Dec. 28, 1999

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – When I was an assistant coach at Texas A&M and Notre Dame, I had several chances to go into the NFL to coach. The offers did not interest me at the time because it was right at the start of free agency. There was a lot of moving around by the players. It was all about where a player could make the most amount of money.

The great thing about my childhood were the sports teams of Pittsburgh, the Steelers and the Pirates. These teams always had the same players on them. You grew up around those players. You got to know them and felt like they were part of the city. All of that has changed. Professional sports is all about who can be the most attractive on a short-term basis.

It is that type of turnover, which keeps me in college athletics. It is an advantage to know that the collegiate player is going to be with the program for four or five years and not just going to the highest bidder. Anymore you need to have a roster to know who all the players are now in professional sports. It really has hurt the professional game. These changes may be better for the players from the financial standpoint but I am not sure it is what is better for the game.

The appeal of college athletics is also in part because of the NCAA. No matter how much we banter back and forth about excessive celebration, the NCAA is the one that sets the standard. The ruling is a good one because college football is not an individual sport. It is not about gaining attention for a single individual, the game is about congratulating your team and your teammates. The rule is not about stopping players from getting excited, it is about not placing a single person on center stage. Rules like the one on celebration have really helped college football because you do not see individual celebrations like you do in professional football.

In college football, you will never see a player embarrass or humiliate another player. The NCAA has done a good job of preventing instances like that. Another example is with the uniforms, all players have to have their socks a certain level and their jerseys tucked in. Even the rules where a person can not second-guess the officiating are another example. The NCAA is way out ahead of the game.

There is a fine line teams have to walk when it comes to the game. At a certain point, a coach has to let his team play and have fun. My rule in terms of celebration is show class, show respect and do not draw attention to yourself if it is not necessary. When you score a touchdown, a player should act like he has been there before and the same goes for a tackle. People can also be too critical and sometimes the celebration is not preconceived, it is just a natural reaction.