Q&A with Bobby Weinacker ’77
DKE: What year did you graduate from Alabama?
BW: My pledge year was 1973, graduated from UA in 1977, UA Med School in 1981, and UA Law School in 1986.
DKE: Who were some of your pledge brothers at the DKE house?
BW: Kim “Deep Sea Diver” Lea ’79, Logan Gewin ’77, Bill Buchanan ’77, Robert Houston ’77, Albert Haas ’77, Robbie Outlaw ’77, Steve Terry ’77, Zeb Hargett ’77, Bill “Troll” Miller ’77, Sandy McMurphy, Bobby Holt ’76, Dubby Hannon ’77, Doug Davis ’77, Chris Kyle ’77, Mike Lapeyrouse ’77, Maurice Crow ’77, Eddie Brewster ’77, Steve Woodley ’77, Gaston Jones ’75, “Catfish” Danny ’77, and Jimmy Phillips ’77.
DKE: Do you stay in touch with them?
BW: I see many of them in Mobile and others I see on game day at the DKE House.
DKE: Any Pop stories during pledgeship or
otherwise?
BW: Pop had an incredible memory. I would watch alumni walk up to him on game day and ask if he remembered them. He would not only remember their names, but the names of the girls they had dated at Alabama.
DKE: Are there “special memories” from your years in school that we might need to know about?
BW: So many that I could write a book—but DKEs don’t squeal on each other. However, I must say that whoever invented the “Barbasol Bomb” was a deviate genius. Think of a shaving cream can shot with a BB gun at just the right time and covering everything within a 10 foot diameter white.
DKE: What is your medical specialty?
BW: Radiation oncology, treating cancer patients with radiation.
DKE: Why did you decide to go to both law school and med school?
BW: It seemed like the thing to do at the time and it got me another three years in T-Town (for a grand total of nine years)! Also, later I obtained my third doctoral degree, an S.J.D. (Dr. of Juridical Science) specifically in Health Law, at Widener University School of Law, and my wife, Lisa, and I obtained MBAs from Averett University in Virginia.
DKE: Which of all these degrees do you use most in your career?
BW: Currently I am practicing health law and radiation oncology. I’m also a registered U.S. patent attorney with an interest in pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
DKE: Tell us about your wife and family.
BW: I have been married almost 23 years to Lisa Breeden, whom I met while living in Virginia. We have three boys (payback time?): Bobby IV (18), who “signed in blood on the dotted line” and is now a member of the upcoming DKE Psi pledge class, Jack (16), and Will (14).
DKE: How many brothers and sisters?
BW: I have four brothers and four sisters for a total of nine of us. Growing up, there was always something to do and most of what we did revolved around sports. There must have been a little studying in there somewhere because all nine of us have college degrees, there are four additional doctoral degrees and three separate masters degrees (which were not part of a doctoral program). My brothers, Gerry ’80 and Sidney ’81 (“Snydley”), were DKEs at Alabama with pledge years of 1976 and 1977. I had a few nephews “kiss the goat” recently, including John Pat ’12 and Jeffrey Weinacker ’14 from Birmingham and the Hale boys: Hunter ’11, Robbie ’13, Jack ’14 and Patrick ’16. My mother and my sisters were all Tri-Delts at UA.
DKE: Did you study martial arts? Please explain.
BW: I moved around a lot while trying to get educated, so I ended up studying about five different styles of martial arts. I took the best techniques from each one and combined that with the knowledge of Close Quarters Combat, which I learned in Special Forces.
DKE: Tell us about the Special Forces. When and how did that come about?
BW: I always wanted to be a Green Beret and volunteered after completing med school. I went through all three phases of Special Forces training and additional training as a Flight Surgeon (flew TH-55 helicopters), Diving Medical Officer
(SCUBA, Mixed Gas Hard Hat to 300 foot depth and Hyperbarics) and Master Parachutist. Once I was SF Tab Qualified, I became the Commander of a 12-man Special Forces SCUBA Team. We had a great team and trained hard and played hard. I stayed in about 13 ½ years, and then got out after being promoted to a rank where I could no longer be on a team..
DKE: Did DKE play a role in all your accomplishments?
BW: Well, newboy year was about discipline, delayed gratification, and doing what you were told (immediately). It included holding everyone accountable for an error that may not have been your fault. Through that, trust and bonds were developed that last a lifetime. Also, we would listen to some of the best story tellers in the world. Dudley Dawson ’76 and Ladd Brown ’76 could entertain us all with tales that were not only hilarious, but taught the value of thinking and planning before acting. Even to this day, DKEs are excellent planners, whether it involves themed parties (Suppressed Desires, Undertakers, etc.) or just a midnight run to the Krystal to Guerrilla walk on the countertop just like “Troll.” I like that the three hour per night weekday study hall is still in effect. This encourages newboys to use that time to study and helps improve grades. I also appreciated the camaraderie and physical fitness rewards gained by playing DKE intramural sports, and at one time or another I participated in touch (later flag) football, basketball, softball, tennis, racquetball, swimming, handball (doubles with Bill “Troll” Miller ’77), and the sons of mercury track and field team—where my specialty was the combined sprint, jump, duck, dodge, and hide event.
DKE: There is a rumor that you put a cast on the house manager’s leg one night after he “fell asleep.” Is this true?
BW: You know, that false rumor has been circulating for years. So thank you for the opportunity to clear that up. All I know is that I was awakened early one morning when my roommate in the lower bunk let out a blood curdling scream. I looked down to see him trying to walk but repeatedly falling to the floor. His knee was locked in a bent position by a full length cast extending to his hip and his foot was pointing down like a dancing ballerina. The cast must have been on his leg for several days because it was signed with different colored ink and had about 20 signatures including Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, Peter Parker and Ben Grim. Even the Wooley Goat signed.
DKE: Anything left out?
BW: Nothing that I’d be willing to commit to print!
Bobby lives in Mobile with his family. Reach out to him via e-mail at [email protected].