The Good ol' Days

[Rocking Chair]

I played in West Tn in the 70's. I was a USA Today All American and was recruited by several schools. We were undefeated in the regular season, but got cheated by bad refs in the playoffs. Not making it to the title game cost me a chance to play in college, so I opted to go to a small school and play intramural football where my social club won the campus wide championship my senior year. Since no NFL team drafted me and no one offered enough to me as a free agent, I entered the working world and gave up playing football.

 

A lot has happened in the last 30 years. I have gone from being a small lineman, to being an All American and our actual 5-5 record is now undefeated and we made the playoffs. Give me 30 more years and I will probably recall that we won the State Championship, I got a full ride to Notre Dame and won the Heisman and played in the Super Bowl for Tom Laundry as a Dallas Cowboy.

 

The longer you are out of school, the better you get. (I still don't know why there weren't any colleges interested in a 185 lb tackle.)

That's a classic

[SCW86]

I played in West Tn in the 70's. I was a USA Today All American and was recruited by several schools. We were undefeated in the regular season, but got cheated by bad refs in the playoffs. Not making it to the title game cost me a chance to play in college, so I opted to go to a small school and play intramural football where my social club won the campus wide championship my senior year. Since no NFL team drafted me and no one offered enough to me as a free agent, I entered the working world and gave up playing football.

 

A lot has happened in the last 30 years. I have gone from being a small lineman, to being an All American and our actual 5-5 record is now undefeated and we made the playoffs. Give me 30 more years and I will probably recall that we won the State Championship, I got a full ride to Notre Dame and won the Heisman and played in the Super Bowl for Tom Laundry as a Dallas Cowboy.

 

The longer you are out of school, the better you get. (I still don't know why there weren't any colleges interested in a 185 lb tackle.)

This was a really good thread untill this bunch of garbage!!!!

[tackle]

coach d;

 

If you really want to be a coach, then follow your dream. When I was in high school, I wanted to be a teacher and coach. A few of my teachers told me that I could do better and discouraged me. My coaches encouraged me to follow my dream. I started college and was a business major for 2 days before I switched to education.

 

After 24 years of teaching and coaching, I have had many friends who work in the business world come up to me and say that they would love to be on the sidelines coaching on Friday Night and if they could do it all again, they would have gone into education. (I have yet to tell one of them that I would love to have been in last week's audit with them and if I had it to do over, I would get an accounting major-not that there is anything wrong with that.)

 

I made up my mind long ago to never discourage a student who wanted to teach. About 10 minutes ago, a former student walked into my classroom wearing a shirt and tie. He was on campus to observe another teacher because he is now at MTSU as an education major. I never would have guessed he would teach, but more power to him.

 

You won't get rich teaching, but the fringe benefits can be "eternal". Good luck!

[Bubba 1111]

This is my first year out of high school, and I often find myself repeatedly talking about past game experiences, and I would like all of the former players to let me know if this ever goes away or not. What do I have to look forward to in the future?

 

Feel free to share stories of your glory days, too. Just have fun with this topic. Go Crazy.

 

I have been out for 5 years now. There is never a day that goes by that I dont miss it. I am now coaching at the junior high level and its been great. But it will never compare to friday night lights, big rivals and big wins. Football is something that I will never forget, its my life!

[coach_d]

coach d;

 

If you really want to be a coach, then follow your dream. When I was in high school, I wanted to be a teacher and coach. A few of my teachers told me that I could do better and discouraged me. My coaches encouraged me to follow my dream. I started college and was a business major for 2 days before I switched to education.

 

After 24 years of teaching and coaching, I have had many friends who work in the business world come up to me and say that they would love to be on the sidelines coaching on Friday Night and if they could do it all again, they would have gone into education. (I have yet to tell one of them that I would love to have been in last week's audit with them and if I had it to do over, I would get an accounting major-not that there is anything wrong with that.)

 

I made up my mind long ago to never discourage a student who wanted to teach. About 10 minutes ago, a former student walked into my classroom wearing a shirt and tie. He was on campus to observe another teacher because he is now at MTSU as an education major. I never would have guessed he would teach, but more power to him.

 

You won't get rich teaching, but the fringe benefits can be "eternal". Good luck!

 

 

Tackle, thanks for your encouragement and advice. I believe that I have decided 100% that I'm going to be a coach. I know the field is tough and there are many insecurties, but I'm positive that it will be worth it. A coach of mine my senior year by the name of John Smith (I'm not making up a generic name. That was really his name) sat me down and said that after watching me in practice and with our football program, that I really had a knack for coaching and leading and that he would help me in any way that he could. If not for his support and encouragement, I probably would have never considered it like I did. That just goes to show that you never know how much one conversation can change a teenager's life. Really think about how much you influence people.

[BIG INDIAN]

EVERYONE IS A LEGEND IN THEIR OWN MIND.

[JaxMan]

My favorite quote on the subject..."the older I get the better I was..."

[cbg]

Same here. It's been 6 years for me, but I miss it, too. That's part of the reason I got into officiating...I just love those Friday nights.

 

 

Congratulations on becoming an official. I sure hope that you work hard at becoming a good official because Tennessee needs several good ones.

Edited October 5, 2006 by cbg