After touring the Packers Hall of Fame and touring the field and expanses of the stadium, we were all set to meet with Coach.
Now consider this. Here he is ... one of 32 NFL head coaches ... the day before the first game of the season, playing against one of the most formidable opponents on his schedule, and he's going to spend some time with a family from North Carolina! I love this country!
Lisa led us upstairs to the offices. The fifth floor is where the General Manager and other executives work - along with administrative functions (accounting, marketing, procurement, etc.). The fourth floor is where all the coaches have offices. As we got off the elevator, Lisa gave us the lay of the land ... with coaches offices along the perimeter of the building - defensive down one way; offensive down the other way, with meeting rooms in the interior spaces. As we walked down the offensive coaches hall towards Coach's office, all doors were open, and many of the coaches had their young children in their office ... and for a few hours, they were Dad.
Lisa checked to see if Coach was ready and led us into his office - which was split into two areas ... his desk with a couple of chairs for conversations there ... and a sitting area with four comfortable chairs and a small sofa. He greeted us warmly and directed us to the comfortable area. And we just chatted. Very down to earth. Inquisitive of the boys interests. Related to us about his own two young boys.
The first thing I said, beyond thanking him for his time, was that I was a 49er fan ... but when in Rome, you wear a toga ... thus, my wearing of Packer gear. We discussed Charlie and Will's interest in the Packers ... and Max's strident interest in the Chargers. Shelly was pretty shocked that I came out with all this "my blood is red and gold", but as a lifelong Steeler fan, he could relate.
A couple days before, when we first arrived in Green Bay, I asked each of the boys to write down five questions they wanted to ask Coach. Charlie moaned ... "Ughhh ... homework!" Max and Will were a bit more concentrated and took to the task. I knew it would be helpful to put their thoughts together ahead of time, because as we sat there - they were in complete, astonished, pinch-me, stunned silence.
They were able to remember a question or two that they had written down and asked the coach. I didn't want to turn it into twenty questions, so I tried to conclude the get-together with one final question. I asked him for his thoughts on the idea of preparedness ... and that at a young age, it takes the form of homework assignments and projects ... but as an NFL Coach, it takes the form of studying for months, reviewing film, designing plays and game-plans, getting the players physically ready, etc. They just didn't show up on Sunday and draw plays in the grass in the huddle. This question really struck a chord for the Coach. Clearly, in his mind, he was already preparing for his meeting with the players later that evening, the night before the first game of the season ... and my question seemed along the lines of what he was going to talk about later that evening. So he shared a little about his speech - very personal - about how his father had raised him; his advice; and that he is in a position today to pass on advice within his family ... the Packer family.
Then an idea went off in his head and he jumped up and said, "hold on ... I've got something for you" and darted off through a side door ... essentially, a large closet (or small storage room) adjacent to his office, but leading to a conference room - his coaches conference room. A couple of minutes later, he returned and invited us into the conference room. We sat at a large table with about a dozen comfortable leather chairs surrounding it ... with a large drop-down screen on one wall at the head of the table. Coach sat at the other head, running a laptop ... and dimming the lights, he said, "I'll be showing this video to the team later tonight ... you get to be the first one's to see it". The whole time, he's got this goofy enthusiasm ... like what you'd expect when Bell called for Watson or Jobs interacted with Woz when they created something cool ... and you realize that this VERY public person, who is surrounded by coaches, players, and staff consistently ... when alone in a small setting, with his assistant, is as giddy as Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas morning, longing to share his creations with an appreciative audience.
Roll film ...
It was a 8-10 minute highlight film of the Packer's pre-season - from training camp footage to highlights of each of their four pre-season games, featuring stars and non-stars alike - with the combined messages of family and preparedness ... we're in this together ... we prepare for ourselves, but we prepare for the greater good, too.
Afterwards, he signed autographs for us. Will was especially thoughtful in having Coach sign a football, "Happy Birthday, Tyler" for his friend up the street who was a big Packer fan.
And then we took a couple of snapshots of all of us together just outside his office (I made sure the picture of Lombardi on the wall was in sight).
All in all, it was nearly 25-30 minutes, when we expected 10-15. It was the day before the first game of the season! Everything that we've read and heard about Coach McCarthy, before and after, fits with our experience. A genuine, nice, family man.
A couple of weeks later, the Packers lost on the last play of the game in Seattle. A Hail-Mary throw to the back of the end zone in which the referee made a horribly bad call. The whole nation knew it was a bad call, but the play stood and cost the Packers the game. A week later, it was reported that Coach McCarthy reached out to the referee to provide his support - with no ill will - after all, it's just a game, and there are more important things in life. A class act.
Another side note ... As we waited in the conference room for the film to start, behind the screen was a giant white board with about a hundred plays on it - segmented by offense and defense; different personnel packages; different down and distances ... I was very tempted to pull out my camera and snap away.
Here are our pictures with Coach McCarthy
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