Staying connected.... Lombardi's Run to Daylight

My first favorite football team was Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers and their QB was my favorite player, Bart Starr. When Lombardi left the Packers, I became a Fran Tarkenton, Minnesota Vikings fan. But my earliest memories of football are the team with the gold helmets, like my Dad's Boyle County teams wore.

One of the ways I can stay connected to my love for the game of football is reading Vince Lombardi's RUN TO DAYLIGHT every summer.  It is the diary of a week from the 1962 season as they prepared to play the Detroit Lions.  I enjoy reading the names of great Packers and Lions as they prepared that week. Names like Herb Adderly, Jimmy Taylor, Paul Hornung, Willie Davis, Ron Kramer, Jerry Kramer, Fuzzy Thurston, Forrest Gregg, Will Wood, Alex Karras, Joe Schmidt, Night Train Lane, Milt Plum and many more.

Reading the book, you can imagine Lombardi saying the words on the pages. It allows the reader to see more of how  Lombardi interacted with his players and those around him. Yes, he was very tough. But, he also listened to others and was much more thoughtful in how he dealt with his players than the typical way that Lombardi is portrayed in popular culture. Bottom line, it is really cool to feel like you are having a conversation with Coach Lombardi.

I learn something new every time I read his book and it always makes me a better coach. What I learn would probably bore many people. And, writing about all of those insights would turn into plagiarism..... MOST of the pages in the book have either turned down corners or particular passages highlighted.

All of that is beneficial, but not the reason WHY I try to read it before every season.

Reading Run To Daylight keeps me connected to my original love of football.

When I was a little guy, I always wanted to be around my Dad's players at games and practices. Hard to believe now, but one of my best memories was after a Boyle win at Anderson County, I got to ride the bus home with the team.  My love of bus rides has diminished significantly.

I also watched every bit of college and pro football on TV. And, then, of course, would have to go outside to BE those guys that I had just watched with my Dad.

I enjoy being a head football coach.  But, there is a bunch of stuff that goes with the job that have very little to do with football. A bunch of that stuff is not fun either.   If I don't make a conscious effort to prevent it, that "stuff" gets bigger than the game of football and can take my focus off all the things I enjoy about football, our coaches, and especially being around our players. 

Just this morning, we had a scouting rep at our workout. He couldn't get over what a great indoor facility we have at Mercer. He was very impressed. It really struck me how much I take for granted and that I don't always appreciate we have an indoor football field with grass and lines!  If I were 5 years old, my Dad wouldn't be able to get me out of there!

Today is our last workout day until July 10th. I am excited about the season. Lombardi's book has reconnected me to a bunch of great memories of my Dad and first experiences with the game of football.... to the point that I can't imagine that I could ever walk away from coaching.  And as for me and Lombardi, at least I can say I like hamburgers and probably eat as many as he did. :)

Year 27.... still plenty of room for improvement...trying to get better everyday... Wes Neal

Each season, I try to review Wes Neal's HANDBOOK ON COACHING PERFECTION. My Dad had a copy of this book and it is a great resource for how to run a football program in a Christ-like way.

Because of the violent nature of  football, my Dad asked my grandmother in the 1950's... "Can you be a Christian and be a football coach?"  Fortunately there have been hundreds of GREAT examples to prove that yes, Christians can coach football. But, it is also an insight into some coaching methods that are not consistent with being a follower of Christ. From some perspectives, Wes Neal's book would be considered radical. I am ok with being radical , especially for the right reasons!

This year and for the first time ever as a head coach, I prepared a questionnaire modeled after the one in his book. I have modified it to fit into a public school. I don't hide my faith, but I also believe God wants me to obey the law.  I also know that my actions and how I treat others are the most effective and appropriate way to share the Good News in a public school setting.

In 2018, part of the reason for this questionnaire is very practical. Already in June, I have talked to several coaches that will have fewer players than they expected this season. That is true for us at Mercer County as well. This questionnaire will be a concrete way that myself and our staff will be able to make a better connection to our kids and improve our relationships with our players. 

