When Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry member Charlie Daniels passed away back on July 6, a piece of former Georgia Bulldog Ray Drew died as well.

Their story is one of true respect and love.

Drew, a former five-star performer at Thomas County Central, had not yet committed to the Bulldogs when he made the drive to Valdosta for one of Daniels' concerts, with every intention of finding a way to meet the man famous for “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” and other legendary country songs.

Not only did Drew meet Daniels, but that meeting spawned a close friendship between the two that continued to grow until Daniels’ recent passing.

According to Drew, what may have seemed like an odd relationship to some, really wasn’t that strange at all.

“The thing with my relationship with Charlie that was so unique, was here I am, a young, African-American male from South Georgia, who by most stereotypes, standards or whatever, shouldn’t even be a fan,” Drew said. “But just seeing the way he interacted with everyone, no matter your color, race, or where you’re from; there was none of that.”

Even when their views differed, the bond between the two men remained strong.

“He had his belief on things and we had conversations where we agreed and disagreed. But all in all, whenever he operated, he operated out of love, and that was the biggest thing that I took away from him, was being a listener,” Drew said. “Being Charlie Daniels, he could have been very arrogant if he'd wanted to, holding the weight he did in the world, but he was a very humble spirit, a very kind person, and just a lover of people. That’s the thing that I took from him, just the way he loved everyone.”

Drew said the nine years they were able to know each other was a blessing he’ll never forget.

“Of course, we had the football rivalry going on with him being a Tennessee fan and me playing for Georgia,” Drew said. “We had a lot of fun just fun poking back and forth about what team we represented.”

Drew, now running his own trucking company (633 Transport), having since retired after a four-year career with Montreal in the CFL, said his first meeting with Daniels was one he’ll never forget.

Daniels was performing at a show at Wild Adventures in nearby Valdosta when Drew had the notion that he was going to find a way to meet the fiddle-playing legend.

“I was able to work some Ray Drew magic,” laughed Drew, who was able to get a phone number for Daniels’ drummer Pat McDonald, a big Georgia Bulldog fan.

The connection paid off as Drew was able to meet Daniels later that day.

“I actually got his number first, because I wasn’t too comfortable asking for Mr. Daniels, but by the end the of day, Mr. Daniels actually extended his number to me and told me to stay in touch with him,” Drew recalled.

A second meeting saw Drew bring his entire family to meet the country music star.

“I had a chance to introduce him to my mom, my dad, and my brother. At that point I don’t think they'd ever been to a Charlie concert,” Drew said, laughing. “I think I was in the process of expanding their musical Rolodex, but after that, they fell in love with Charlie as well. It was hard not to. He just had that feeling about him.”

Daniels’ down-to-earth persona is something Drew said he’ll never forget.

“It went from just, let’s go enjoy the show to I’ve got a chance to meet him now, to now he’s just like everyone else, when you had a chance to talk to him,” he said. “All in all, the part I enjoyed the most was the conversation. Aside from him being the legend that he is, pertaining to the world of country music, the thing for me was the conversations that we had.

“It wasn’t always about football or music. The thing that I can rest easy in with his passing is, he was a believer. He was a man who knew the Lord, and that is what gives me peace throughout the entire process. I knew he was one that had that part of his life already worked out.”

Drew’s friendship didn’t just extend to Daniels and members of his band. He also befriended his wife Hazel and sought her approval before agreeing to conduct this interview to speak about his friend.

“Charlie had a spirit that wasn’t quite like everyone else’s,” Drew said. “He had a presence about himself that, when you were around him, you just knew you were in the presence of someone who had IT. Whatever IT is, you knew you were in the presence of it."