Tuesday July 14, 2009

A Lifetime Commitment

A Lifetime Commitment
Last week I had a great opportunity to sit down with one of the top assistant coaches in college football for about a two hour conversation. I flooded him with questions about the game and the experiences of this coach who has won a national title and coached in several BCS bowls.

One of the questions I asked him was, “What is the difference between a program like Alabama and others he has coached?”

He said there were a few differences but two stuck out in my mind. First he said, “They have seen good football at Alabama and they have seen bad football there. They know the difference and they will not accept bad football. They will not accept mediocrity there.”

I will have more on that subject at another date but I was also very interested in his other big difference. The coach said, “At Alabama, there is a close bond with former players and the program. Bill Curry really screwed up when he tried to take down Bear Bryant’s tower and he forced former players to have passes to get into practice. That does not go over in Tuscaloosa. Former players are like gods there. They are a link to the fans and the past to the present. It is so important to embrace your former players and get them involved in every aspect of your program. That what the great programs do.”

The University of Miami might be the best example of this. Do you think the linebackers at Miami benefited from having Ray Lewis around during the summers?

Florida State also does a great job of this. I would guess Seminole cornerbacks are better because Deion Sanders is around the program.

Dabo Swinney has seen this bond from his playing and coaching days at Alabama and he understands the importance of getting the former players back involved. In fact, he has made it a big priority in his time as the head coach to hire former players in positions within the athletic department.

One of his first moves was to get Jeff Davis into a new position. He brought back Woody McCorvey who coached here for several years and part of his responsibilities is to reconnect with former players.

In the future Dabo would like to create a few positions for other former players and coaches to help with this link.

If you went to his first summer camps a few weeks ago you would have noticed a lot of former players working the camps.

Last night at dinner I had a chance to get caught up with a former Tiger great who would be perfect for a future role here in Clemson. Anthony Waters is in town to work out for the upcoming NFL season and because he says he loves it here. He likes working out with current players and understands how important his leadership can be to the current players.

The former Tiger linebacker was kind enough to come on my radio show early this morning. The third round draft pick in the 2007 NFL draft reflected upon his decision to come back for his senior season because he told his mother he was going to get his degree. He talked about how important it was for him to provide leadership from the sidelines that season despite his torn ACL. Waters also talked about facing adversity and turning it into a positive experience.

Waters talked about his NFL seasons with the San Diego Chargers and his new team, the New Orleans Saints. He gave us a look inside the NFL and how the game differs from college football.

But the thing I learned the most from the interview was Waters’ love for his alma mater.

Anthony Waters is a die-hard Tiger fan. The last two questions I asked him this morning gave us a peak at how much this community means to him. When I asked him what it would mean to him if and when he is inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame, Waters seemed overwhelmed and humbled. I have never heard someone blush over the radio but it seemed Waters was hit hard by this idea.

When I asked the Lake View native if he would ever consider coming back and working for the athletic department or football program, Waters said it would be a dream and he could never turn down Clemson after what it has given him.

This fall Clemson will induct a new class into its Athletic Hall of Fame and a proud member of that class will be Brian Dawkins. It is imperative that Clemson gets people like Dawkins back more often and more involved in the future. Of all of the changes Dabo will make in his time here at Clemson, nothing will be as important as bringing together the entire family including the people who built the program. The good news is Dabo has this unique quality to unite.

Clemson golf coach Larry Penley might be the best at keeping his former players involved. On any given day you can find former Clemson players and current Tour players back on campus at their practice facility practicing with the current players. This type of bond is priceless. He won as a player at Clemson and a coach. Is it a coincidence that his program might be the most successful of any at Clemson?

Perhaps Penley sums it up best when he says, “When we recruit a kid and were trying to sign a kid to be a part of our Clemson golf family they need to understand one thing. I don’t want you committed for four or five years, I want you committed for life. If a kid is just interested in coming here and using us for his four years and never giving back then I am not interested. That lifetime commitment solidifies your program and the people as one. They better come back and see me and be a part of this thing we have built. That is the Bear Bryant and Gene Stallings philosophy. Clemson preaches the Clemson family and it easy to talk it but we need to live it too. That is the way we live in our Clemson golf family.”

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency

Prayer List
We have started a prayer list on the blog. Here are the guidelines:
*If you are offended by prayer or prayer lists then I apologize in advance. The blog is free and the prayer list will be on the bottom of the page so you don’t have to read it.
*If you would like to add someone to the list please e-mail me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com
*If you want the reason for the prayer to be added to the name please specify in your e-mails.
*Please let me know when it is appropriate to take the person off of the prayer list

Those who need our prayers include:
Finn Brookover, Mrs. Kathleen Bowers, Larry in Naples, FL, RTG-Pawsitive Tiger, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Jo Ann Bachman, Frank Taylor, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Christine Hepfer, Daniel Rosborough, Amy Murphey, Jack Huffman, Nancy Winkler, Dr. Nancy Strom Morgan, John Reeve, Eileen Woodrum, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Jean-Pierre Bailey, Kaitlyn L, William Perry, Delores Weaver, Eric Boessneck, John Bowers, Jimmy Ness, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, John Petrey, the Byrd family, the Dixon family, Chalmers Carr.