Chapter Eighteen: From the Ground Up
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I angrily muttered to myself, “Guys are transferring out for playing time, but couldn’t crack the lineup for a two-win team last year?
“Good luck riding the bench in the MAC, for fuck’s sake,” I huffed as I finished reading through the list of 14 players who had officially entered the transfer portal.
“If they couldn’t crack the lineup last year, why are you so stressed about them leaving? Unless you’re planning on being worse,” Jessica joked with a wry smile, before clearing her throat to catch my undivided attention.
“But more importantly, if you’re going to work yourself into a tizzy, do it in the office,” she cautioned, quickly cutting her eyes to Tara Lydia and AJ playing underneath the dining room table.
I put my hands up in surrender, taking one last look at the papers before shuffling them into a pile to transport to the office.
“The guys are in the portal now, nothing to be done about it,” I admitted dejectedly, “We’ll just need to get more guys in the portal.
“But enough doom and gloom for the day, I won’t be able to replace 20 defensive players sitting at the table. Let’s get the kids together and explore the neighborhood some more,” I declared with a soft kiss on Jessica’s forehead. “Let me toss these in the office and we’ll load the kids up.”
That earned a warm smile from her, a welcome sight after the last few stress-filled weeks between the packing in Bozeman, moving into the new four-bedroom house in Timberhill, and beginning to get situated in our new surroundings. “37 total players are gone from last year and I’ve got to figure out how to replace them,” I mumbled to myself as I glanced at the cover sheet with our team needs emblazoned on it.
“Nick Saban didn’t rebuild Alabama overnight,” Jessica gently reminded me as I returned from my office, clearly still wearing a face that was equally exasperated and disgusted, although the remark caught me off-guard and earned Jessica a quick eyebrow raise on my part.
“What,” she laughed, again with a playful smile that warmed my heart, “If my husband is going to be the next great football coach, I better study up on who we’re chasing.”
It didn’t change the gravity of the monumental task we were undertaking in Corvallis, but the moment of levity allowed me to move it off the forefront of my mind, if only for the rest of the Saturday afternoon, to enjoy the little bit of time I had with my family. Lord knows, the fleeting moments of genuine family time would be few and far between once we officially started hosting portal visits on Monday.
As I sat in my new office on campus that Monday, poring over film from the hundreds of student athletes looking for new homes, searching to find the guys that were not only going to be impact players, but more importantly be interested in joining our uprising, there was a quick and sure knock at the door.
Standing in the slightly ajar doorway was 6’2”, 288-lb JoJo Johnson, one of fourteen players that had filed to enter the portal. “You got a minute, Coach?”
I motioned for him to take a seat, not across from me, but adjacent to me so he could see the tape on the TV. Before he could begin to explain why he was there, I pushed play. On the small screen mounted on the wall, tape played of former Florida State defensive tackle Kevin Wynn as he overpowered a pair of blockers in a blowout over East Texas A&M at the beginning of the season.
“What do you see, JoJo?” I questioned, putting whatever had brought him to my office on pause for the moment.
He sat quietly studying the tape, before finally taking a deep breath. “He’s big and he utilizes it, but that isn’t his whole game. He plays with great leverage so even when he’s up against guys his size, he’s never off balance. And he doesn’t cheat to one gap, stays upright and locked in until he knows where to go, then attacks.”
I let the moment linger, silence setting between us before I finally spoke up. “The only reason he’s even on our radar right now is because you’re transferring out, JoJo. All those characteristics you described for Kevin? All true.
I paused for a moment, hoping the realization would dawn on him before I articulated it, finally continuing when he turned to face me again, “I see those same abilities in you. When Coach Smith and I spoke about how I wanted to build this defense, we scoured the tape of every game last season. I’m sure you can imagine, it wasn’t pretty.”
That finally broke the tension in the room as he laughed, nodding his head in acknowledgment and grimacing at the same time out of pride.
“But one thing that stood out was you, JoJo. We keep talking about building a dam here on the defense, a wall of a front seven. And I saw that in you. No matter the score or the down, you made sure you executed on your spot and held that line until the end.”
The silence once again stretched for a beat before JoJo finally ran both his hands through his fro with a sigh.
