To Be An Offensive Lineman is To Understand Real Life:
10 Thoughts:
1) I was not an offensive lineman. I wished I had been.
2) I didn’t coach OL ( except once in high school in 1981-82… and it taught me more about football than anything since)
3) OL develop better/deeper/ lifetime friendships than any gang of humans I’ve seen in my 68 years of existence
4) Brotherhood can easily be defined in Webster’s Dictionary as : “See Offensive Lineman”
5) Want to learn complicated communication? Go To OL school
6) Want to learn how to Always Get The Blame and Never The Glory ( See OL Life)
7) Want to have a secret club where there’s a skillset and language that others can’t ever understand but your Gang of OL are fluent in (See OL)
8) Want to understand and appreciate food better than any cult in the history of mankind (See OL)
9) Want to get old and be surrounded by a gang of comrades who live in blissful nostalgia ( regardless of how bad life is) every time the old gang gets back together ( See OL)
10) And finally…Want to die with 5 humans that were beside u thru thick and thin, thru marriage and divorce, thru wealth and bankruptcy, thru fat and GLP1’s, Thru cancer and cure, thru birth and tragedy…Simply See OL…
I wish I had been good enough , big enough, smart enough, tough enough, unselfish enough, and ego-less to be the best…Because that would have made me an Offensive Lineman
For 27 years I’ve worked for the top academic high school in Alabama.
For the last 12 years I’ve been stopping by, learning and writing down lessons from our 90 year old security guard.
Today was his last. Wisdom too good not to share.
I can't stop thinking about this question:
Are you willing to sprint when the distance is unknown?
In 2021, Georgia Tech strength coach Lewis Caralla delivered this epic speech to the football team.
If it doesn't get you motivated, you may need to check your pulse...
He opens with a few harsh truths:
• Winning isn't loyal to you
• Winning doesn't care about you
• Winning doesn't care how sore you are
• Winning doesn't care how hard you work
• Winning doesn't care how much sleep you get
But it's his question that stuck with me:
Are you willing to sprint when the distance is unknown?
The willingness to sprint with no clear view of the finish line is rare.
It requires two things:
1. A deep belief in one's self
2. A deep belief in the mission
If you have 1 but not 2, you won't be able to do it.
If you have 2 but not 1, you won't be able to do it.
You need both.
In my observation, the greatest things in life are accomplished when you're willing to sprint when the distance is unknown:
The sprint to care for your loved ones in their time of need.
The sprint to build something meaningful.
The sprint to serve others and create positive ripples in the world.
Goal: Find those rare things in life that you're willing to sprint for when the distance is unknown.
That, to me, is the definition of winning.
"And why chase winning? Because the only thing that's guaranteed in life if you don't chase it is losing."
After today's 55-14 win, @Harding_FB Head Coach Paul Simmons had some words for the flexbone haters of the world:
"People love to attack the flexbone because it's not cool, it's not fancy... Running the flexbone is pretty good if you care about winning." #D2FB@ReportOption
God bless Southerners.
This pic was taken at the Iron Bowl last night, and I woke up today with some strong feelings about what I’ve experienced in the South.
First, I’m a NY kid, born and raised, but I’ve spent most of my adult life far south of NY. Between Georgia, Maryland, Florida and Alabama, we’ve been around. And I’ve really grown attached to Southerners, and here’s why (note: I obviously haven’t met every person from the South, this is MY EXPERIENCE):
-God matters. Their faith is central to their lives, and they’re proud of it. Nothing comes before God. Nothing.
-Manners and structure matter. They’re not vestigial structures from a bygone era. They’re links to the past, and bridges to the future that instill order and discipline in a chaotic world.
-They’re proud, but not arrogant. I once offered to buy a friend of a friend a pair of new boots because his were beat up, and he flatly refused to take the offer. I saw it in his eyes and I instantly regretted it. I knew I had misjudged the situation, and although my intentions were pure, I was angry at myself for not reading the room better.
-They absolutely love college football. But the love is pure, not contaminated. I sat with 80,000 plus people in Auburn watching a game that had zero chance of the home team producing a championship. I watched them scream, I watched them hug their wives and kids with a joy I’ve never seen before as each insane play of an amazing game unfolded. I also watched them cry at an ending they didn’t expect. And, despite the ending, I watched them treat the Roll Tide fans with absolute respect on the way out. No fights. No evil. Just a pure, innocent, love of the game.
I often joke on my podcast and radio show how I’d like you all (y’all?) to adopt me, but I’m happy just being an observer. To the people I have met down South, thank you for so deeply enriching my life. And to those I haven’t, God bless y’all. 🇺🇸