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Walker's lessons needed now more than ever

"T's Take" by John Tsarouchas
Saturday, July 1, 2006, 2:02 am

Forget the Bowl games and Big Ten championships. Forget the legacy he's left behind in NU record books. Let's remember some of the things Coach Randy Walker taught hundreds of young men about what is needed to succeed in life.

Coach Walker defined character as a person's ability to respond to adversity. This was an ideal he believed in, and coached-into all of his players. I played for Coach Walker. My memories from the 2002 season (my one season on the team) are forever filled with the sound of his voice asking his players how they were going to respond.

A fiery, old-fashioned coach, Walker not only demanded physical toughness, but mental toughness. He taught the physical for the field, the mental for life. Coach Walker told his players football wasn't a game of perfect. He told his teams everything wasn't always going to go their way. He believed the measure of a good football team lied in its ability when punched in the gut, smacked in the mouth, or kicked to the ground to get up. Not just stand up, but to get up and summon all of your courage, toughness, resolve and pride and give 110 percent on the next play.

A favorite analogy of mine that he used was the one of the caveman. He told us adversity wasn't unique to the football field. He talked of a caveman, alone in his cave, with only a club. He said a ferocious dinosaur lived outside that cave and the caveman had to make a choice. He could either a) survive scared or b) he could prevail by carrying his club out of the cave and getting rid of the dinosaur once and for all.

It wasn't an analogy he used to promote violence or aggression--He talked of the caveman because he wanted his players to know that they had a choice. His players could either survive in his program and on the field, or they could stare adversity in the face every time it would look at them, and find the resolve to overcome the things that would keep them from succeeding. He
empowered those he met to succeed. When you hear players say he taught them much more than just X's and O's--this is what they speak of--life lessons of resolve, effort, courage and determination.

More than a 4th down stop or a 4th quarter score, when will the Wildcats need these lessons of forward motion and fortitude more than now? Without their leader, who will rally the Wildcats to respond to this adversity?

No one.

No one because no one has to. They already know how because of one man's tireless efforts to teach everyone he knew how to prevail and how to respond.

Thanks Coach.