver to hand-deliver the game ball to the game official for every Cowboys’ home game.
“UPS will put a driver’s name in for consideration based on a criterion of how long they’ve worked at UPS and their production,” Couts said. “Then the higher-ups with UPS go through them and pick a driver from a district to represent them for a certain home game with the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.”
For this past Sunday’s rivalry game between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles in Arlington, the Amarillo and Pampa districts selected Couts to hand-deliver the game ball before the game.
“I was excited (to be selected),” Couts said. “They told me that they (Pampa/Amarillo supervisors) both wanted to turn my name in. I honestly didn’t think I’d get it. This was before the season started. Three or four weeks ago I was told I was chosen for the Eagles game.”
Couts, who celebrates his 38th anniversary with UPS in March, said it’s the relationships with the customers he enjoys the most about his craft.
“It’s going out and building relationships with everyone you deliver to,” Couts said. “I’ve delivered to Perryton for quite a few years and been delivering to Shamrock for five or six years and really like the people here, too. I’ve delivered to Pampa and Borger. I really like the people.”
While Couts does like the Dallas Cowboys, he is ultimately a Minnesota Viking fan.
“I’ve been to quite a few Cowboys games,” Couts said. “The last one I went to was when they played the Vikings in 1998. It was (NFL Hall of Famer) Randy Moss’ rookie year.”
As a Vikings fan, Couts enjoyed the Thanksgiving Game of that year when Moss had three catches for 163 yards and three touchdowns, but it was a game he went to in the 1970s that is his favorite memory of the Cowboys.
“I went to a game in the 1970s with a friend who was a real big Cowboys fan,” Couts said. “The Cowboys had (NFL Hall of Famer) Roger Staubach. I think I knew more of the Cowboys players than the Vikings players in that game. I kind of kept up with the Cowboys and the Vikings at that time and then in the 1990s followed the Cowboys.”
Even though he has handled thousands of packages over his career, as he took the field Sunday, Couts was a little nervous that he would stumble.
“That’s the main thing I’m worried about (stumbling),” Couts said with a chuckle. “They’d probably fire me if I stumbled. But I’m glad I don’t have to give a speech or anything. I don’t like talking in front of people. But I’m really excited.”
When asked what is more intense, the nerves of handling the game ball or this upcoming holiday season as a UPS driver, Couts said with no hesitation it was the holiday season.
“This holiday shopping is going to be kind of crazy,” Couts said. “I don’t look forward to driving in the Dallas/Arlington traffic, though. I’d feel more comfortable in my brown truck than my own vehicle.”
Couts is married to his wife of 21 years, Kandi, and the couple has eight daughters, along with 21 grandchildren.
