During Johnny Manziel's Heisman acceptance speech in 2012, he took the time to thank all the usual people that played a role in his success, as all award winners typically do. That included his teammates, his parents, grandparents, and his college and high school coaches.
None of that was out of the ordinary for a Heisman speech. All those people contributed to the type of electric player that Manziel became in one way or another. But only one of those people he mentioned played the type of role capable of making him break down in a room crowded with past Heisman winners...his high school offensive coordinator at Kerrville Tivy HS (TX), Julius Scott.
As the Ultimate Texans blog points out, Manziel told a story during a dinner last week that should serve as a great reminder to high school coaches out there.
After giving his speech, hoisting the Heisman, and shaking the hands of past winners, Manziel made his way up to the Heisman suite. There, he saw his old offensive coordinator, and the same player that had stoically shredded SEC defenses all season as a freshman lost control of his emotions.
“After I won the Heisman, I was cool and calm and didn’t lose my emotions until I got to the top floor and the Heisman suite,” Manziel explained at the dinner. “Coach Scott was there. When I saw him, I just lost it. I bawled my eyes out right there."
“I told him, ‘I would never have been here without you.’ His shirt was soaking wet when I pulled away.”
That's some powerful stuff.
After the biggest moment of his athletic career, and maybe his entire life, Manziel didn't cry in the midst of his college coaches like Kevin Sumlin or Kliff Kingsbury, it was his high school coach that brought out the most heart-wrenchingly honest reaction.
That's a nice reminder of the role that you play in the lives of your players. Regardless of whether they go on to win the Heisman, or work as the bagger at the local grocery store living in their parent's basement, you hold a position of monumental influence in their lives.
Every once in a while, a reminder like such as Manziel's is needed.