Jack Bolton

1. He was the worst basketball player in junior high. He had gone to his father for help and it was his father who had taught him to fake right and break left and all other basketball skills he had mastered. It was when he became team captain in East High in the year 1981 and led his team to the championships did he realize how important basketball was to him.

2. He met Lucille Landers in college and hated her so much. She was too smart for her own good and too cocky. Sure, she was beautiful but that didn't change the fact that she never missed an opportunity to insult him. It was in the last year of college did he begin to appreciate her smartness and her other traits. For example, Jack realized that she was kind and considerate, not to mention sensitive to anyone's feelings, even people she disliked. They began dating when Jack finally decided that his pride wasn't as worthy as Lucille.

3. He realized he loved her when her ex-boyfriend came to visit her at graduation. Blake Masters was good-looking, attractive and smart and Jack Bolton hated him for it. And when he saw how Blake connected with Lucille's parents, he began to worry. He intended on making her choose between them but knew it wouldn't be fair to her. So, he chose for her and left without a word to her or anyone else except Cliff Danforth. It was three days later when Lucille arrived at his doorstep did he clear all his doubts of her not loving him.

4. His father had been furious at him when he chose Lucille instead of a successful basketball career. Heck, he had been furious with himself. But when Lucille hugged him tight at night, he knew that he had made the right choice because he could imagine life without basketball but he could not imagine life without Lucille. And when he explained his logic to his father, he had been pleasantly surprised that his father understood.

5. His wedding day was chaotic. Before the wedding, his brother had complained of how uncomfortable he was in his tux, his sister had screamed and cried that she looked terrible and it had all ended when his father had yelled for them to shut up and act matured because it was not their day it was Jack's. It was one of the rare times that Jack had heard his father shout. His family argument lay forgotten, though, when Lucille walked down the aisle in a beautiful white gown with the most radiant smile on her face. He would soon have his own family to look forward to.

6. He had joined East High's faculty just three years after he and Lucille got married. After all, East High was where he made friends and gained his talent. He never liked the new drama teacher though. Ms. Darbus was cranky and thought drama to be more important than basketball.

7. When Lucille told him that she was pregnant, he vaguely remembered fainting. He denied it later, though. After fainting, he had sat down with Lucille to tell her his fears of becoming a father. She had held his hand and hugged him, telling him that she knew she was going to make mistakes too. But what mattered was that they had each other. When Troy was born though, he loved his son immediately.

8. He was so proud of Troy when he shot his first basket at the age of four. And when Troy went to high school, Jack was the proudest father alive. And though he hadn't approved at first, he had to admit that his son had a pretty good voice. And it was when he saw Troy performing on stage with Gabriella Montez for the first time did he realize that Troy had found his soul mate. Slowly, he felt like he was losing his son.

9. Chad Danforth, Zeke Baylor, Jason Cross and Ryan Evans were like his second sons. Chad was his favorite, however, because he loved basketball the most and respected him the most. Chad also valued friendship, loyalty and relationships and Jack loved him like his own son. Even Lucille would acknowledge Chad as her son sometimes.

10. He retired from teaching and coaching at the age of 65. By that time, he had been a teacher to his son and his grandchildren. He had watched his son fall in love, Chad become responsible and his grandsons fall in love in the same school. He had watched as Zeke, Sharpay, Jason, Ryan and Kelsi dealt with their children, calmed Chad down when the afro-haired father had worried about his little girl growing up too fast and laughed at his son when he was having marital or parenting issues. It was at the age of 76 did he retire from being a father and grandfather when he faced his most serious and final heart attack.

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