Kicking off Season 2 of Sports Legends of the Carolinas, this week’s guest is Greg Olsen, who lit up opposing defenses for nine years as a Pro Bowl tight end for the Carolina Panthers, and has had an extraordinary start to his second career: calling color for the NFL on FOX.
Olsen lives in Charlotte with his wife Kara and their three children — Tate, Talbot and T.J. He is almost as well known in the Queen City for his charity work as he is for his football and broadcasting prowess. We did this interview at a Charlotte steakhouse called “Steak 48,” which on Feb. 27 will host an Olsen charity event to benefit his “The HEARTest Yard” initiative. (https://atriumhealth.org/medical-services/childrens-services/childrens-specialty-care/pediatric-cardiology-and-heart-surgery/hypoplastic-left-heart-syndrome/the-heartest-yard)
In this conversation, Olsen discussed Tom Brady (before Brady retired from the NFL on February 2); the upcoming Super Bowl; T.J.’s continued improvement after his heart transplant in 2021; and why Carolina’s loss to Denver in Super Bowl 50 still gnaws at Olsen.
Sports Legends of the Carolinas is hosted by Scott Fowler. It’s produced by Loumay Alesali, Jeff Siner and Kata Stevens. For lots more on the show, visit
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Hello everybody and welcome to the first Episode of season 2 of sports legends of The Carolinas I'm your host Scott Fowler Sports columnist for the Charlotte Observer where I've worked since 1994 and as always in this podcast I'm Seeking out some of my favorite sports Legends from across the Carolinas and Hearing the stories behind their rise to Iconic status this season on sports Legends we're doing things a little Differently instead of visiting with you All every week we're spacing out our Season to bring you these Legends Throughout the sports calendar NFL Hall Of Fame draft experts basketball Stars NASCAR standouts controversial NBA team Owners you'll hear from them when you Want to the most if you're new here Welcome and be sure to check out the First season of sports legends of the Carolinas all episodes including the Subscription Apple podcast content are Now available for free wherever you Listen to podcast Down the seam wide open and that's Greg Olen and Olen is in for the touchdown For this episode of sports legends of The Carolinas were're thrilled to be in A Charlotte steakhouse called stake 48 Sitting across from Greg Olsen the Former Carolina Panther Pro Bowl tight End and current Fox Sports lead NFL Analyst and there's the pass into the
End zone and it's caught for the Touchdown Greg o after 9 years as a Panther Greg has had a meteoric rise in The broadcasting World alongside Play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhart he Will call his first Super Bowl on February 12th broadcasting the Kansas City Chiefs versus the Philadelphia Eagles before a viewing audience that Will exceed 100 million People thanks for listening and now Here's Greg Olen on sports legends of The Carolinas Greg welcome to the show Appreciate it Scott thanks for having me Absolutely uh well first of all let's Talk a little bit why we're here at State 48 you have an awesome charity Event coming up here in Charlotte I Believe on February 27th and so tell us About that yeah we're really fortunate Uh for anyone who lives in Charlotte the The most popular restaurant probably by Far right now currently is stake 48 you Can come in here any day of the week and Probably run into a half dozen or so People that you know and um it it's Really been an unbelievable kind of a Add to the culinary kind of experience Here in Charlotte and um about a year And a half ago um some of the owners Oliver and his team here at stake 48 Approached us they were aware of our Work with LaVine Children's Hospital
Through our program the hardest yard and They offered up a similar event that They've done at some of their other Locations uh specifically out in the Scottdale area and offered us the Restaurant and they said we will provide The food we will provide the restaurant Um all we ask is that you take care of Our servers and and our team and we Would love you guys to bring all of your Nearest friends donors um companies that You work with and we will have an Unbelievable night we'll give them a top Of you know top-of-the-line dinner Experience and all of the money gets Donated to the hardest yard which of Course we pass through to the families We serve at LaVine children's hospital And last year for our first year we had Never really done something like this Kind of a high-end kind of dinner Intimate experience and to say it was a Success would be would not be doing it Justice so we are fortunate enough now To be doing it again as you mentioned uh We're doing it here in a couple weeks on The 27th of February we always do it in February because it's heart month um so That that last uh that last Monday in February we'll be here again at State 48 And we'll have 250 of our closest Friends just having a great night dinner Drinks tell our story of what the Hardest yard is and at the end of the
