Masonry Magazine June 2012 Page. 46
FULL CONTACT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
By "Coach" Gary Micheloni
Junior's Lessons Are Larger Than Life
It isn't often that a city receives a shock. Rarer still does it happen to a state. When it happens to an entire country, it is significant. However, it is incredibly rare when the reason comes from the world of sports.
On a Wednesday morning in early-May, my wife called out to me, "Junior Seau's dead!"
Now, the death of anyone always is a concern. But, I live in Oceanside, as did Junior, and had the privilege of following his impact not only on football, but on a community and country. You didn't have to love football to be a fan of this man.
Junior never offered excuses. He never failed to talk to the media, even in the locker room, following a devastating loss. He always accepted responsibility. He would make himself available to criticism and tough questions. And, yet, he was one of the comparatively few bright spots for the local team during its 50-plus years. And, for the one Super Bowl appearance the San Diego Chargers did make in 1994, Junior "quarterbacked the defense.
Mostly, though, we've had a lot of "wait until next year" talk. But for 13 years, Junior made it more tolerable, even during worse-than-usual seasons.
JUNIOR SAYS
"I always wanted to be a quarterback."
-Junior Seau
And we've had our share.
No one ever worked out harder, prepared longer, or focused more on the task at hand than did Junior. He would cram for his "test" on the field, up until the last few moments in the locker room, before every game. When guys got down, he'd lift them up. When the other team scored, he'd be exhorting his teammates, "Stay up!" He practically willed them to get better, try harder, run faster, jump higher. And, if a loss came, which it often did, he'd own up to it at the press conference.
Junior realized he was blessed with skills and abilities, surrounded by family, and supported by coaches, teachers and
JUNIOR SAYS
"When you are putting your kids to bed, and their prayer at night is, 'God, please let Daddy win sometime,' you know it's getting bad."
- Junior Seau
friends. He wasn't born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth. His attitude was, "I'm a lucky guy who knows where I come from. I come from the streets."
As contractors, we can relate to a guy like Junior. This business is tough. We get clobbered and blindsided. But Junior would get up and get back in the game. He played hurt. He inspired others, from teammates to fans.
In today's economy, doesn't it kind of feel like we are playing on only one good leg? One of the reasons Junior was so successful was that he loved the game. He once said, "Great players feel the game." How about us? Do we feel our own game?
During one particularly dreadful season, with a losing streak underway, Junior rallied the team but would not take credit for it. With him, it was always a "team" thing, a "we" thing. He told a reporter, "We did what we had to do. Getting a win was key."
JUNIOR SAYS
"Whenever the defense needed to get off the field, we didn't execute. We recognize that, and hopefully it won't happen again."
-Junior Seau