Going into year 27, I need to be especially vigilante in evaluating everything I do as a head coach. We don't want our approach to become stale. We want our kids to get better everyday. The head coach needs to get better everyday as well!

Scout Team QB Part 2- Andre Turner, Chris Hull, Sparky, and the Tooth

Andre Turner- #64, 2003 Recreation Bowl
Photo by Terry Prather of the Maysville Ledger Independent
It was a tradition/ honor at Mason County for really good players to wear #64

Andre Turner is in the conversation of the very best football players I've coached, ever, as an assistant or head coach.  He played defensive end and offensive guard at an extremely high level. He could run well, very strong, coachable, and tremendous motor..... a very physical football player. 

In 2003, we had an outstanding football team. Exceptional. Once again, I was the scout team quarterback.  One day in practice, we are running the reverse and I am about to hand the ball to Chris Hull (also a good football player) as a scout team wide receiver. I didn't know it, but Chris sees that Andre is about to drill him. Andre is doing exactly what he was coached to do..."trail as deep as the deepest back" when flow goes away from you. One reason we played it that way was to stop the reverse. 

Chris decides, and I don't blame him, "I would rather run into Coach Buchanan than Andre." I agree completely. Andre once cracked a teammate's sternum in practice, with his bare forearm. I wouldn't want to run into Andre either. The only problem was that Chris hit me square in the mouth with his helmet and knocked out one of my front teeth. 

Well... no one is bigger than the team and that certainly applies to a tooth.  We move practice down 20 + yards and continue to practice. I ask some of the guys in the back to look for my tooth while I continue as the scout team QB.  They find my tooth. I ask one of them to go in the football office, call Stephanie, and ask her to call our great friend and awesome dentist... Sparky McDowell.  She does and Sparky sends back instructions.... get the tooth in milk and come see me after practice. 

Sparky does his magic and gets the tooth back in. But, unfortunately a few months later, John Combs and I are wrestling at the house and he knocks it out again.  Stephanie put an end to that and Sparky once again made the repair.

Finally, the tooth disappeared for good in a potato skin at DeSha's. We had the blue-white scrimmage the next day so I had to go to practice before I could get it fixed. Josh Harris(also in the conversation of best ever for me to coach) use to get his game face on about Tuesday every week. But, that Friday morning, that may have been the biggest smile I ever got out of him when he saw his coach and that tooth missing in the huddle for the first time.

That afternoon, Sparky BUILT me a new tooth in his office. The man is the Rembrandt of dentistry.  He did such a good job, no one can tell which tooth was fake and which one is real. 

After that, I wore a mouthpiece when I ran the scout team. Next time you see me, try to guess which tooth is fake. Bet you can't tell. 

I'm still trying to catch my breath...THE HIT.... November 2000

2000 Mason County Royals were the EKC Champs & these guys made all conference:
Wade Cloyd, Matt Gilbert, Mitchell Thomas, Nathan Myrick, Harry Lewis (player of the year), Adam Zeigler, Bryan Purcell & Justin Merrill

Today I was in Maysville visiting my Mom and saw a bunch of good people, including Justin Merrill in Pasquales. Justin started at outside linebacker for us on a very good Mason County team in 2000.  He went on to play football at Union College, get his degree, and then became a member of the Maysville Police Department.

I am very proud of Justin but there is one memory of him that stands out more than the others. In November of that season we were getting ready for a playoff game. I was running scout team quarterback and Shawn Thompson, our defensive coordinator had called a stunt to blitz Justin on a pass rush.

Normally, you don't destroy the scout team QB, especially if it is a coach and he is not wearing any pads. Justin takes off on his blitz, plants his facemask in my chest and flattens me on the practice field. I hit the ground so hard it took my breath... which is much more painful when that happens AND you do it from landing on your back!

When I finally could speak, I said to Justin, "What were you doing? Thinking?" He said something like, I don't know coach.... I just went... I wasn't even thinking about it.  The kids and coaches were stunned but you couldn't help but laugh!

As it turned out, I got up and finished practice running the scout team. But, to this day, I make sure if Justin Merrill is around, I know exactly where he is and I keep my eyes on him!   :)