“You know, Coach. I came here looking for advice on a few different schools that had contacted me. You seemed like a straight shooter, so I was gonna trust your advice.”
Now it was his turn to let the silence stretch, waiting to see if I was simply selling him on himself, or voicing a genuine opinion on his ability. “But now, after that, I gotta meet you on front street Coach Mando. Shit, I’ve got goosebumps. If you and Coach Smith are good with it, after I put in a transfer and all, I’m ready to come back. I want to be one of the guys that is a building block for that dam you keep talking about.”
And just like that, the first piece was set in place.
“The best part? I wasn’t selling him on a pipe dream,” I mentioned to Jessica that night as I retold the story over cheesecake, “We were just sitting there, talking shop, breaking down film.”
“And that’s how you need to be, with everyone. Each recruit, each coach, each parent,” Jessica said, pointing her cheesecake-covered fork at me, jabbing it for emphasis with each word. “You’re a blue collar, roll up your sleeves, and go to work kind of guy. You aren’t out here trying to sell them a used car, you’re showing them what part they’re going to play in a well-oiled machine. You’re honest and trustworthy. When you say if they put in the work, they’ll get the results, they can trust you mean it. And that sells itself.”
Later that week, sitting in the ‘war room,’ Coach Smith and I were going over the defensive prospects we wanted to target, a mix of high school guys still undecided and the plethora of young athletes in the portal.
“I’m going to have you spearhead all of the defensive recruiting, Armando. Build a list of guys you want and start making calls. Obviously, scholarship offers, visits, that sort of stuff needs to get cleared through me. But up to that point, all you.
“Have you started putting together a big board, broken down by position?”
“To be honest, Coach, right now I’m thinking we just go after anyone who is interested and then figure out how we can make them fit later,” I sighed, unsure of how my brutal honesty was going to sit with Coach. He started to gather his breath to protest, but I quickly cut him off.
“Coach, we’ve got 48 enrolled students and 8 more verbal commits. We don’t exactly have the benefit of being picky. We need bodies. Preferably, 29 at least.”
He finally relented with the facts out in the open, answering with a sigh and a hand gesture that signaled to get a move on.
Any guy with ties to one of our recruiting pipelines—PNW, Cal, Utah, or Colorado—I immediately started making phone calls. Anyone rated higher than a three-star in the 24/7 rankings, we didn’t even bother.
“I only have so much time, hun,” I explained to Jessica, who willingly helped me shuffle through the stacks of profiles while at home, when she brought me a stack of profiles for higher-rated prospects, “I can’t waste my breath on guys who are simply using us as leverage for bigger paydays at the blue bloods.”
By the second week of the portal being ‘officially open’ I’d managed to get the attention of more than a few seasoned defensive players. I wasn’t able to convince any of the former blue chip prospects transferring out of the likes of Alabama, Clemson, or Georgia to take a look at Beaver orange, but had plenty of interest in other G6 players looking for a new opportunity.
“What’s your plan during visits?” asked Coach Smith as I submitted the players whom I wanted to extend visits and scholarships to.
“Group em in pods, no more than one player per position at a time, and play to their strengths. But every visit ends in the film room. I want to show these guys exactly what we see in them, show them exactly what our plans are. I’m not going to sell hope or vision, I’m going to sell results.”
JoJo Johnson was my first persuasion, the first guy who was on the fence that I brought back. But the first official signee? That belonged to former Southern Miss linebacker Michael Montgomery, who spent nearly an hour watching film with me, Hawaii edge rusher Ka’eo Akana, and Delaware free safety Hasson Manning Jr. By the end of the film session, Montgomery stood up and made a bold declaration.
“If even half of what you’re showing us on tape, translates to the field?” Montgomery began with a chuckle, “I’m collecting some hardware next year. But either way, I’m in, Coach.”
While the other two didn’t commit right away, both Akana and Manning Jr announced their intent to don the orange shortly after. UNLV’s Kodi DeCambra, LA Tech’s Zheric Hill, and Air Force safety Kyle Chen followed suit. While I was stacking talent on the defensive side, Coaches Smith and Dahlen were able to sway a number of offensive linemen in addition to Nebraska’s Connor Booth.
