Because of the seemingly super human things players and coaches are able to accomplish on the field, it’s often hard to believe that they’re human just like us off of it. They have good days and bad days. They have personal triumphs and personal tragedies. What they experience and the bond they have is indescribable. Today, Duke football assistant head coach Derek Jones reminded us of that through a story about how head coach David Cutcliffe honored an assistant coach’s father after the Virginia Tech game.
Here’s what he shared:
Coach Trooper Taylor lost his father on Sept 27th, 1982. On that morning his father came into his room to tell him and his siblings goodbye before leaving for work. His dad wore his hat backwards because he was required to wear a hard hat with a mask on it at work. When his Father went to give him a goodbye kiss that morning he denied him because he felt like he was too old for that. Later that day his high school coach informed him that his Father had passed away. The last time he saw his Father alive he had his hat in the backwards position. To honor his Father Troop always wears his hat backwards. Last Friday night marked 37 years since his father’s death and after a monumental win at Va Tech the first thing Coach Cutcliffe did once he entered the locker room was join Troop in saluting his late father’s memory. That’s #DukeGang
It’s deeper than the game.
