ATTRIBUTES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF A GREAT FOOTBALL PLAYER!
The Three D’s: DESIRE, DISCIPLINE, AND DEDICATION.
By: Coach Jack Knudsen
FOOTBALL IS THE GREATEST GAME! HAVING PLAYED THE GAME FOR FOUR YEARS IN HIGH SCHOOL, FIVE YEARS IN COLLEGE, AND BEING FORTUNATE TO COACH IN HIGH SCHOOL FOR TWENTY YEARS, I HAVE GAINED A LITTLE INSIGHT INTO WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A GREATFOOTBALL PLAYER...... FIRST OF ALL, LET ME SAY THAT NOT EVERY BOY SHOULD BE A FOOTBALL PLAYER AND VERY FEW EVER BECOME GREAT.....THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER GAMES AND ACTIVITIES THAT A BOY CAN BE INVOLVED WITH AND IT IS NO SHAME TO CHOOSE THOSE OVER FOOTBALL.....
THOSE THATSELECT FOOTBALL AS THEIR GAME WILL CHARACTERISTICALLY HAVE GREAT DESIRE, DISCIPLINE, AND DEDICATION TO BECOME A FOOTBALL PLAYER....SIZE AND SPEED ARE GREAT ATTRIBUTES BUT NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENTS. THERE ARE POSITIONS AVAILABLE FOR BIG ANDSMALL BOYS, AS WELL AS FOR FAST AND SLOW ONES..... TO BE A GREAT FOOTBALL PLAYER REQUIRES A BURNING DESIRE TO BE THE VERY BESTAT YOUR POSITION, TO HAVE THE PRIDE WITHIN YOURSELF TO KNOW AND SHOW THAT NO OTHER PLAYER IS GOING TO TAKE YOUR POSITION, TO BE NUMBER ONE!THE GREAT PLAYERS WILL BE THE HITTERS AND NOT THOSE BEING HIT!
TO BE A GREAT FOOTBALL PLAYER REQUIRES TREMENDOUS DISCIPLINE...NOT ONLY TO BE AT PRACTICE ON TIME, TO FOLLOW THE COACHES INSTRUCTIONS, TO PLAY BY THE RULESAND SPIRIT OF THE GAME, BUT TO BE A GOODPERSON AND CITIZEN, TO YOUR FAMILY AND COMMUNITY, ON AND OFF THE FIELD. IF YOU HIT THE BALL CARRIER HARD, OFFER HIM YOUR HAND AND SAY GOOD JOB! IF YOU GET KNOCKED DOWN OR BLIND-SIDED, DON'T COMPLAIN TO THE REFEREE OR TO YOUR COACH, BUT RATHER FIGURE OUT HOW OR WHY IT HAPPENED AND VOW TO YOURSELF THAT IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
TO BE A GREAT FOOTBALL PLAYER TAKES OUTSTANDING DEDICATION. ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE PART OF A TEAM AND THAT THE TEAM COMES FIRST, ABOVE INDIVIDUAL GLORY AND GRATIFICATION... YOU MUST WORK HARD IN PRACTICE AND IN GAMES, ALWAYS GIVE IT YOUR BEST....FAMILY AND SCHOOL SHOULD ALWAYS COME FIRST, BUT THERE ISTIME FOR YOUR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL TOUGHNESS TO BE APPLIED TO THE GAME OF FOOTBALL. GET AND STAY IN SHAPE, WORK HARD, KNOW THE RULES, STUDY YOUR PLAYBOOK, KNOW WHAT'S REQUIRED OF YOU AT YOUR POSITION.AND ABOVE ALL, DEVELOP THAT FEELING AND DESIRE TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE THE VERY BEST THAT YOU CAN BE!ANYONE CAN BE A LOSER, THAT'S EASY. BUT TO BE A WINNER TAKES GREAT DESIRE, DISCIPLINE, AND DEDICATION!
GOOD LUCK THIS YEAR AND GO GET ‘EM!
*COACH JACK KNUDSEN
*Coach Knudsen was a player at Tigard and at Beaverton High School and played College Ball at Portland State University and Western Oregon State College. Jack was an All American Lineman and Played in the BLUE-GRAY BOWL for Coach Don Coreal.
Coach Knudsen was a Head Football Coach at Franklin High School and Cleveland High School and was a former Scout for the LA Dodgers. Jack also Coached at Valencia High School in Los Angeles.
A little known fact about Jack was that he lettered in 5 separate sports in one year while attending PSU… an accomplishment that gained him a reputation as one of the finest athletes to come from our fine State. Those who played against Jack have often recalled the aggressive and physical nature of his play and that as a lineman he was unstoppable. Jack Broke his nose 16 times during that era as the facemask was not available until later in his career.