Jackson Free Press

The old saying goes: Marriages are made in heaven. Actually, some are made at football games and barbecues as well. In November 1979, Meridian native Bill Giles was a graduate football assistant at Mississippi College. He smiles as he tells how he finally got up the courage to ask out the blonde-haired, blue-eyed majorette from Jackson that he had been admiring from afar, even though he didn't figure she'd give him the time of day. Funny, but Vickie says that when she sat behind him in PE class, he "never gave me the time of day," either. Bill quickly points out that he was "kinda shy," and Vickie agrees, smiling at him, her fingers intertwined in his.

The South Jackson couple's first date was the night Mississippi College beat North Alabama for the Gulf South Championship. When the pair walked into the barbecue, hundreds of people went silent. Robbie Mahaffey, one of Bill's friends, started singing "Love Me Tender," the Elvis Presley song—just for Vickie. "It was just beautiful," Vickie says, eyes sparkling.

Married since June 1981, the Giles are still going to barbecues, but not with rabbit as the main course like it was that memorable night. Whole hog, pork shoulder, or pork ribs: That's the barbecue they deal with these days as judges trained by the Memphis In May organization. They've judged sanctioned contests in Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. Bill says they got interested in judging because "I felt like it was something we could do together."

Bill hunts enthusiastically from October to January, but the two still find lots of time together. Throughout the 22-year history of Vickie's School of Dance, for instance, Bill had walked in Clinton's Christmas Parade, helping with 100 or so ballet, tap, jazz, baton and/or tumbling students, ages 3-19. During Bill's 23 years as a football coach, Vickie has been in the stands, cheering him and the players he's tried "to prepare for the real world."

The two of them, early in their married life, judged Miss Mississippi preliminaries, so Vickie thinks it's funny that they "went from judging beauty pageants … to judging barbecue contests." Since he loves to cook and she loves to eat, it is a natural fit, though.

Most recently the couple judged a brand-new meet in Philadelphia, Miss. Bill judged whole hog and ribs, while Vickie judged ribs only. Vickie says you can tell when they start pulling the meat for you whether or not it will be tough or tender.

There's that word again: tender. Football, barbecue, and love—sounds like heaven to me.