Bill Engvall has had a long and successful career as a comedian. He's best known for his "Here's Your Sign" sketch and eponymous album, which spent 15 weeks atop the Billboard comedy charts, and his Blue Collar Comedy Tour with Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy and Ron White. His humor is down-to-earth, and it often includes stories about his own life and family.
Last week, Engvall served as a torchbearer for the Special Olympics' Relay Across America, and he took some time out of his busy touring schedule to chat with ESPN about the experience and his connection to Special Olympics.
ESPN.com's Brianne Mirecki: Can you tell me about your experience with the Special Olympics? When did you first get involved?
Bill Engvall: You know what's weird is I just did this torchbearer thing with them [on July 2], but way back when -- I won't give you a year because that will age me really quickly -- but I was just starting out so that was 35 years ago, one of the first things when I was a young new comedian, I got asked to host or emcee the Special Olympics in Dallas. It wasn't the big games; it was just a local thing. It was great! I just fell in love with them.
It was just so much fun to watch these men and women and boys and girls doing something they loved to do and having a great time at it. And I thought, 'Wow, this is an amazing thing going on here.' And then I did a couple things with them and they didn't really -- I remember when we moved to L.A. I tried to get in touch with them, the organization, but they're so huge and I was really nobody then.
So when they asked me again for this last torchbearer thing I was like 'Yeah!' And it was right where it picked up in Dallas. It's so much fun to watch the excitement and to see them get the chance to participate in things that, you know, before they probably never had a chance to.
And honestly, the thing I really enjoyed the most about it was -- and this is not a knock on [professional] athletes -- but I think [pro athletes are] so focused on what's going on that they forget that this is supposed to be fun. And when I was talking with some of the athletes from the Special Olympics, this is a dream for them. I mean this kid was telling me he was getting to go to Los Angeles, and you might as well say 'you get to go to the moon!' And he's very excited, and obviously they want to do their best and bring home a medal, and for them it's the same thing. They're playing for their country.
There's no difference between Usain Bolt and the kid running the 25-yard [dash]. He's just as focused on it and wants to win a medal as bad as anyone else. But what's fun, I think the difference is to me, when you talk to them, they've got other stuff going on too. It's their dream and all that but they -- I'm trying to think of the right words to put with this because it's really hard but -- you see it, but it's hard to describe it. It's just pure enjoyment. Some of the [professional] athletes, you feel like they're at work. And [they're like] 'don't bother me, I'm focusing on my work.' These kids, this is fun for them. I mean, they're serious about it, but they're laughing, cutting up. You know? And to me, that's what's great about it.
ESPN.com: Can you tell us more about your involvement with Special Olympics recently?
Engvall: Just recently the local Salt Lake chapter called -- we have a place up in Park City -- and my publicist called me and said 'Hey, would you be interested in being a torchbearer in the Special Olympics run?' and I said 'not only yes, but hell yes!' I mean, listen, maybe I'm a goof, I don't know, but stuff like that is really special to me. No pun intended there. It's just something that I want to look back on my life and know that I did something other than just stand in front of a bunch of people and tell jokes, you know?
And when I posted it on my social media, it was just amazing. People are like 'Oh my God, I can't believe you'd do this!' and I'm like 'What do you mean? You can't believe that I'm doing this?' For me it was just a huge honor to even be considered with these kids and what they're getting ready to go do and it wasn't like I had a knee replacement so I had to walk it. But the 6/10 of a mile that we did, I was proud.
You know, people honking their horns and I was hollering, you would've thought I was doing the real Olympics. And it was the real Olympics, for them. It wasn't like I went 'Oh, yeah yeah yeah, I'll carry the torch,' it was like: 'You bet I will!' I think the poor girl thought I was kind of crazy, my handler, because I was like 'OK, so do I carry it up or out?' I wanted to make sure I did everything right because you don't want to be the one guy who goes 'Oh yeah he didn't really care.'
I will say though, there was a point of disappointment for me though. Because when they first called I was like 'Oh my God, I get to go to the big Special Olympics games!' And they were like 'Oh no, you're just doing the leg." And I was like, "Oh. Ok, well I'm happy to do that.' But I thought I was going to get to go to the stadium and watch these kids.
ESPN.com: You have a place in L.A. as well -- will you be able to go to the games?
Engvall: No, I'll be in Europe. That's my wife's vacation. We can't just go to Yosemite, we have to go to France. But if they had said, you know, 'You want to do [the L.A. World Games]?' I would have cancelled the trip. I just think that -- I apologize that I can't come up with the words -- just watching these people, what they do and the enjoyment and the time they put into it, it really makes you sit back for a second and be like 'You know, I really got to quit griping about my golf game,' because it's a very humbling experience to be a part of this.
This will sum it up. When I got done with the torch race, one of the athletes came up and hugged me, and it was a hug that -- it wasn't like a 'hey bro' hug, it was a genuine 'thank you' hug that, I mean, it brought tears to my eyes.
ESPN.com: From your perspective as a comedian, sometimes the Special Olympics end up as the punch line in jokes --
Engvall: Never would happen. There's certain lines that I won't cross. I would rather tell you a filthy joke than do a joke about something like that. Because I think that's more disgusting than anything ... I'm worried I'm being too harsh, but I honestly believe that. To make fun of something that somebody has no control over?
You know, if you're being an idiot, I'm going to make fun of you. We do a charity in Midland Texas for children's rehab, and it's kids with catastrophic injuries or diseases, and to me it'd be no different than making jokes about them. I don't find it funny at all, I think it's cheap. And honestly, if there was a comedy police board, you'd get your license taken or something, you know? But you know, I'm sure there's somebody that will.
But for me [the torch run] was beyond the comedy. This was Bill Engvall as the person and not as a comedian out there. That was really what was going through my head.
ESPN.com: As you've been in comedy and involved with the Special Olympics throughout your career, have you seen attitudes towards these athletes change?
Engvall: I think there is a change and I think it's a great change. I think when it first started there, I was almost this, like 'Oh, those poor pitiful kids. I'm clapping because I feel guilty.' And now I think it's become, 'You're an athlete. I'm clapping for you because you're going for the USA.' You know? Just like I would clap for anybody else, any other athlete playing for our country.
It's not like the old days. These people are functioning in our society. They have jobs, they have families. And I just think it's awesome! It really makes me feel like, 'Ok, you know, they're putting that much effort into it, maybe I should put a little more effort into my life.' Every day to them is like a victory. Whether it's acceptance by people that aren't mentally or physically challenged or getting a job or getting to do your event, you know, playing bocce ball in the L.A. Special Olympics [World] Games, every day is special and I think we could all learn a lesson from these folks.