The following paragraphs are an entry from my Saluki Football Journal from late last season. This one details many of the issues, situations and emotions that accompany the end of a season. I hope there is some value to you in this narrative.
Saturday November 17 – During last week’s bye I made it to three early morning practices and had good conversations with coaches and players in addition to members of the support staff. I talked with Lee Land (athletic trainer / physio) as well as with Dalton Morgan (player) about his illness and its odd lack of clear diagnosis. As the week progressed Dalton and I traded numerous text messages about daily tests, results and his attitude toward all this. The good news is that it’s not cancer, but we still don’t know exactly what is making him ill.
On Monday afternoon, November 12, I was at practice for a while and had a sense that our attitudes were good and we were ready to practice well and to finish strongly. As the final game of the season approached, I was in Orlando, Florida for some meetings with other sports ministry leaders from around the world. I flew back to St. Louis on Friday mid-day, drove to Olney, IL to do a talk at the Tigers’ Football banquet. After a two hour drive, I got home at 10:30 pm that night.
On this final game day of the season I awoke early and made some final preparations for today’s game. I had already prepared most of my talk and had invited Mike McElroy, the catalyst for today’s Salukis Blackout Cancer game, to be my guest at chapel. After making a quick trip to my office I went to the Arena to set up for chapel. Mike arrived soon thereafter and the coaches and players followed.
My talk today started with some introductory comments about the significance of this day to many in Saluki Football. It’s the two year anniversary of Sharon’s (my wife) mother’s death, the Salukis Blackout Cancer events, the final game for our seniors’ careers and more. I then asked Mike McElroy to pray to open the meeting and then I delivered my talk based on this quote from Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury in the 16th century, “What the heart loves, the will chooses and the mind justifies.” After my talk I asked everyone to rise, to take the hands of those at their tables and to join me in saying the Lord’s Prayer. Our pre-game meal followed and then I went to the stadium to wait and to reflect on this day’s significance.
I had some good talks with senior players, Joe Okon in particular, on the field below a cloudless, sunny sky. Joe said that the dinners that Sharon and I hosted in the spring and summer where we talked about team leadership made a real difference for him and other team leaders. As pre-game continued I spoke with Western Illinois’ Head Coach, Mark Hendrickson, about his team, their injuries and about the AFCA Convention to come in Nashville, TN in January.
As we returned to the field just moments before the opening kickoff, we had the usual pre-game handshake with the Leathernecks and then I returned to our sideline and prayed, probably for the last time, with Kayon Swanson. The game started well and we dominated in nearly every phase, but the offense was rather lethargic. We led 14-0 at half-time and Coach Lennon strongly challenged the offense to pick up their intensity. The second half was better and we eventually won 35-0 after having blocked another punt and recording five more sacks on defense.
After the game I sought out Coach Hendrickson, wished him well regarding recruiting and then we made our way to the southwest corner of the stadium to join the crowd in singing, “Go Southern Go.” We returned to the locker room, which was oddly quiet and waited for Coach Lennon to join us. He made his way to the center of the room, called the seniors to join him and then expressed his heart toward them. This was his first recruiting class at SIU and they are certainly special to him. These 17 were surrounded by their teammates as Coach Lennon expressed his love for them and how proud he was to have been their coach. We then took a knee for the last time as a team and prayed the Lord’s Prayer.
Hugs, tears and expressions of affection were then exchanged widely among coaches and players and I was pleased to be among them. I sought out most of the seniors to say thank you and to say, “I’m proud of you.” I then sought out Brian Presume who was wearing my father’s name on his back as part of the Salukis Blackout Cancer promotion. Sharon bid on and won this jersey. He and I found Sharon outside, shot some photos and then I took the jersey to Sharon as I prepared to go to Pinckneyville High School to deliver a talk at their Panthers Basketball Tip Off Dinner.
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