MATT ROBLES/Arizona Daily Wildcat Coach Harold Jones, the inspiration for the movie Radio, signs speech and hearing sciences sophomore Jane Anderson's book last night at the Manuel T. Pacheco Integrated Learning Center.

Coach Harold Jones, the inspiration for the movie "Radio," spoke to students last night about how a mentally disabled man changed his life.

Jones, a former high school football and track coach, told the few in attendance the story of his experiences with Radio.

Fewer than 15 people turned out for the speech last night sponsored by ASUA's Speakers Board and the Associated Students with Disabilities.

Jones and Radio's story became widely known after the movie "Radio," with Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ed Harris was released.

Jones said the movie follows very closely to true events depicting his growing friendship with James "Radio" Kennedy, now in his 50s.

Jones said Radio is like another son to him.

"(Radio) teaches us so much. We learn more from him than he learns from us," Jones said.

In 1964 Jones, a junior varsity football coach at T.L. Hanna High School in Anderson, S.C. and his assistant coach Dennis Patterson noticed a young black man sitting on the sidelines during practice, Jones said.

They quickly realized he had a disability.

Radio couldn't talk at the time but would mimic the players during practice, Jones said.

At first, Jones said, Radio wouldn't get close to the coaches and players but began to get closer when he started to trust the coaches and team.

Jones began to invite Radio to games and practices and he became a fixture of the team, Jones said.

In 1970, when Radio was in his 20s, he started going to high school on a regular basis, Jones said.

Radio lived about six to seven miles from school but walked everyday.

Radio started by going to Jones' Physical Education class but then began to go to other classrooms also, Jones said.

He never caused any problems so the teachers and principal let him attend, Jones said.

MATT ROBLES/Arizona Daily Wildcat Coach Harold Jones speaks to students about how his experiences with a mentally disabled man changed his life and inspired a movie last night in the ILC.

"The athletics brought Radio to school," Jones said.

The coaches would let him go to track meets and sometimes participate in some of the slower races.

When Jones became head football coach, he began to pick Radio up from his home everyday to bring him to school, Jones said.

Now Radio can talk and remember things Jones said he couldn't recognize before.

Jones said that he and Radio were both thrown out of a game once because Radio mimicked Jones and yelled at a referee.

After awhile, Jones said people started to protect Radio and look after him.

"The whole school loved him," Jones said.

In 1996, Gary Smith of Sports Illustrated spent a week with Jones and Radio and wrote a nine-page article about the two of them.

Jones said Hollywood started calling soon after the article was published in December 1996.

The movie was filmed in South Carolina. Cuba Gooding Jr. played Radio and Ed Harris played Coach Jones.

Jones and Radio were invited to the filming and Jones said he had a hard time keeping Radio off the set during the filming of the football games because Radio thought they were real.

Jones said they wanted to make the movie to help increase others' understanding of people with special needs.

Jones said Radio, 58, still goes to school every day.

The school now has a special education class that Radio goes to.

He also still goes to sports practices at the school.

"His life is going to T.L. Hanna High School every day. That's just his life," Jones said.

Jones retired in 1999, but still spends a lot of time with Radio. Jones said he and Radio do a lot of charity work in their spare time.

Radio travels with Jones when Jones speaks at events close enough to drive to, but Radio never flies.

Jones said Radio loves to eat and the only thing that would take him away from Wednesday night church would be food.

Fernando Ascencio, Director of ASUA's Speaker Board, said ASUA heavily advertised for the event, and said he didn't know why more people didn't show up.

"It was beautifully done," said Ascencio, a political science senior. "I wish there would have been more people here."

Peter Reifsteck, Associated Students with Disabilities director, partnered with the Speakers Board to bring Jones to the UA.

"I am extraordinarily disappointed with the turnout," said Reifsteck, a political science junior. "It was a good story to tell. A lot of people missed out."