We weren’t just working the transfer portal either. Eight more prep recruits committed to Oregon State, headlined by 3* CB LaMarcus Blount. To add another notch to my already expanding recruiting belt, Blount was a guy I caught combing through the highlight tape of another safety we were considering, Jamie Isaac. Isaac played his senior season in Yucaipa, California, but had played two years in Indianapolis with Blount prior to moving. It was during a review of his old tape that Blount’s coverage skills flashed on tape, prompting a quick adjustment on our part.
When I flew out to meet Blount during the final week before National Signing Day, he was more than surprised. “I didn’t think anyone on the West Coast would even see my tape,” remarked the 6’2” Blount, who admitted he was considering going to a Junior College after lukewarm interest from the surrounding schools. Thirty minutes later and I had the commitment in the bag, adding a corner with superb man skills and great length for the position, both things we were going to need in my new scheme.
By the time the dust settled and the final numbers had been tallied, we’d taken a modest eight-person class that was ranked 79th heading into the offseason, and ballooned it to the 57th-ranked class with a grand total of 29 signees (17 high school and 12 transfer additions).
“Armando,” Coach Smith bellowed as he pulled me in for a bear hug, “I wasn’t sure how we were going to replace all of that talent heading out the door, but damnit we did it.”
“Now comes the fun part,” I asserted, “It’s time to coach em up.”
No Father's Son
-
redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 3786
- Joined: 01 Jun 2025, 12:40
-
djp73
- Posts: 11477
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 13:42
No Father's Son
Sounds like you put together a pretty respectable roster there 
-
Soapy
- Posts: 13692
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 18:42
No Father's Son
complaining about the portal while portal hunting
realism +10
realism +10
-
redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 3786
- Joined: 01 Jun 2025, 12:40
No Father's Son
more on that in Mr. Ricky McKinley's upcoming article. We put a team together, but respectable remains to be seen.
we do what we must with what we have
honestly, worked out. The dudes that left were bums. Only Johnson and another DT were guys I wanted to keep. Oh and Maalik Murphy transferred, which hurts the offense. But not my job, OC better coach next man up or we gonna have some words
also shoutout MVP - he still ain't miss yet
-
redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 3786
- Joined: 01 Jun 2025, 12:40
No Father's Son
Smith & Co Worked Some Magic, But Is It Enough After 37 Player Exodus?
Ricky McKinley // Dam Daily • Published: January 16th, 2026
No one is saying that Jonathan Smith, Mitch Dahlen, and Armando Leon rebuilt Rome in the two week January transfer window. But they damn sure came close after they were able to nearly replenish the 37 player exodus between graduation and departures this January, finishing with 29 total additions (17 prep recruits and 12 via the transfer portal) when the dust settled.
The first brick, coincidentally enough, came from one of their own players as sophomore DT JoJo Johnson withdrew from the transfer portal just one day into the official January window. The final brick? A buzzer-beating submission that caught even the coaching staff off-guard.
"The news broke on X this morning about the same time I got to the office and saw the paperwork in my email," confirmed defensive coordinator Armando Leon in a brief phone call this afternoon on the subject. "Jalen was a guy we had extensive talks with at the beginning of the portal, even hosting him on campus a week ago. But after that visit, things kind of went radio silent on his end. Until this morning."
Jalen Woods was unable to be reached for comment, but this morning tweeted a thank you to UCLA for the opportunity and clarifying that he had intended on staying at UCLA for his fifth and final season, before having a last-minute change of heart and submitting the paperwork to Oregon State, who had never rescinded their scholarship offer.
According to every source I've spoken to with the Beavers athletic program, no one had talks with Woods since his campus visit two weeks ago and categorically denied upping their NIL offer to the senior linebacker to sway him to the Beavers.
But if you ask me? All's fair in love and war and until the window closes, anything can happen. Just ask Washington and Demond Williams Jr. Whether the Oregon State NIL fund made a last minute Hail Mary, or Woods just had an itch to move up the coast is irrelevant—he's here and ready to Build the Dam.
On the surface, Smith & Co did a spectacular job filling needs across the board. I spoke with Coach Mando, his new nickname on campus whether he likes it or not, right before the transfer window officially opened and he divulged the Beavs weren't being picky in the portal. His words, specifically, were "we're getting ballers, period. Guys who are committed to the grind and love the game. We'll figure out the fit later."
