The Greatest Collection of Men

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama!

This is a special day, and this is a very special Happy Friday – the 700^th one I have written. I want to share with you an incredible, almost unbelievable, story, and honor the greatest collection of men I have ever had the honor of being associated with.

On January 31, 2000, I was honored to be named the Head Football Coach at St. Mary College in Leavenworth, KS. When I arrived, there were 10 returning players, and the upcoming fall, we were scheduled to play the first 9-game varsity football schedule. Through a lot of hard work, we were able to recruit 16 more players – 26 total – before the start of the season.

There are so many stories I could tell you about this start-up football program – the coaches out painting the field the night before practice started, the pre-game meals my Beautiful Bride cooked for the team each Saturday at our home, the make-shift locker room – a room with lockers in it…a locker room, etc., however, that is not about football or the program per se. This is about people, the incredible men, who came together to do something unimaginable: play nine college varsity football games with 26 players and four coaches.

First, I want to list the names of every player and every coach – I would do anything to make sure this world knows these remarkable men!

Ryan Barger

Brett Bartmess

Matt Bowers

Jordan Butler

Dan Caraway

Gabe Craig

Graham Dessert

Nathan Gardner

Corey Hamilton

Davis Hodam

Travis Huffman

Waverly Kelly

Drew Kingery

Jon Lei Van

Aaron Miller

Leroy O’Bray

Matt Price

Jeff Schmeisser

Brandon Shelley

Mike Strouhal

Dallas Thompson

Bob Thompson

*Unfortunately, I realize I am missing 4. If I learn who they are, I will update the post.

Erik Lehmann – Coach

Joe Kaup – Coach

Ben Brockert – Coach

If you know anything about football, you know there are 11 players on offense, 11 players on defense, and then there is special teams – each one with 11 players on it. So, how did we do it? Well, the players all played both ways and all special teams, and the coaches coached offense, defense, and special teams. Probably the only Quarterback/Defensive Line Coach in the history of college football is writing this Happy Friday!

The season went about as you would expect; we did not win a game. There were some near misses; we lost to Sterling 15 – 6 and others, not so much. I will not try to justify or explain the record on the football field; that would dishonor the men listed above, and it would miss the true significance of what these men were about and what they accomplished.

I will share with you one quick story. We all knew that something special was happening here, a team of 26 players playing a full season of college football, and we often discussed the fact that nobody outside of the room we were in, the people who were actually living it, could ever understand what it was like to go through it. Well, it was the week of the last game and, like any team, we had suffered injuries. I will never forget walking into the team meeting room/locker room that Monday afternoon and telling the team that I did not know if we would be able to play the game – we only had 16 players that would be able to suit up and play. The players, respectfully, they have always been far more honoring and respectful than I ever thought I deserved, let me know that canceling the game was not an option. We were going to line up and finish this thing! We all committed to finding a way to make it happen – and we did!

So what was this about, and why am I so fond of these men? First, the focus was never about winning games; it was about each individual and the team becoming the best it was capable of becoming. Period. It is not about your situation or circumstance, but rather what you do within it that determines whether or not you are successful. And let me tell you, I have never had a group of men literally give everything they had, every day. I have had the unspeakable honor and privilege of looking into the eyes of young men, completely exhausted, giving everything they had play after play after play… Kathy and I would go home after the games and stay up talking for hours about these guys and their selfless sacrifice. And, without fail, after every game, the players and fans from the opposing team would come up and tell us how awed they were by what they had just witnessed.

So yes, it was about being our best, giving all we had in everything we do every day, and holding ourselves accountable to the highest standard of all - becoming all we were capable of becoming. But it was about so much more. Last weekend, this team was honored for the 25^th reunion of the first season. I was so blessed to have a FaceTime call with many of them late Saturday night. Leroy O’Bray, I always call him #1…he was the first player I signed to St. Mary, said, “Coach, you taught us to be men, to take care of our families, and to take care of each other.” He went on to say how they have all lived out these three principles in their lives. He shared how some of them have gotten lost in the challenges and struggles of life, and how one of them would always go get them and bring them back. I have tears in my eyes as I type these words. When he told me that on Saturday, I was so awed, grateful, and full of joy. No, we didn’t win a single football game; we won something greater – a bunch of great men! When I went to bed that night, I thanked God and told Him I would be good if He wanted to bring me home that very night – I literally did! You see, while I understand that sports are about winning games, my focus was never on winning games – it was always about helping young people become the best they are capable of becoming as people, spouses, parents, leaders, and friends. In that moment, when Leroy said that, I realized we had honored and fulfilled the higher purpose.

To the players and coaches of the 2000 St. Mary College Spires, from the bottom of my heart, I love you, I am grateful for you, and I am so very blessed God brought you into my life. I will never forget you, I am still awed and inspired by you, and I will forever cherish the most remarkable season we shared together!

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please stay well, and please cherish your precious family!

 

Kev