1) I can’t say enough about the job 57 did first creating the list of football alumni and then organizing the Friday golf outing. His enthusiasm is infectious and it definitely helped me to continue looking for and contacting football alumni from the 50’s and 60’s! Everyone, I mean, everyone I talked to in the weeks before this event were happy to be a part of the email address list and at times suggested and helped me with our quest for more team members. And I know 57 would agree that the email contact list will continue to grow as more and more football alumni get involved in the process. The memories they shared were priceless and gave me a good idea of what WIU football was all about in the years before Darrel Mudra and I arrived on campus! :+)
2) I don’t play golf very well and so I decided to basically use the time on Friday to shake hands and kiss babies. A couple of years ago, when WIU played it’s 1000 game, Tommy Bell had silver dollar size coins made to celebrate the occasion. And in my role as Leatherneck Club liaison I made sure throughout the day that every single person I met received one. I can’t tell you how great it was to witness team-mates greeting team-mates for the first time, many having not seen each other since they graduated from WIU. As a Leatherneck fan, I recognized a number of them by name. I will say this. The size of the former athletes got bigger and bigger the younger they were in most cases. Today’s offensive lineman are just huge compared to what the norm was back in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s! Coach Fisher introduced his entire staff to all of the golfers and then joined a 4 sum for some pre scrimmage golf. Of course the rest of the staff headed back to Western Hall! A great time was had by all 65 participants.
3) Refreshments during Friday’s golf outing and the tailgate festivities before the scrimmage which included brats, hotdogs, and all the fixings plus beverage was supplied by the Sport’s Corner and STC Investments. They also stayed and cooked for the team after the scrimmage was over, a large construction lamp providing a beacon for some great eats. I just want to say thanks, thanks, thanks for the support the city of Macomb brings to the Leatherneck athletics! Thanks!
4) Charlie Fisher folks is the real deal! In my opinion, in retrospect, Coach N. did us a favor building this team, and then leaving when he did. Coach Fisher’s enthusiasm and attitude are just as infectious as 57’s! I was not a football player at WIU and so I did not participate in the on the field festivities, but from where I was standing the hand shakes exchanged between the former players and the team added to what would become a very special night. And Coach Patterson was in the house! Something very special has come to Macomb and in the next couple of years I would suggest that you purchase season tickets so you can witness the “Purple” storm!
5) I loved the spirit the Defense displayed on Friday night. They just got totally into the “scrimmage” and although they lost with the point system, they basically had a great time disrupting the offense and making interceptions. They are going to be very special this coming year. Moving from the shotgun to under center is a work in progress. The timing is definitely the most important in this case and the offense got better as the night went on!
6) Saturday morning, I sat and had breakfast with some players from my era, and then I stopped to talk with some parents of players that were down for the scrimmage. Everyone was fired up and very happy with the transition from Coach N to Coach Fisher. I passed a couple of more coins out before I left for the Football Golf-outing. The parking lot was almost full when I got there! Football players were there to greet you and to a player they were all gentlemen! Again, not being a golfer, I set out to shake hands, kiss babies, and distribute 1000 game coins. Had the opportunity to talk to Coach Rocco, Coach Malone and Coach Elson. They are all very pleased to be wearing purple and gold and just could not say enough about both the player and community attitude they encountered when they arrived in January. Coach Elson, who was on the staff at WKU during the “sledgehammer” game and was also D-Coor for SIU last year said something that stuck with me. He said, as an opposing coach, he was just not aware of how proud community members, alumni, students, and football players were of being “Leathernecks!” “This is a special place!” I could not agree with him more.
7) As I headed home I could not get over the energy and enthusiasm that surrounded each and every activity I was involved in. Of course, the release of state funds did not hurt that feeling either. When I got off at the rest-stop on 74 heading to the Quad-cities I noticed a car with a Q-lot sticker in the spot next to mine. When I came out after using the facilities I asked the lady in the car if she went to WIU. She happened to be a player’s mom, down for the scrimmage. She could not have been nicer and more positive about her son’s experience and she left happily with a “coin” in her purse and information about the Leatherneck Club in her hand!!! Guess I just love my alma mater and my job!
8) One more time for good measure! Thanks “57!” Well done! But we are not done yet! Enough said!
jc