Looking at the 12 transfer signees, that is glaringly apparent. We brought in four safeties. Four. I know Coach Mando has built his reputation with aggressive fronts—often utilizing a rover safety, which would put three on the field. I haven't been able to confirm any sources, but just reading between the lines unless they're planning on having the deepest safety room in the country, some of these guys are slotting in at linebacker. That will be a plus at athleticism and presumably speed, but that doesn't always mean they're going to be the best in run support.
If that's the move, it fits the recruiting strategy of finding talent first, then finding roles later.
But the other question no one is asking, did we really get any gamers?
Look at the numbers. On defense, the Beavers added 196 total tackles from last season—with 155 of those coming from the trio of Ca'Lub Holloway, Kodi DeCambra, and Kyle Chen—along with 4 tackles for loss, and just two interceptions.
That's it.
Offensively? Even worse. One total touchdown and three linemen who surrendered eight sacks between them last year.
Call me skeptical, but it sounds like we filled the roster with warm bodies, rather than impact players. The coaching staff did their job and filled out the roster. But now, they face an even bigger challenge.
Trying to turn this ragtag group of bench warmers, unproven transfers, and holdovers into a team that looks markedly improved from last year's two win squad.
Otherwise we might be in a newer version of Groundhog Day come next January.
Look, I'm not saying the sky is falling—yet. Coach Smith has a proven track record in Corvallis and both Dahlen and Leon bring youth and upside. But this transfer haul simply doesn't inspire confidence. Facts are facts and in today's day and age, you don't get much leeway before they decide you simply can't cut it.
The clock is ticking and if this transfer portal class doesn't significantly elevate their play come September, we're starting down the barrel of another embarrassing season of Beaver football.
Oregon State 2025 Recruiting Class
► Show Spoiler
► Show Spoiler
► Show Spoiler
-
Caesar
- Chise GOAT
- Posts: 13809
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 10:47
No Father's Son
I think Jaylen Raynor going to Clemson is hard coded into the game at this point.
Armando got the bodies he wanted (
if nece) but now comes him showing if he can coach against teams that aren’t filled with accountants, insurance salesmen and future single A position coaches
Armando got the bodies he wanted (
if nece) but now comes him showing if he can coach against teams that aren’t filled with accountants, insurance salesmen and future single A position coaches-
redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 3786
- Joined: 01 Jun 2025, 12:40
No Father's Son
Caesar wrote: ↑16 Jan 2026, 09:38I think Jaylen Raynor going to Clemson is hard coded into the game at this point.
Armando got the bodies he wanted (
-
redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 3786
- Joined: 01 Jun 2025, 12:40
No Father's Son
Chapter Nineteen: Process Thinking
I flexed my left hand feeling the familiar ache that always sat just below the surface, before sighing and blowing into the whistle to signal a change in the scrimmage between the second-string offense and my first-team defense.
“Aiden! Grab some water,” I hollered towards the senior linebacker before gesturing for Harlem Howard to join the defensive huddle.
“Alright guys, switching it up. Jaheim, you’re going to play the SAM on this set. Harlem, you’re in at free.” The two safeties exchanged a quick, confused look before I intervened:
“I told everyone from the jump, we’re experimenting during camp. We’ve got six safeties with the talent to play; you think we can get six safeties on the field at once traditionally?” I questioned, removing my orange-tinted aviators and taking turns locking eyes with every member of the defense.
“Avalanche, press zero, let’s see what you guys got,” I said with a clap as the guys broke the huddle.
As the team resumed their scrimmage, Coach Smith meandered his way up the sideline, until we stood together in silence watching the team go through their reps. After a beat, he finally broke the silence.
“Aiden on the sideline, yeah?”
My attention didn’t shift from the defense, attentively focused on how quickly Jaheim diagnosed the RPO before launching into the passing lane, giving Coach Smith a delayed nod once the correct read was executed.
“You know, he’s a defensive captain. Two years running. One of the more productive players returning this season,” he pointed out, pausing between each fact for emphasis.
