I Would Follow This Football Captain Into Hell

I’ve watched this ten times now and I don’t see any way the Mavericks didn’t beat the Lobos by a million. This is an example of what Shakespeare said in “Twelfth Night,” “Some men are born great, some men achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ‘em.” And this captain must’ve have been born great.

Leadership is a quality that’s hard to possess and even harder to define. But impossible to fake. And this is as genuine as it gets. Just the right amount of anger. Being determinated to the game. Passion. Admonishing his charges to be themselves but “be this team,” which works both as a rallying cry and on an existential level.

“We can beat them anywhere! We can go to New England for goodness sakes, play in the snow and beat them there!” Which was a nice self-edit in the moment. Because as any coach will tell you, if you let one swear slip out, the lesson is lost because all the kids hear is that swear. But this future All Pro is too good for that.

I’ve heard a lot of pregame speeches in my coaching days. And might have even delivered a few. Though I confess every one of mine were just PG versions of ones I lifted directly from movies.

But nothing these ears ever heard could compare with his.

Run through the wall of the locker room? No. Youth Football doesn’t have locker rooms. But I’d run through the very gates of Hell wearing gasoline-soaked rags for this captain. This kid. This leader. This Youth Football Guy. Go Mavericks.