Paving a Way and Paying it Forward: The Vital Lesson Al Davis Taught Me as a Young Coach.
In 1981, I was an assistant coach at Northwestern University under the tutelage of Coach Dennis Green. I coached the secondary and as a young coach I was trying to find a way to get better. One of my professional goals was to strive to become a better version of myself each year. There were always obstacles, but I was determined to pave a way to be an expert in my field.
So, I would analyze the statistics in Division I, Division II, and Division III and the National Football League at the end of the and identify who was the best in the country at an aspect of defensive football. Then I would chart a course to determine who coached the position and try to find a way to get an audience with them.
Typically, I could catch up with some of the college coaches at the American Football Coaches Association National Convention, on the recruiting trail or at clinics held suburban Chicago where we lived. I would gather a list of questions in advance and interrogate them until I had a complete understanding of their system.
The NFL was a little different, you had to find a way to gain access through a coaching connection because they were all rather secretive. The other issue was the funding for the trips to NFL camps; Most college teams would not pay for your travel to visit a pro team during summer vacation. Therefore, I had to be creative. I had to pave my own way.
During spring recruiting we would get per diem for our meals. I would go to the grocery store upon my arrival to the city that I was recruiting and buy a quart of milk, a box of cereal, a loaf of bread and some peanut butter. I would save my breakfast and lunch per diem for the month I was on the road, couple that with some travel awards discounts I could afford to fund my summer pro football visit.
The summer of 1981 I set my sights on studying the best bump and run man to man perimeter defenders in the NFL. During that time Kansas City was outstanding with the likes of Hall of Famer, Emmitt Thomas but no one played it to perfection like the Oakland Raiders, Lester Hayes.
Coach Green had several NFL contacts and I asked him if he knew anyone on the Raider’s staff. He advised me to “choose another team because they don’t allow anyone to visit their camps.” I said I would like to give it a try anyway, because all they can say is “no.” Coach Green gave me the name of their offensive line coach Sam Boghosian.
I called right away. A gentleman answered the phone, and said “Sam is on vacation can I help you?” I introduced myself and explained my inquiry. He asked several questions about my background, my age, where I was from and the teams I had coached for. He asked why I wanted to visit the Raiders? He asked me how are you getting here? I explained I was going to fly out to the Bay Area and rent a car and hopefully spend 3 days observing their training camp practices. He followed up by telling me the best place to stay in close proximity to the facility.
At the conclusion of the hour-long conversation, I asked, “to whom am I speaking?” He said, “this is Al Davis.” I recognized the voice of the Owner/General Manager of the Oakland Raiders when he said his name.
It turned out to be an amazing visit! Upon arrival Al Davis gave me unprecedented access to every aspect of the organization. I was the only visitor and possibly the first ever (or at least one of the very few) to visit their training camp. Davis also, made certain that I understood every facet of the bump and run techniques they were teaching Lester Hayes and company. He instructed Coach Chet Franklin and the NFL Hall of Famer Willie Brown, the two guys in charge of the secondary, to run the drills associated with implementing a cohesive teaching progression during practice.
Al Davis personally watched film with me every night after staff meetings until 3am. I would hustle back to the hotel get a few hours of sleep then return to the facility by 7 am. He granted that type of special access and attention for 3 full days. It was a lesson I never forgot.
The owner of the Oakland Raiders taking an interest in the development of a hungry young coach. He devoted precious time which left an indelible mark on my coaching career. I in turn throughout my career have tried pay it forward to the young men and women that have sought my advice and council through the years.
The time you spend passing on your knowledge and expertise to the next generation of individuals in your profession is well worth it. Mentorships, internships and professional understudies are vital to the ecology of sustained excellence. Leave a legacy of paying it forward!