“Captains do more than lead on the field, they lead off of it. Anyone can impact winning at any time,” I added before removing my aviators and turning towards Coach.
“He simply isn’t fast enough, not in this scheme, Coach. He’s got great fundamentals, makes the plays in front of him. But he isn’t athletic enough to make a play that isn’t funneled to him,” I turned, pointing my aviators onto the field towards Jaheim, once again reading the RPO perfectly, reacting quickly enough to undercut the slant for an interception.
“Patterson has the coverage skills, but more than that he has sideline-to-sideline speed. I need guys that even if they’re out of position, can get back in position, not just wait for the play to come to him.”
Coach Smith sat there for a beat, letting the statement sit between us. Not a challenge, but an assessment. While I awaited Coach’s response, Jaheim crashed the line on a read option, destroying the lead blocker before recording the tackle for loss.
I sounded the whistle again, instructing the team to take a water break, before turning back to Coach as he made some notes on the clipboard.
“Your defense, your call, Mando. But you have to talk to Aiden, make sure he isn’t going to fold on us. We can’t have one of the pillars of our leadership crumbling before we even take the field week one against Houston.”
As he turned to walk away, I quickly hustled up to his side to catch his attention one more time.
“Aiden isn’t the only guy I want to move around,” I stated quietly, not wanting the team to know the full plan before I had a chance to talk to the holdover starters.
“You do what you need to do, Mando, that’s why I brought you here. But just remember, this isn’t Madden. These are real people, if you can’t make them understand the standard we’re building, you risk losing the locker room.”
As camp trudged on through early August into the final week before kickoff, with our season opener on September 5th now on the horizon, the time for tough talks was approaching.
“Are you going to sit down with some of the senior guys individually, explain the decision making?” inquired Jessica, once again over cheesecake which had become our unspoken ritual. Dinnertime was to spend with the kids, but dessert after the kids were asleep was coach time.
“I think addressing them as a team is the move. Cause it’s not about just one person being promoted to a starting role, it’s about keeping them all locked in, even if they aren’t. I need them to understand that we can’t get caught up in the outcome. We’ve got to focus on the process to achieve our goals. Results change, but work ethic doesn’t. You can’t confuse your role, with your value. Some of the guys are expecting to start, but I told them all from the beginning of camp ‘I don’t care what recruiting ranking you had, who your parents are, or how much NIL money you’re getting. The athletes who put the work in and make plays on the field will be the ones suiting up on Saturdays, period.’ That doesn’t mean if they aren’t in the starting lineup, they can’t contribute. Being there for your teammate is just as valuable as being on the field. Being locked and loaded, ready to make an impact whether you’re in the game for a snap, a series, or a quarter could be the difference.
“Bottom line, they need to understand that we all need to buy into the standard, or we’re sunk before we start.”
I hadn’t realized it, but as I was talking I’d begun pacing around the dining room, using my fork as a pointer to emphasize my points, oblivious to the fact that I wasn’t speaking to the team, just my doting wife as she awaited a break to snag another piece of cheesecake, but not wanting to interrupt my monologue.
“That,” she exclaimed as she finally crossed to the kitchen to retrieve another slice, “Is exactly what you say then. But let them know beforehand, your door is open for anyone with further questions or concerns. You can’t ask them to lead by example, even if they are facing a diminished role, and not do it yourself, Flyboy.”
That was essentially the speech I gave to the team, with Jessica’s input added, when we finally announced the results of our numerous position battles. “Just because you aren’t in the starting line-up, doesn’t mean you won’t get run. A lot of coaches say that, but I mean it. Championship players don’t count their minutes, they make their minutes count. And if you guys do that, I promise you we can surprise some teams this year.”
When the meeting was over, the first person outside my door was exactly who I expected.
“Come on in, Aiden,” I gestured as I walked past the senior into the office, motioning for him to take the seat across from me.
“I’m good standing, Coach. You taking my captaincy away?” He clearly hadn’t bought into the leading from the sideline portion of the speech.
“No, Aiden, we’re not-“ but before I could continue my statement, he quickly exploded.
“Then what the fuck am I here for, Coach? I could have hit the portal, gone somewhere else for a year. But I committed to finishing what I started. And what do I get for it? A pat on the back, thanks for your service, now go play cheerleader?”
