Former Players on Culture

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When I was in college I was an ultra skeptical of everything, quick to judge, sarcastic dumbass. I would have likely rejected whatever PJ talks about as "just stupid talk" or something like that.

Only later in life would I have realized that it's talk, about doing things and how you think about it ... next step is to try to go do it. It's only stupid talk if you don't try to do the thing.

Not everyone is ready to be challenged, listen to things they're inclined to reject and actually listen / think about it ... sometimes never.
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
When I was in college I was an ultra skeptical of everything, quick to judge, sarcastic dumbass. I would have likely rejected whatever PJ talks about as "just stupid talk" or something like that.

Only later in life would I have realized that it's talk, about doing things and how you think about it ... next step is to try to go do it. It's only stupid talk if you don't try to do the thing.

Not everyone is ready to be challenged, listen to things they're inclined to reject and actually listen / think about it ... sometimes never.
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I used to think that age and experience had nothing to do with one's ability to "understand life and the world, etc", but it does.
 



I think the parents in most situations have an idea what their kid is getting into, but sometimes it takes a while for the kid to grasp or where a light bulb will go on and they get it. Sometimes it takes a while to find that switch.
 


MNVCGUY said:
Thanks for sharing. Backs up the idea that Fleck isn't just talking when he calls the program a life program about more than just football.
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I'm happy to see players believe this too. It's too bad most programs in College these days seem way mor concerned about how much money they're making than if they're helping produce good young men to go out into society. Most of these young guys won't make a living off of football so if they can enjoy being on the team and playing and leave the program as a good productive citizen then I'm happy with that.
 



A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
When I was in college I was an ultra skeptical of everything, quick to judge, sarcastic dumbass. I would have likely rejected whatever PJ talks about as "just stupid talk" or something like that.

Only later in life would I have realized that it's talk, about doing things and how you think about it ... next step is to try to go do it. It's only stupid talk if you don't try to do the thing.

Not everyone is ready to be challenged, listen to things they're inclined to reject and actually listen / think about it ... sometimes never.
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This is posted in my office, "If you can't look back at your younger self and realize that you were an idiot, you are probably still an idiot." Author unknown
 

mcrow47 said:
I'm happy to see players believe this too. It's too bad most programs in College these days seem way mor concerned about how much money they're making than if they're helping produce good young men to go out into society. Most of these young guys won't make a living off of football so if they can enjoy being on the team and playing and leave the program as a good productive citizen then I'm happy with that.
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Minnesota was a perfect fit for Fleck and his style in so many ways. He said early on that Minnesota was on his short list of places he wanted to coach and I honestly think he meant it because this state fits very will with the values he wants to promote and the program isn't so obsessed with winning that you can get away with being about more than just football.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Minnesota was a perfect fit for Fleck and his style in so many ways. He said early on that Minnesota was on his short list of places he wanted to coach and I honestly think he meant it because this state fits very will with the values he wants to promote and the program isn't so obsessed with winning that you can get away with being about more than just football.
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100%. I think the culture he's instilled is why we've been so resilient, consistent, and successful in a football environment where we're dwarfed by so many teams financially and win beyond our perceived talent level. It's not the x's and o's, it's the guys playing for each other and not primarily themselves. I also think that, all other things being equal, pro coaches and GMs would prefer a guy coming from a Fleck run program than a program trying to spend as much money as possible to get the best players. I feel like the expectations are the same across the board for our guys in terms of things outside of football - very high.
 

I also thought it was cool that Willis gave kudos to Mo. We all know and appreciated Mo played and ran bigger than his official height of 5’8”.
 






A bit related but on another note; What kind of coach is PJ Fleck?

I ask because last night I got a publication that is community based in my city. It has local stories about families and businesses. This publication had a story about a youth sports coach in the community. He was asked what kind of coach he was.

"I'm not a Rah-Rah guy like PJ Fleck.." was how he started the answer. He then commented that he is intense. Stuff like this bugs me. I just don't feel like PJ gets his due on what he has done at MN and the type coach he is.

I don't think he's a rah rah coach at all. He's tough, intense, and runs a pretty well-oiled program and is a true CEO coach. I will always remember being behind the scenes for a game a couple years ago. Walked by PJ in the tunnel as he went back to the locker room between warmups and the start of the game. The intensity on his face was like something I had not seen from him.
 


