Where are they now?
To protect and serve

Carol Brimm

Many people go through life searching for the place they truly belong, that place that fills the soul with peace and gives them a sense of fulfillment, purpose and pride. For those who are lucky enough to find their “niche” in the world, life is very full. Ken Jordan, a 1989 MHS graduate, is one of those lucky few.

Jordan found the land that he loves in northwestern Oklahoma when he attended Northwestern University in Alva, after graduating from Mustang High School in 1989. He played football at Mustang as a receiver and back-up quarterback and many of his high school buddies were attending Northwestern so Jordan tried out his freshman year. He made the team as a walk-on receiver and the school offered him a scholarship the next year. He was a receiver for Northwestern throughout his eligibility, graduating with a degree in Science Education in 1996.

Jordan married his college sweetheart, Anita Tucker, in 1993. They have a nine-year-old son, Hunter and a baby daughter, Hope, born July 26, 2006. Anita is a science teacher at Cherokee Schools. She grew up in Jet, Okla. and Jordan and his father-in-law own two farms totaling just less than 2,500 acres there. They have a cattle herd and raise wheat, rye and milo.

“I was just 5 hours away from a Biology major and Chemistry minor when I decided I wanted to stay in this area. I began to look for a way to stay here and be able to farm and ranch and so I became a teacher,” Jordan said.

He taught middle school science in Enid for two years after college and then became a high school science teacher at Timberlake, a consolidated school system serving Jet, Nash, Helena and Goltry. After four years at Timberlake, Jordan says he decided to join the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

“I didn’t hate teaching, but I felt like being a trooper was a better fit. It just seemed like it was the thing for me,” Jordan said. “Being a state trooper is not like work to me. I get tired, but I never get tired of my job. It’s something different everyday.”

Jordan is proud to be a member of J Troop, covering Alfalfa, Woods and Major counties. He says the money doesn’t matter he would do the job for free if he could afford it.

Part of his duties as a Highway Patrolman includes enforcing traffic laws. Although most stops are routine, Jordan says some people will lie when the truth sounds better in an attempt to get out of a ticket. Some of the more common excuses for speeding are an urgent need for restroom facilities or the imminent death of a relative in the hospital. Some people cry. Jordan says you have to be compassionate, but also professional and consistent.

“People don’t take it to heart if they get out of a ticket,” Jordan said. “I’ve worked enough crashes that I know by enforcing traffic laws I’m working to avoid crashes where innocent people end up getting hurt.”

Jordan says he knows the location of every restroom in the county and when a motorist uses that excuse; he simply follows them to the nearest facilities so they can take care of their business while he takes care of his. He says when he offers to escort people to the hospital they usually admit that their story was untrue.

Occasionally a routine traffic stop turns into something more dangerous. On one occasion, Jordan stopped an automobile containing two men and little girl. Both men were high on meth and an altercation ensued when Jordan attempted to make an arrest.

“It started out as a normal traffic stop and all of a sudden one of the guys snapped. I had to put him on the ground with my gun and the whole time I was scared for the little girl. I was doing everything in my power to make sure she didn’t become a victim,” Jordan said.

In addition to traffic enforcement, Jordan also serves, as the Firearm Instructor for J Troop, is a trained first responder, works crashes, helps stranded motorists, speaks at school and civic organizations and does safety programs.

Jordan says being a trooper also gives him the opportunity to spend time with his kids, work on the ranch, coach little league, be a member of the Timberlake School Board, and participate in his favorite sport, bow hunting. He is busy, but says he can’t blame anyone other than himself because these are all things he enjoys.

“People get so caught up on having stuff, they miss out on the quality of life,” Jordan says.

He says his biggest satisfaction is his family and children. Coaching his son’s little league baseball team this summer was a blast, he said, and hunting gives him time to spend with his father.

“I am an avid hunter,” Jordan said. “It’s good rest and relaxation and even though I am not ‘in the heat of the moment’ all the time as a trooper it is a high stress job. Hunting is about getting away from it all and living out here its right at my fingertips. I really enjoy hunting with my dad.”

Jordan’s parents, Paul and Pat Jordan, are Mustang residents. He says he and his brothers, Greg and J.P., grew up attending the First Baptist Church in Mustang with their parents.

“I am a member of the Methodist Church here and I have a strong faith in God. I couldn’t do my job without it,” Jordan said.

Jordan says the lord blessed him with a good upbringing, good parents, and teachers like Charlotte Blevins. Ms. Blevins was his science teacher and Jordan says she probably has no idea how much she influenced him by keeping him in line.

“I’m not the richest guy in the world,” Jordan said, “but it doesn’t matter because I’m happy with my life and I’m happy with what I do.”