“What’s your 40 time, Aiden?”
The question clearly caught him off guard, and with the surprise, some of the edge of his anger had dulled. It wasn’t enough to extinguish it, but it was enough for me to begin to temper it. I had to get him on board fast, or the guy I was depending on setting the example was going to be a loose cannon fueled by pride alone.
“Five-flat, Aiden. I’ve got a stable of safeties who not only run 4.5 or under, but have solid enough fundamentals to make the play when they get there. I need speed in the middle, Aiden, not stationary backers who only make the plays handed to them.”
The final line was harsh, but necessary to pivot into the rest of my statement. I saw the anger flare back up, buoyed by pride, but before he could ignite it again I quickly continued.
“That isn’t to say you don’t have a role, Aiden. I want you rotating in on passing downs, hand in the dirt, getting after the QB. And with your versatility as a linebacker, you’re a perfect guy to occasionally drop into a hook or flat zone, to surprise the quarterback and keep them off-balance.”
Recognition began to dawn behind his eyes, as the fire simmered to a dull flame. Still there, which was exactly where I wanted it. Playing with pride was great, so long as it was directed properly.
“But even more important than that, you’re the best form tackler on the team. I need you leading by example, showing these guys who are going to be crashing the run, in space against linemen more than they’re used to, how to not get blown off the spot, or injured taking the wrong pursuit. If you can give me that, veteran leadership on the bench, I can promise you aren’t going to be absent from the game plan.”
He finally took a seat, working out the scenarios in his head. “You really did mean you got roles for everyone, huh Coach? That wasn’t just some rah-rah bullshit.”
“I’m not a used car salesman, Aiden. I’m a football player. I’m not going to sugar coat it for you. We’ve got a standard we’re trying to set. Either you buy in, or you get out. But I want you here. You could be one of the guys we can look back on and say, ‘that culture change? It started with Aiden.’”
He sat across from me, nodding back and forth in concentration, before finally rising and extending his fist out, giving me a firm bump. “You been straight with me, Coach. More than some other slick talkers have in the past, I fuck with that. I don’t like not being on the field every down, but you keep me rotating in, and I’ll help keep the guys focused on the process, not the outcome. One rep, one practice, one game at a time.”
A few minutes after Aiden left my office, Coach Smith strolled in, leaning against the door jamb rather than taking a seat. “Well, Aiden Sullivan didn’t come in and quit the team before leaving the facility, so I take it that’s a good sign?”
“Getting them to buy in early is the easy part, Coach. You know that,” I said as I rose from my seat to look out of the panel window on the wall that overlooked the practice field.
“But if we don’t get results, the building the standard rhetoric gets old fast,” he acknowledged as he came up beside me with a slight elbow to the ribs. “We’ve got to at least be better than last year,” he added quietly, almost to himself.
“Well, it’s a good thing our predecessors set a low bar,” I said, stifling a quick laugh, before re-composing myself. “I think the bigger focus is putting together good tape. Houston is no slouch, neither is Texas Tech. I don’t think anyone, even our own boosters, expect us to win those games.”
It was my turn to jostle Coach, giving him a light shove as I turned back towards my desk, picking up my aviators, and leveling them at him.
“But if we can hang in there, it’s going to go a long way to inspiring the boys that we got a shot in conference play. That’s where we’re going to start stacking some wins, Coach. We focus on the process, put in consistent work ethic, and the results will come.”
I flexed my left hand feeling the familiar ache that always sat just below the surface, before sighing and blowing into the whistle to signal a change in the scrimmage between the second-string offense and my first-team defense.
“Aiden! Grab some water,” I hollered towards the senior linebacker before gesturing for Harlem Howard to join the defensive huddle.
“Alright guys, switching it up. Jaheim, you’re going to play the SAM on this set. Harlem, you’re in at free.” The two safeties exchanged a quick, confused look before I intervened:
“I told everyone from the jump, we’re experimenting during camp. We’ve got six safeties with the talent to play; you think we can get six safeties on the field at once traditionally?” I questioned, removing my orange-tinted aviators and taking turns locking eyes with every member of the defense.
“Avalanche, press zero, let’s see what you guys got,” I said with a clap as the guys broke the huddle.
