David A. Theobald

David A. Theobald was born in Decatur, Indiana and at the tender age of four Theobald moved, with his family, to Chattanooga, Tennessee where he learned the ways of the wilderness while emulating his favorite Disney Star, Fess "Davey Crocket" Parker, in the small stand of trees that surrounded their cul-de-sac. There he played another favorite character from the movie A Man Called Horse as he pulled logs, that his older brothers had chopped, to a clearing where they were building a log cabin.

After four short years the family moved back to Decatur where Little "Hoss" Theobald lived until 1961, when his family moved to Fullerton, California. There the young lad learned to surf and tried playing Pop Warner football. Alas, at the age of 11 the boy was so large (already 6 feet tall and 200 pounds) that he was not allowed to play with the wee ones of Pop Warner.

His family moved to Hoopeston, Illinois in 1963, where Theobald eventually starred in high school football for the Hoopeston Cornjerkers. He even dreamed of being a professional football player. Unfortunately, he was about as fleet of foot as a rock and that career wouldn't pan out. He attended Western Illinois University where he played a little football, wrestled and put the shot collegiately. While at WIU he completed a Bachelor's of Science degree in Recreation and Park Administration. He also earned a Master's of Science degree and his Master's thesis Learning the Concept of Trajectory and Performance in the Shot Put, was eventually selected as one of the top pieces of research in 1980 and published by the University of Oregon.

Following a four year stint as a teacher in Barry, Illinois, Theobald joined the State Farm Insurance Companies where he has worked for more than thirty years.

At a 2005 high school class gathering while he and his friends retold tales from the golden years of their youth, Theobald was inspired to start a novel about their senior year, 1967-68, CORNJERKERS.