Return to Campus

On Friday, I will return to Knox College for a reunion of Alumni football players. I am very proud of my college football career. Knox is a small school (900-1100 enrollment), and football holds no special status there. However, my last season of football stands as one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. It was achieved with a special group of classmates and a coach who remains a mentor and role model.

I went to Knox for school, not to play football. I had a miserable high school experience, and I hated the game. I was going away to college, leaving my neighborhood and football behind. I was talked into playing by the coach, Joe Campanelli. That first college season was for me. I just enjoyed playing the game again. The team was awful. The upperclassmen accepted losing and did not invest any effort into the program. I hated to lose and hated them. There was one saving grace. Every freshman felt the same way that I did. That spring Joe Campanelli quit. The college hired Randy Oberembt as new head football coach.

The change was immediate. Coach O was an intense guy. He looked you directly in the eye and demanded your best. I gave my heart and soul to Knox football. For the next two seasons, we struggled to turn the corner. Despite a 180 degree change in effort, three losing seasons marked my Knox career. It came down to the last season, 1987, our senior year. Knox last winning season had been in 1976. The pressure was palpable. If we didn't get it done, all the hard work and commitment would be for naught.

Additionally, our last game of 1986 weighed heavily upon me. We were destroyed by our arch rival, Monmouth College, by a score of 46-0. We quit as a team in that game. I quit in that game. We were physically manhandled, and emotionally crushed. It was an embarrassing and shameful performance. It haunted me then and is still hard to talk about. But it motivated me. We would not let it end that way.

That last year, we achieved the winning season by the sixth game. When we faced Monmouth at home in the Knox Bowl for our final game, we were 6-2 and had a chance at the conference championship. We played a great game. We lost in the last 2:00 minutes. I took it hard. It was my last football game. Looking back, I have no regrets. We accomplished our goals and played our hearts out until the end. I still see four of my teammates every year. I look forward to seeing some of my other fellow 1987 football teammates. It was a special year.

After that season, I was in Coach's office talking about life, the future, and football. I looked around the room and saw the pictures on the wall. On display were photos of the five Little All-American players from the past three years. There was one other photo on the wall. It was mine. I was surprised; I had been a three-year starter but was never All-Conference or anything. I asked Coach what was up. He told me, "You are Knox Football. You are the example of what I believe a great program is all about. Your leadership and commitment are what made this team special." It was the greatest compliment I ever received in sports. Although Knox is still a little program, I am proud of being a Siwash. (Don't ask.)