As the team resumed their scrimmage, Coach Smith meandered his way up the sideline, until we stood together in silence watching the team go through their reps. After a beat, he finally broke the silence.
“Aiden on the sideline, yeah?”
My attention didn’t shift from the defense, attentively focused on how quickly Jaheim diagnosed the RPO before launching into the passing lane, giving Coach Smith a delayed nod once the correct read was executed.
“You know, he’s a defensive captain. Two years running. One of the more productive players returning this season,” he pointed out, pausing between each fact for emphasis.
“Captains do more than lead on the field, they lead off of it. Anyone can impact winning at any time,” I added before removing my aviators and turning towards Coach.
“He simply isn’t fast enough, not in this scheme, Coach. He’s got great fundamentals, makes the plays in front of him. But he isn’t athletic enough to make a play that isn’t funneled to him,” I turned, pointing my aviators onto the field towards Jaheim, once again reading the RPO perfectly, reacting quickly enough to undercut the slant for an interception.
“Patterson has the coverage skills, but more than that he has sideline-to-sideline speed. I need guys that even if they’re out of position, can get back in position, not just wait for the play to come to him.”
Coach Smith sat there for a beat, letting the statement sit between us. Not a challenge, but an assessment. While I awaited Coach’s response, Jaheim crashed the line on a read option, destroying the lead blocker before recording the tackle for loss.
I sounded the whistle again, instructing the team to take a water break, before turning back to Coach as he made some notes on the clipboard.
“Your defense, your call, Mando. But you have to talk to Aiden, make sure he isn’t going to fold on us. We can’t have one of the pillars of our leadership crumbling before we even take the field week one against Houston.”
As he turned to walk away, I quickly hustled up to his side to catch his attention one more time.
“Aiden isn’t the only guy I want to move around,” I stated quietly, not wanting the team to know the full plan before I had a chance to talk to the holdover starters.
“You do what you need to do, Mando, that’s why I brought you here. But just remember, this isn’t Madden. These are real people, if you can’t make them understand the standard we’re building, you risk losing the locker room.”
As camp trudged on through early August into the final week before kickoff, with our season opener on September 5th now on the horizon, the time for tough talks was approaching.
“Are you going to sit down with some of the senior guys individually, explain the decision making?” inquired Jessica, once again over cheesecake which had become our unspoken ritual. Dinnertime was to spend with the kids, but dessert after the kids were asleep was coach time.
“I think addressing them as a team is the move. Cause it’s not about just one person being promoted to a starting role, it’s about keeping them all locked in, even if they aren’t. I need them to understand that we can’t get caught up in the outcome. We’ve got to focus on the process to achieve our goals. Results change, but work ethic doesn’t. You can’t confuse your role, with your value. Some of the guys are expecting to start, but I told them all from the beginning of camp ‘I don’t care what recruiting ranking you had, who your parents are, or how much NIL money you’re getting. The athletes who put the work in and make plays on the field will be the ones suiting up on Saturdays, period.’ That doesn’t mean if they aren’t in the starting lineup, they can’t contribute. Being there for your teammate is just as valuable as being on the field. Being locked and loaded, ready to make an impact whether you’re in the game for a snap, a series, or a quarter could be the difference.
“Bottom line, they need to understand that we all need to buy into the standard, or we’re sunk before we start.”
I hadn’t realized it, but as I was talking I’d begun pacing around the dining room, using my fork as a pointer to emphasize my points, oblivious to the fact that I wasn’t speaking to the team, just my doting wife as she awaited a break to snag another piece of cheesecake, but not wanting to interrupt my monologue.
“That,” she exclaimed as she finally crossed to the kitchen to retrieve another slice, “Is exactly what you say then. But let them know beforehand, your door is open for anyone with further questions or concerns. You can’t ask them to lead by example, even if they are facing a diminished role, and not do it yourself, Flyboy.”
That was essentially the speech I gave to the team, with Jessica’s input added, when we finally announced the results of our numerous position battles. “Just because you aren’t in the starting line-up, doesn’t mean you won’t get run. A lot of coaches say that, but I mean it. Championship players don’t count their minutes, they make their minutes count. And if you guys do that, I promise you we can surprise some teams this year.”
