2025 defensive highlight tape.
Varsity allowed 9.1 ppg
29 takeaways, 30 sacks, 75 TFL
7 defensive touchdowns.
12-1 record, SCC champions, class SS state champions, ranked #2 in CT.
Very proud of this group!! They earned every bit of this!! #cthsfb
https://t.co/hrJ4iwOBSd
Proud to be part of such a historic season finishing 12-1 and winning our programs 15th state championship. Excited for what’s to come next year! Here are my season stats:
125 TOT
9 TFL
1.5 Sacks
2 fumble recoveries
@ErikBecker42@CoachLadas@coachttarantino@HandTigersFB
Major cheat code for life: Be fully where your feet are. When you're at work, work. When you're with family, be with family. When you're resting, rest. Most people are physically present and mentally everywhere else.
The older I get, the more I realize that becoming a better person is mostly about returning to simple things. Move daily. Eat real food. Keep your word. Work hard. Sleep well. Spend time outside. Love your people deeply. Most answers are simpler than we make them.
Absolute die hard #jets fan here…let’s just get this out of the way and get to the 2027 draft
W L L L L L L W L L W W L W L L L
5-12. 2028 is our year.
“The most successful organization we will ever be a part of” man…what an honor it is to have a role in this. Couldn’t be more proud of this group. So well deserved by every player and coach! @HandTigersFB#cthsfb
Daniel Hand is one of the most accomplished small-town football programs in the country.
Since 1970:
- 76% win rate
- 30 league titles
- 15 state championships
The Tigers went 12-1 last season, won state title No. 15, and now look to kick off 2026 with a big out-of-state matchup vs defending Division 1 Champion Bishop Hendrickson (RI)
@ErikBecker42 #PublicSchoolsTop25
A friend of mine used to say: “Show up on time, with a good attitude, and do what you said you’d do. That’s it. That’s 90% of winning in life." The older I get, the more I realize just how right he was.
Arrogance in disguise is delivering something without giving it your absolute best, while assuming you can simply fix it later.
The reality is that even when we do give our absolute best, it is rarely perfect. When we look back, we almost always see things we could have done better.
Modesty is giving your best effort, while still expecting that there will be room to improve. It means staying humble enough to notice the signs, feedback, and gaps that can help you make the work better.
True excellence is not believing your work is already good enough.
It is caring deeply, doing your best, and remaining open to improvement.
Major cheat code for life: Believe that things will work out for you. Not blindly, but through effort. When you expect good things and pair it with action, you start noticing opportunities others miss. Optimism paired with effort is a powerful force.
Notre Dame DB Coach Aaron Henry dropping truth on modern coaching
Care first. Make it fun (games, colors, analogies)
Meet them where they are. Then push hard
This is how the best coaches & programs build real buy-in
Old school coaches — watch this.
LeBron James has 13,378 more points, 6,881 more rebounds & 7,427 more assists than Michael Jordan in 660 more games.
"Longevity" you say. Not impressive.
To match LeBron's current career totals, MJ would have to come out of retirement (again) and average the following over 660 games:
20.3 PPG - 10.4 RPG - 11.3 APG - 65.8% TS
MJ would have to produce like a more efficient version of Magic Johnson for over 8 STRAIGHT SEASONS, on top of what he already did, to match LeBron's career.
LeBron will never be as loved as Jordan, but he is the superior player.
Ben McCollum shares what it feels like to be around first-place people and a first-place culture.
"I went to Northwest Missouri State, and my first practice with Steve Tapmeyer - best coach I've ever been around - I sat there and I'm like, 'This is what first place feels like. This is what a first-place culture feels like. This is what first-place people feel like.'"
That was the wake-up call. He realized what first-place people have:
"They've got an extreme work ethic. They've got an edge to 'em that other people don't - a competitive spirit."
Then he quoted John Thompson:
"You can tame a fool a lot quicker than you can resurrect a corpse...We want guys with a little edge to 'em."
You can coach skills, but you can't coach competitive spirit. You don't want to consistently coach their effort and attitude.
The last thing they look for: Energy givers.
"Over the years, we found that guys that are moody don't make it in our program."
"If you're moody, if you have low energy, if you suck the life out of the building - you don't make it."
Talent isn't enough. Your energy matters. Your attitude matters.
Successful people have a competitive edge, they bring energy, and they look to consistently get better.
They raise the standard through what they do.
(🎥 Watts Happening Podcast)