Day be able to give a pretty good check To our to our families at LaVine Children's Hospital that we continue to Serve and and for those who don't know Your personal connection to the hardest Yard explain so the hardest yard is a is A program that my wife Cara and I Started um back in 2013 so shortly after I was traded here to to Charlotte uh to Carolina to to live in Charlotte uh my Wife and I found out that our at the Time yet to be born son TJ um we were Pregnant with him shortly after my first Year so 2012 he was diagnosed with a Very serious heart condition uh prior to Being born uh called hypoplastic left Heart syndrome um he was born with a Non- fly functioning heart and through The subsequent years to follow um he's Had he had four open heart surgeries and Then the fall of 2021 he had a heart Transplant and so the hardest yard is Our family's program that we run through Our foundation uh we provide inpatient Services outpatient services to the Cardiac families we built 25,000 square Foot hardest yard congenital heart Center which is attached um over at LaVine Children's Hospital here in Charlotte which serves all the different Subs Specialties of cardiac pediatric Cardiac care um here with LaVine Children so it's something that we've Been doing now almost for 10 years that
We're about to celebrate our 10th Anniversary here in a couple weeks and Uh we're very fortunate for the Community support we're so fortunate That the program has continued to grow We just launched our second facility out In Charleston at um MUSC children's Hospital so we are kind of spreading our Wings and and trying to reach across More of the Carolinas and uh it's all Due to to events like this and and just Continued Community Support TJ's Struggle you you and your wife have been Very public with and I understand he's Doing well so give us an update on TJ Now yeah TJ's doing great uh so last Summer celebrated his one-year Anniversary so he's about a year and a Half out now and playing tried Basketball for the first time this year Through school that was something that He never could really do it was a little Too cardio you know dependent and and Exhausting for him so he's playing on His school's basketball team which has Been really fun for him he had never Played before um plays baseball he's Done that the most um it just always Worked with his you know with his Abilities and what he was able to do and Whatnot but he is as happy he is as Healthy he is growing he's big and Strong he's uh he's doing really well we Continue to get really good checkups um
When we go back we're we're just his Cardiac team here in Charlotte the just From the day he was born from the Surgeons to the nurses to the team and Then of course now his transplant Cardiology team that that follows and Handles his care for here on out is just Is truly remarkable and the fact that we Were we were able to get all of that High level very critical care without Ever leaving more than 15 minutes away From our house um is something that's Not lost on us and it's a big reason why We spend so much time and effort in this Community to continue to elevate that Care and continue to elevate the access To that care for people around the Carolinas to let them know that I hope They never need line children I I hope They never step foot in it but if Unfortunately they ever needed that for Their son or daughter the fact that it's In our own backyard we learned firsthand Just how how precious that is it's Remarkable really what yall have done And that that facility which I've been Inside is just fantastic and he is in Middle school now how old is he he's in Fourth grade yeah so he's still in lower School he's 10 that's amazing okay well Let's switch gears a little bit so You're calling your first Super Bowl in The broadcast booth at least you're only 37 and you're about to do something it
Takes so many broadcasters decades to Achieve so if they ever achieve it at All so are you nervous about it you know I would be lying if I said I wasn't I I Don't know if nervous is the right word But you're kind of anxious like you're Ready for it to be here um you know you Have so many people that offer you up Advice um you know I remember getting Advice before I called the Thanksgiving Day game this year and you know the Audience is a little bigger we had 40 Some odd million people watching that Game and you get a lot of advice from From the the folks on the team that have Called a lot of big games and our Producer and director and and some of The members of the crew and you know That's like your first big check box and Then you kind of go throughout the Course of the year I've been I've been Fortunate that we've called a lot of big Games um you know just last week called My first ever playoff game up in Minnesota um when the Vikings lost to New York so I've been able to kind of Slowly gradually build calling bigger And bigger games but as as we know there Is nothing like the Super Bowl the Entire experience um and you're right I Think the fact that able to do it in Such a short period of time is less a Testament to me and just more of a Testament to Fox has believed in me
Before I even said I wanted to do this You know I was a player back in 2017 and People lost their minds because on my Bi-week they gave me the opportunity to Call a game which coincidentally Happened to be up in Minnesota where I Just made my playoff debut so I've been Very fortunate they believed in me from The very beginning and um I've had some Really cool opportunities in TV and you Know none bigger though than this year Being on the a team being on the lead Crew and obviously going through the Entire playoffs NFC championship and Then culminating as you mentioned out in Arizona for the Super Bowl so nervous Anxious excited I would say it's kind of A blend of all of those so explain Something to me so you're on the a team As Fox terms it right and this group of People who travel from City to City each Week and most of them have been together Forever right um and you and Kevin are New to it this year so Tom Brady retires Then what happens well that's the $375 Million question um and to be honest With you I don't have the answer I don't Even know right now if fox has the Answer I think um we knew going in Exactly what the situation was I was on The B crew last year with Kevin uh Joe And Troy ended up leaving to go to ESPN Monday Night Football and it left an Opening with the fox a crew you know an
Opening that hadn't been there in in Over 20 years and and like like you said The the team there have been together For a long time you know Aaron Andrews And Tom raldi and the producer and Director they've been calling Super Bowls and doing the lead crew now for For two decades and for Joe and Troy to Leave and have that opening was a very Unique situation um Kevin early on was Told that he was going to be the lead Play-by-play Guy and um the question was Who was going to be in the seat next to Him and we had Communications all along We were always in the running we were Always a contender they were like I said Been very Pro Greg Olsen from the very Beginning but at the same time I'd only Done one full season and while they were Happy with how it went there's a big Difference between doing it for 20 years And and maybe having a little bit of a Bigger profile and a bigger name and That's just the reality of it so when Tom Brady the situation with Tom came up And he signed a contract even though he Was going to play another year at least It made things a little interesting and Obviously they they signed me to to do It in the meantime and I hope Tom Continues to to play but I knew what I Was getting into I I understand the Reality of the situation it if it's just One year make the most of it have some
Unbelievable experiences call some of The biggest games in NFL history and uh That's how I've looked at it from the Beginning and I can't control what Tom Does I can't control what the the powers To be at Fox do but I can control how Good of a job I do I can control how Hard I prepare and and the energy and The fun that I bring to the broadcast And uh I'll let the rest of it just kind Of settle itself out when it's all done And you uh I was reading somewhere uh The story of how you addressed the Elephant in the room the very first time In September when you had Tom for a game Right I know you've had him multiple What four times or something now but That first time uh how did you go about That since both of you were very aware Of this unusual Dynamic yeah and and I Think that was the thing talking with With Kevin leading up to the game I said You know it's I we got to just just Address right it's going to be I don't Know how Tom feels I I never spoken to Him about it but you know listen he's we All understand like I'm doing a Production meeting with him and Potentially he could be taking my job And it's a you know it's a weird it's a Weird dynamic so we were just sitting There and we were just kind of kind of Shooting the a little bit and uh we Were talking and he was asking us how we
Doing and I was just like you know Tom You should just leave this TV stuff to Me man I was like it's miserable you're Not going to lie and he got a kick out Of it and just I think it just kind of Ripped the bandaid off and just let Everyone know like we're not going to Take this make more of this than it is We're not going to make it too serious Um everyone has a job to do everyone Makes decisions I understand it's Tom Brady and if you have a chance to get Him you try and uh I think I think Everyone took a little bit of a deep Breath and was like okay let's just do This meeting prepare the game and uh It's not that big of a deal you uh you Are the rare tight end who has become a A really broadcasting Superstar most Lead analyst uh traditionally or Quarterbacks right your profile while in Charlotte is enormous nationally maybe Isn't because of the position that she Played yeah and I always knew getting Into into TV and and specifically Calling the games the reason that I was Drawn to calling the games frankly Versus some of the studio stuff is the Studio stuff is a lot more resume Dependent right you want to sit at one Of those big desks you're wearing gold Jackets you got multiple allros you're You're typically a quarterback it it's Just you know there's a little bit of a
Different Dynamic to those Studios as They put those Crews together and and Frankly I knew for me the only way I was Ever going to ascend to being in that Top category that a crew or that top Studio show was going to be by just Being good at it right it was not going To be that I was going to get the seat Because of playing quarterback on a big Time you know at a New York City and Playing in Super Bowls and winning you It's just that was not that was not me And um I was okay with that but I think The fact the reason why I was drawn to Calling games is not everyone can do it I think we've learned that over the last Couple years where prominent players or Prominent people have tried to get into The booth and they learn very quickly It's hard there's a lot going on you got To talk for three hours a lot of it's Off the just winging it and you got to Make sure you're clear and coherent and You make good points and Everyone's a Critic so it's uh it's not for everyone And I think that was what Dr Drew me to It and I knew that as long as I was good I could ascend because I could maybe Pass by guys who had better playing Careers or had more prominent names or Played quarterback or played in bigger Markets whatever the situation is so That's why I feel like I've been able to Do it um I think the fact that I did
Play tight end actually helps me I think You know I I was required to learn the Game I was required to study the game And see the game from a lot different Perspective than all the other quter Positions including quarterback right You you watch the quarterback broadcasts And and these guys are incredible at What they do but so often the game is Told Through The Eyes of a quarterback And the ball well there's a lot other Things going on and typically the viewer At home sees the ball typically the Viewer at home is following the ball but Show me the protections and show me what The defense is doing like give me some Other layers that make this game as Interesting as we all know it to be and Um that's been something that we've Really tried to lean into is like bring A whole Collective fun comprehensive Learning experience but also keeping it Fun and light and not boring people to Death and I I think for the most part People have responded pretty well to That and uh I think my position has Actually helped me yeah and you're so Good at diagnosing that's what I I don't See how you're doing it in real time but You and I'm not saying this just because We've known each other a long time but I Think you're doing so well partly Because you're so quick and and but you Know almost sometimes I know you've
Mentioned before almost too fast right You have so many thoughts that the you Have to you're told every broadcast I Think you said somewhere to slow down a Little bit right I have a I have a kind Of a running joke with my with my Producer um Richie Zion he's been he's Been calling he's been the producer of The lead crew now for 20 20 something Years he's called a million Super Bowls He was with Joe and Troy for forever and Uh worked with Madden you know back in His day so he's a really well you know Well highly respected highly thought of Producer and we kind of have a joke like The game hasn't started until like in The first three plays of the game he Tells me to slow down and and something I've really had to learn and this was Something that I had to learn kind of as A player too is you know you see you see A little see a lot right and the the Inverse of that is you see a lot you see A little and I think as a broadcaster There's so many cool things happening on Every single play there's five Interesting talking points you can give On every play in the NFL there's so many At least in my mind yeah but the reality Is that doesn't make for great TV that Doesn't make for a great viewing Experience so I I have to make sure I'm Mindful that I can't get every thought I Have on every single snap in in 15
Seconds Without just rambling on and on and on And just driving people crazy so that There is a little bit of okay even if You think it's great this might not be The time put it in your back pocket There's three more hours to go yeah You'll get back to it you know and and That's been uh again a lot of this is Just a great Learning lesson for me and Uh but that's what makes it so fun like Every week I learn and experience Something different that you don't know Until you know and uh that's what's been So exciting and been so enjoyable about The Process we'll be back right after This welcome Back let's go to the Panthers for a Little bit um so as we're doing this Right now they're in the midst of a Hiring a head coach maybe by the time it Airs they will have hired one but Whoever the Panthers new head coach is What do you think they have to do to Succeed in a place where they haven't Made the playoffs now for 5 years yeah And it and it's hard because obviously Living here um you know my kids are fans This is all my kids know right my entire Career as far as they're concerned was In Carolina this is their home this is The kids they go to school with this is The radio they listen to this is this is
