"... they teach you to be a better man"

Today's quote is about all you can get in terms of bulletin board material from tOSU prior to the big game on Saturday. Let me give it to you in context-

"As I took my visit to USC, I'm like, 'How are they successful? They're not even serious about the game,'" Small said. "Before the game, they're all going crazy. Me and Rob Rose was on the visit and I'm looking like, 'Wow.' And then the coach said, 'You better get out of here. It's about to get hectic.'

"And then I come (to Columbus) on the visit and before the game, it's all quiet, everybody getting taped, coaches talking. It's the total opposite."

"Here at Ohio State, they teach you to be a better man," Small said. "There, it's just all about football."

You know how I feel about coaches, and how important they are in the life of a young adult. You should also know how I feel about my favorite program- three expectations (if I, as a fan, am allowed to have any):

1. Run a clean program (both from the NCAA and legal perspective)
2. Graduate players, or provide them the opportunity to get a job (go pro)
3. Beat Michigan (1-11 is something I can live with, as long as that one win is the one that matters).

So, to hear an athlete (especially one that's been in the coach's doghouse) talk about their experience helping them be a better man strikes me as a great thing.

But, there's more.

You may know that the coach in question wrote a book that was published this summer by Tyndale press (a Christian publishing house. But you may not know that this faith-first philosophy has inspired a number of his charges, including Butkus Award winner James Laurinaitis. Even ESPN noticed his choice of wrist band ("I am grateful"), but didn't talk about the message on the other side ("Thank you God").

Those are also a great story, a great testimony to right priorities.

Am I naive enough to think that tOSU has somehow become God's team (seen that before),and that everyone is has come to faith? No, but it is good to know that you don't have to compromise success and faith, that it does make a difference in important ways, and that it happens more than we hear about.