MaxyJR1 said:
A bit related but on another note; What kind of coach is PJ Fleck?

I ask because last night I got a publication that is community based in my city. It has local stories about families and businesses. This publication had a story about a youth sports coach in the community. He was asked what kind of coach he was.

"I'm not a Rah-Rah guy like PJ Fleck.." was how he started the answer. He then commented that he is intense. Stuff like this bugs me. I just don't feel like PJ gets his due on what he has done at MN and the type coach he is.

I don't think he's a rah rah coach at all. He's tough, intense, and runs a pretty well-oiled program and is a true CEO coach. I will always remember being behind the scenes for a game a couple years ago. Walked by PJ in the tunnel as he went back to the locker room between warmups and the start of the game. The intensity on his face was like something I had not seen from him.
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If you have to call out and use conjecture or contrast another coaches style with little substance, that says more about you as a coach then the one you try to negatively contrast with. PJ may have slogans but he to me is just as much about celebrating his guys and their success as much as his own.
 


MaxyJR1 said:
A bit related but on another note; What kind of coach is PJ Fleck?

I ask because last night I got a publication that is community based in my city. It has local stories about families and businesses. This publication had a story about a youth sports coach in the community. He was asked what kind of coach he was.

"I'm not a Rah-Rah guy like PJ Fleck.." was how he started the answer. He then commented that he is intense. Stuff like this bugs me. I just don't feel like PJ gets his due on what he has done at MN and the type coach he is.

I don't think he's a rah rah coach at all. He's tough, intense, and runs a pretty well-oiled program and is a true CEO coach. I will always remember being behind the scenes for a game a couple years ago. Walked by PJ in the tunnel as he went back to the locker room between warmups and the start of the game. The intensity on his face was like something I had not seen from him.
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Is your local coach named gopherchase?
 

MaxyJR1 said:
"I'm not a Rah-Rah guy like PJ Fleck.." was how he started the answer. He then commented that he is intense. Stuff like this bugs me. I just don't feel like PJ gets his due on what he has done at MN and the type coach he is.

I don't think he's a rah rah coach at all. He's tough, intense, and runs a pretty well-oiled program and is a true CEO coach. I will always remember being behind the scenes for a game a couple years ago. Walked by PJ in the tunnel as he went back to the locker room between warmups and the start of the game. The intensity on his face was like something I had not seen from him.
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Now it wasn't much of a pro career, but that coach probably has no idea that PJ was on an NFL team as a wide receiver until he messed up his shoulder. You have to be damn intense and tough to be a professional football player when you're PJ's size. Quite sure Rah-Rah Guy would kick that coach's ass.
 

mngg11 said:
100%. I think the culture he's instilled is why we've been so resilient, consistent, and successful in a football environment where we're dwarfed by so many teams financially and win beyond our perceived talent level. It's not the x's and o's, it's the guys playing for each other and not primarily themselves. I also think that, all other things being equal, pro coaches and GMs would prefer a guy coming from a Fleck run program than a program trying to spend as much money as possible to get the best players. I feel like the expectations are the same across the board for our guys in terms of things outside of football - very high.
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Are there any draft pick stats as to which college team's players "over-produce" vs "under-produce", meaning the players end up doing better or worse than the slot in which they were drafted? It seems that with the Winfield's and such that have come from Fleck's teams, the Gophers are a solid "over producer". I'd think that with the analytics NFL teams use, this would be a metric that goes into selecting players. I'd like to see the same metric for conferences.
 

Full Speed Ahead said:
Are there any draft pick stats as to which college team's players "over-produce" vs "under-produce", meaning the players end up doing better or worse than the slot in which they were drafted? It seems that with the Winfield's and such that have come from Fleck's teams, the Gophers are a solid "over producer". I'd think that with the analytics NFL teams use, this would be a metric that goes into selecting players. I'd like to see the same metric for conferences.
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"You're either on something or onto something..." (copyright Common) Seriously FSA, I really like the concept of the metric you outlined. That would be a fascinating "tell" about what players from what programs/coaches will overachieve vs. underachieve.
 

denguegopher said:
This is posted in my office, "If you can't look back at your younger self and realize that you were an idiot, you are probably still an idiot." Author unknown
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That's outstanding, and as a 59 y.o., I couldn't agree more. Funny how years of life bring wisdom.
 

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