The Way It Used To Be
Football coaching legends share their experiences on the gridiron before laptops, charter jets and mega-million dollar facilities
by: Aaron S. Lee©
More from this issue
If there is one constant, it is that there are no constants.
Over time, everything changes and nothing remains quite the same.
Never is this more evident than in the profession of coaching football.
American Football Monthly recently sat down with a few of the game’s greatest
coaches for a peek inside the ever-changing world of football. From their first
job to their last, their first championship season to their first losing season,
AFM has captured it all – in their words. Men like Don Shula, Chuck Noll,
Marv Levy, Dan Reeves and Hank Stram have provided
AFM with an exclusive journey
down memory lane. Maybe you can’t walk in their shoes, but perhaps you
can at least try them on. Over the course of the next few months,
AFM will feature
several of these “firsts” in each issue. So sit back and enjoy the
game of football “the way it used to be.”
Best story ...
Don Shula (Miami Dolphins, 1970-95)
“It was Super Bowl VII and we were looking at an undefeated season and
only the Washington Redskins stood in our way. Everything was going great until
our kicker Garo Yepremian’s infamous play. It was a play that turned out
to be a play that is always going to be talked about. If we kicked the field
goal we win 17-0 in a 17-0 season. That would have been pretty unique. That would
have been great, but it didn’t work out that way. All of a sudden I’m
looking up at the scoreboard and it is 14-7 with still time left to play.
“I saw the kick blocked, then I thought, ‘Oh, good,’ when I
saw the ball bouncing back towards us. Then I saw Garo running with it and I
kept thinking, ‘Fall down, fall down,’ then I saw him try to pass.
Then I saw the ball go up in the air and (Washington Redskins’ Mike) Bass
catch it and start running. Then I thought about a lot of things, not one of
them very nice.
“What looked like a sure victory where we completely dominated now turned
into a game where we had to stop them defensively and hold the ball. We did that,
thank God, and Garo thanks God. It has turned into something that people remember
because it was such a botched up play. It is funny now, but it wasn’t funny
then.
“I’ll tell you one thing, Garo’s never thrown the ball again.
In fact, he used to play catch with my son, David, in training camp. I stopped
that, too.” – More from Coach Shula in upcoming issues of AFM
Chuck
Noll (Pittsburgh Steelers, 1969-91)
“After practice we would have our players run 350s, which was 350 yards
around the goal posts and we would have them run it four times at a pace based
on your pulse rate ... we would make one lap and they would come by check their
pulse and I would give them their time ... then go again ... of course they hated
this and many were really sucking wind after the first lap. I would tell them, ‘Your
body is not going to volunteer, you have to ask it.’ Anyway, this one kid
said, ‘Coach, I asked it and my body said no!’” – More
from Coach Noll in upcoming issues of AFM
Best pep talk ...
Marv Levy (Buffalo Bills, 1986-97)
“We were in the playoffs in 2000 and we were experiencing some bad weather
and it reminded me of the 1990 American Football Conference Championship Game
in which we defeated the Los Angeles Raiders, 51-3. The temperature was freezing
and the wind was awful. Now, one of my consistent messages to my players was, ‘Where
else would you rather be?’ So in the locker room just before the game,
(linebacker) Shane Conlan says to me, ‘Where else would I rather be? Don’t
make me answer that.’” – More from Coach Levy in upcoming
issues
of AFM
Best trade ...
Hank Stram (Kansas City Chiefs, 1960-74)
“Len Dawson was a great quarterback and I knew he was just what we needed
in Kansas City, but he had struggled with the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh
Steelers
and didn’t get to play a whole lot. So, I called Browns’ coach, Paul
Brown ... Paul and I were great friends. He said, ‘OK, fine, I’ll
put him on waivers for you and I’ll call everyone in the league and tell
them not to take Len Dawson because you want him.’ That’s what made
this such a sweet deal. Anyway, Dawson won four league (AFL) passing crowns and
was named MVP of Super Bowl IV.” – More from Coach Stram in upcoming
issues of AFM
Best advice ...
Dan Reeves (Atlanta Falcons, 1997-present)
“I can remember getting ready to go to Denver to be a head coach, and the
best advice I received was from coach Tom Landry of the Dallas Cowboys. He said
for
me to always be yourself. I think that has helped me more than anything else.” – More
from Coach Reeves in upcoming issues of AFM