When the meeting was over, the first person outside my door was exactly who I expected.
“Come on in, Aiden,” I gestured as I walked past the senior into the office, motioning for him to take the seat across from me.
“I’m good standing, Coach. You taking my captaincy away?” He clearly hadn’t bought into the leading from the sideline portion of the speech.
“No, Aiden, we’re not-“ but before I could continue my statement, he quickly exploded.
“Then what the fuck am I here for, Coach? I could have hit the portal, gone somewhere else for a year. But I committed to finishing what I started. And what do I get for it? A pat on the back, thanks for your service, now go play cheerleader?”
“What’s your 40 time, Aiden?”
The question clearly caught him off guard, and with the surprise, some of the edge of his anger had dulled. It wasn’t enough to extinguish it, but it was enough for me to begin to temper it. I had to get him on board fast, or the guy I was depending on setting the example was going to be a loose cannon fueled by pride alone.
“Five-flat, Aiden. I’ve got a stable of safeties who not only run 4.5 or under, but have solid enough fundamentals to make the play when they get there. I need speed in the middle, Aiden, not stationary backers who only make the plays handed to them.”
The final line was harsh, but necessary to pivot into the rest of my statement. I saw the anger flare back up, buoyed by pride, but before he could ignite it again I quickly continued.
“That isn’t to say you don’t have a role, Aiden. I want you rotating in on passing downs, hand in the dirt, getting after the QB. And with your versatility as a linebacker, you’re a perfect guy to occasionally drop into a hook or flat zone, to surprise the quarterback and keep them off-balance.”
Recognition began to dawn behind his eyes, as the fire simmered to a dull flame. Still there, which was exactly where I wanted it. Playing with pride was great, so long as it was directed properly.
“But even more important than that, you’re the best form tackler on the team. I need you leading by example, showing these guys who are going to be crashing the run, in space against linemen more than they’re used to, how to not get blown off the spot, or injured taking the wrong pursuit. If you can give me that, veteran leadership on the bench, I can promise you aren’t going to be absent from the game plan.”
He finally took a seat, working out the scenarios in his head. “You really did mean you got roles for everyone, huh Coach? That wasn’t just some rah-rah bullshit.”
“I’m not a used car salesman, Aiden. I’m a football player. I’m not going to sugar coat it for you. We’ve got a standard we’re trying to set. Either you buy in, or you get out. But I want you here. You could be one of the guys we can look back on and say, ‘that culture change? It started with Aiden.’”
He sat across from me, nodding back and forth in concentration, before finally rising and extending his fist out, giving me a firm bump. “You been straight with me, Coach. More than some other slick talkers have in the past, I fuck with that. I don’t like not being on the field every down, but you keep me rotating in, and I’ll help keep the guys focused on the process, not the outcome. One rep, one practice, one game at a time.”
A few minutes after Aiden left my office, Coach Smith strolled in, leaning against the door jamb rather than taking a seat. “Well, Aiden Sullivan didn’t come in and quit the team before leaving the facility, so I take it that’s a good sign?”
“Getting them to buy in early is the easy part, Coach. You know that,” I said as I rose from my seat to look out of the panel window on the wall that overlooked the practice field.
“But if we don’t get results, the building the standard rhetoric gets old fast,” he acknowledged as he came up beside me with a slight elbow to the ribs. “We’ve got to at least be better than last year,” he added quietly, almost to himself.
“Well, it’s a good thing our predecessors set a low bar,” I said, stifling a quick laugh, before re-composing myself. “I think the bigger focus is putting together good tape. Houston is no slouch, neither is Texas Tech. I don’t think anyone, even our own boosters, expect us to win those games.”
It was my turn to jostle Coach, giving him a light shove as I turned back towards my desk, picking up my aviators, and leveling them at him.
“But if we can hang in there, it’s going to go a long way to inspiring the boys that we got a shot in conference play. That’s where we’re going to start stacking some wins, Coach. We focus on the process, put in consistent work ethic, and the results will come.”
-
djp73
- Posts: 11477
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 13:42
No Father's Son
Focus on the process, results will come
-
redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 3786
- Joined: 01 Jun 2025, 12:40
