Thank you for using rssforward.com! This service has been made possible by all our customers. In order to provide a sustainable, best of the breed RSS to Email experience, we've chosen to keep this as a paid subscription service. If you are satisfied with your free trial, please sign-up today. Subscriptions without a plan would soon be removed. Thank you!
Today is the five year anniversary of Randy Walker's tragic death. I still remember where I was when I heard. I was staying over at a friend's apartment in Evanston because I had to go with him to shoot a golf tournament in Hammond the next day. I was having trouble sleeping the entire night as it was, but as I was about to doze off, he pops in and says "Randy Walker just died."
I sat up, thought about it for a second, and we turned on SportsCenter to see the news. It was one of those surreal things. The crazy part was I had just seen him in town, and only a few months earlier was talking to him after signing day. He was very excited about the incoming class, and especially excited about the upcoming year after the Sun Bowl. The Northwestern program changed because of Randy Walker, but it also changed a lot that day. The grief the team went through is somewhat unheard of for a college team. It was pretty spectacular to be on the field shooting video as the team ran out at Miami, and win in convincing fashion, but without the coach they all came to play for.
Pat Fitzgerald always says something to the effect of "I learned a lot from Coach Walk." While really any coach would say that to say the right thing, I think Fitz really did. Walker was the king of the trick play, of keeping that trump card for when you most need it. It's like he always had a grenade in his pocket and nobody knew it. Fitz is getting that, most notably in the 2010 Outback Bowl.
But the truth is, we all learned a little bit from Coach Walk. Whether you liked him or not, and I know some players definitely had their issues with his coaching style, he pushed you. Hell, he pushed us media members. He pushed to figure out what the hell he was talking about. Some gems...
"His life hasn't been a s--- filled Twinkie."
"This ain't no Johnny off the pickle boat."
"We don't want to just piss in their soup, but we want to s--- on their steak."
And something about... "Chuckles the Clown."
I would walk away shaking my head, but the thing was, he liked to have fun, and he liked to put on a show.
As fans of Northwestern, you learned to never count this team out, and you can thank Walker for that. He instilled a sense of "never die easy" attitude, and while that appears to be missing at times, as Wildcat fans, we know that some freak thing could happen (good or bad).
And most importantly, while Northwestern has had its ups and downs, it sure has always been interesting.
We as fans know that our lives and times at Ryan Field haven't exactly been a s--- filled Twinkie.
--
Source: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/spread-far-the-fame/2011/06/this-aint-no-johnny-off-the-pickle-boat.html
~
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com
Sharing is Sexy !
About the Author
0 komentar: