Luke Falk shared a Mike Leach story that stopped me cold:
Two kids. One rich. One poor.
Every training camp, Coach Leach told his team about these 2 kids.
The rich kid has two choices.
Get soft. Get entitled. Expect everything handed to him because he was handed more.
Or take the resources, the coaching, the opportunities, and compound them into something greater.
The poor kid has two choices too.
Say nobody gave him anything. Blame the world. Make his circumstances the reason he never became what he could have been.
Or outwork everyone in the room.
Luke said the locker room had both. Kids from wealth. Kids from nothing. Kids with every advantage. Kids who scraped for every inch.
Same choice for all of them.
Ownership or victimhood.
Fuel or excuse.
The rich kid can waste the head start or build on it.
The poor kid can drown in the deficit or weaponize it.
Greatness doesn't come from where you start.
It comes from which kid you choose to feed.
Credit to @coachlukefalk for continuing to share golden nuggets about Coach’s legacy
Missoula, Montana is the kind of place where people float the river after work, hike before dinner, and let the mountains set the pace instead of the market.
This is Pure Gold. I had the pleasure of spending time with Coach Holtz. I wanted to hear him explain his Three Rules for Life! 1) Do what’s right - trust. 2) Do everything to the best of your ability- commitment. 3) Show people you care - love. It’s pretty simple. He goes on to highlight why the transfer portal is ruining college football. The kids are losing out on the life lessons learned- how to persevere, how to be committed to a program and a group of people. You miss out on the bonds you create over 4 years. If you leave, you still have the problem, you are changing the address. These are words to live by.
We were honored to participate in the celebration of life ceremony for UNC’s Director of Keenan Stadium, James Spurling. Thank you @UNCFootball for allowing us to be a part of his work and legacy.
Personal note: James Spurling was a staple for @UNCFootball. The comments you may see from folks like @CoachMackBrown, @CoachFedora & others are 100% true: he was, and is, beloved by us all. He made my time at Carolina better. A great loss for UNC, but a greater gain for Heaven.
What a wonderful man who truly loved UNC with all his heart and soul. He wanted the best for everyone he met and worked tirelessly to make that happen and never expected anything in return. I will miss my fiend but I do know that I will see him again someday. ❤️ u James Spurling
In honor of the incomparable James Spurling, the west concourse at Kenan Stadium will now be known as the James Spurling West Concourse. 👏👏
“What you have done for this place will never go away, and now your legacy will live forever,” - Mack Brown
🔗 https://t.co/XmSyw7mJsq
I met some great people along my journey at UNC, and Mr James Spurling was truly one of the all-time greats.
Devoted to Carolina and Kenan Memorial Stadium. We’ll miss your “hey buddy” greetings, positivity, and presence at Carolina Football.
RIP Legend!🐏 🩵
Mr. Spurling was the true representation of what it meant to be a Tar Heel! No task was too big or too small and he was always willing to help! I’ll miss our morning conversations, my friend but I know you are in a better place.
R.I.P. to a true Tar Heel Legend
If you were ever fortunate enough to be a Football Coach at UNC you were fortunate enough to know James Spurling. What a great man and friend. Sad day.