The Pregame Speech I’ll Give Tomorrow…

Tomorrow I get one of the biggest honors of my coaching life.

I’m driving four hours south to speak to the Brazosport Exporters before their first game of the season. Their head coach, Coach Velasquez, is one of my former players who later coached with me. Tomorrow night will be the first game of his career as a head coach, and he’s allowing his old coach to give the pregame speech.

I better knock it out of the park! :)

I’ve thought a lot about what I want to tell his players. I don't want to give them some 15-minute Knute Rockne speech. I want to give them something they can actually take onto the field with them.

Here’s how I plan to do it. I'll be honored if you use any or all of it with your team.

I’ll start by telling them:

“It’s an honor to stand in front of a group of young men who have paid the price to earn the opportunity to play tonight. I know you’ve worked hundreds and hundreds of hours to get to this moment.”

Then I’m going to turn to Coach Velasquez.

“Coach, when you count offseason workouts, spring football, summer workouts, 7-on-7, track meets, August practices—all of it—how many hours do you think these guys have invested to get to tonight?”

I don't know exactly what his answer will be, but I’m guessing we’ll land somewhere around 700–1,000 hours.

Then I'll turn back to his players.

“Think about that. You guys have invested nearly 1,000 hours preparing for a season where you're guaranteed just 10 Friday nights.

Football must be pretty special to you guys, huh?”

Then I'll tell them why I drove four hours to see them before I start the 'real' message of "5 minutes."

"The team that plays the hardest tonight is probably going to win."

"That's not a guarantee. Talent matters. Execution matters. Turnovers matter. But playing harder than your opponent is one of those facts of the game that gives you a heck of a chance.

And Game 1 energy is real.

The other team is going to be fired up too. They've been lifting. They've been running. They've been practicing in the heat. They've been waiting for this night just like you have.

So being excited isn't enough."

"We have to be the team that plays the hardest the longest."

"But how long will each of you actually be PLAYING football tonight? How long is this game going to last?”

I know the answers I'll get.

“Three hours!”

“48 minutes!”

I'll shake my head.

“You're right in a way, but that's not specific enough. Let's try it another way. How many plays are in an average football game?”

We'll settle somewhere around 60 offensive snaps, 60 defensive snaps and 30 kicking-game plays.

About 150 plays.

So how long is the game tonight? 150 plays?

Yes and no - most of you will play around 60 plays if you're a starter."

"Now let's break it down even farther.

How long does an average football play last?

Let's call it four seconds.

Anybody in here a math guy?

150 plays × 4 seconds = 600 seconds.

600 seconds divided by 60 = 10 minutes.

What?  Are you kidding me?!

You guys have spent hundreds and hundreds—maybe close to 1,000—hours preparing for tonight, and there are only about 10 minutes of actual football?"

Now I'm going to find my offensive linemen.

“O-LINE, RAISE YOUR HANDS!

You guys aren't playing defense or covering kicks.

So how much actual football will you guys play tonight?"

"Five minutes!"

"Think about that.

All those 6:00 a.m. workouts.

All those squats and cleans.

All those sprints.

All those summer mornings.

All those practices in August when it felt like it was 150 degrees outside.

Hundreds and hundreds of hours preparing for maybe five minutes of actual football."

“Now look at the guy beside you.

Can you look him in the eye right now and promise him—and promise your coaches—that for five minutes tonight, you're going to play like your hair is on fire?"

“FIVE MINUTES!

Am I asking too much of you?

Of course not!

Think about everything you've done to get here. All the mornings. All the weights. All the running. All the summer workouts. All the practices.

Hundreds and hundreds of hours preparing for this—and I'm asking you for five minutes!

So make your teammate a promise right now.

For five minutes tonight, I will play harder than I have ever played before.

Four seconds at a time.

Four seconds like a wild man!

Get up. Get back in the huddle. And do it again!

And again!

Until there aren't any four seconds left!

Five minutes, fellas. That's all I'm asking for.

Am I asking too much? Of course not! Now go make damn sure nobody on that field plays harder than the Brazosport Exporters!

Five minutes!  I can't wait to see you guys fly all over the field for 5 minutes tonight!"

And then I'm shutting up.

No second message. No extra story. No trying to squeeze in one more great coaching quote.

I'm shaking Coach Velasquez's hand and going to get ready to watch a team go play hard.

If you're getting ready to play this week, maybe there's something in here you can steal.

Why use this with your team? Because “play hard for 48 minutes” is just coach-speak. But when a player realizes he may only play five minutes of actual football, it changes the way he looks at the night.

He’s invested hundreds—maybe close to 1,000—hours preparing for this season. Now you're asking him for five minutes. Five minutes of playing harder than he’s ever played. Five minutes of emptying the tank. Five minutes where his teammate can count on him to give everything he has.

That’s a promise a kid can understand.

And it gives you something you can come back to all night and all season:

“I’m not asking for three hours. I’m asking you for five minutes.”

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Some of you kicked things off last week, but by this weekend, almost everybody will be playing “for real.”

Coach ’em hard, enjoy the moment, and most importantly—HAVE FUN!

See you next week,
Randy