Our home so like you know we want the Panthers to do well we are going to Forever be fans of the Panthers and Cheer for them and we want the city and I want my kids selfishly and you know Their friends and their schools to get Back to what it was for those five or Six years where on Friday kids wore Panther jerseys and that stadium was Packed and there was no what are you Going to do on Sunday like you were Going if there was a home game you were Coming to the Panthers game right like I Want that for our city I want that for Our kids I want that for all of us Selfishly like for during the fall this Is a Panthers town and and really have That buzz like we had you know when when We were running there for a couple years So I think they've got to come in Obviously wils did it last year which is Just kind kind of steady the boat make Things Baseline get things back to Square one they got to find a long Long-term quarterback they've got to Find you know what does that look like Continue to develop offensively so I Mean that football-wise there's a lot of Things they have to continue to do but First and foremost they need a great Leader and they need someone that's Going to come in and represent the Carolina Panthers brand well and make The Panthers a big deal again in this
City it would be nice to see them being A big deal again because you're right It's it's feels like it's been a while Um So let's go to one the best season the Panthers have ever had 2015 and that Super Bowl I still feel Like watching that honestly Greg and I Rewatched it at some point not too long Ago that you guys actually were a better Team overall than Denver I don't know if You agree with that or there's no Question in my mind about that yeah So what happened and if you in the Benefit of hindsight if you could play It again what what would you change man We could do a whole episode episode I I've played that g I've played that game Back I've played those two weeks between The NFC championship and that and Walking off the field at the Super Bowl Out in Santa CLA I've played that game Back probably a thousand times in my Brain you know I think first and Foremost you know I think if we played Them 10 times we'd probably win Seven I wouldn't say we'd win nine or 10 But I think we'd win more than half I Think we were better I think we were More balanced I think their defense was Dominant I think our defense was Dominant we had the number one offense In the league that year we were Averaging 30 points a game in the
Playoffs we scored 30 and then we scored 40 something in the NFC Championship 40 44 45 something like that so I mean we Were rolling and um our offense was Better than their offense their defense Was probably equally as dominant as ours Was that year so you got to give them Credit and at the end of the day their Defense had a bigger impact on the game Because of the the touchdown on the sack Because the forc fumbles and for as good As our defense played that day our Offense was so Bad uncharacteristic of that season that Our defense just couldn't do enough to To carry us and um you know for as bad As we played I I remember vividly Standing there in the fourth quarter and We were down one score it felt like Everything had gone wrong we had T we Had sacks we had strip sacks we had Fumbles we had everything go against us And we got like two or three possessions In a row we got the ball and it was like We need one score we need one score and Um we just never could get it so I mean I I could what would you do if you only Could do one thing though what would you Different like should you have Max Protected more I mean what what would Have you know changed something or if You could have I think we did I I don't Think there was anything from a Schematic you know thing that gave us a
Disadvantage right I think it was you Know you hear coaches say all the time You know missed opportunities and There's all these cliches that coach Speak and whatnot but when you look at How that game broke down right we got The ball first we first play of the game We ran a very similar play that we ran Um against Seattle had a shot couldn't Quite block it right then on third down I caught a pass a yard and a half short Of first down I'm supposed to run a 12 Yard Route I want to say it was like Third nine for whatever reason I ran Eight and a half yard route caught it Got hit in the back and tackled came up Fourth and half a yard a yard we punt They take they so they had scored we got The ball back we hold them we get the Ball back cotch has that ball down the Middle of the field they rule it Incomplete I know there's a lot of Debate about whether he caught it or not And then I want to say a play or two Later we got strip sacked um you know so It just you just look at the com you Know the the series the sequence of Events of that game um you know then We're rolling and we fumble then just Things that were just very untraditional Of how we had played that year and um And what makes the NFL so special and What makes the NFL so unique is you know On all the other major sports if you
Have a bad day you get them tomorrow I'm Talking in the playoffs and the Championships you get them tomorrow you Get one shot and I think that's what Makes the NFL playoffs so special and That's what makes the NFL the Super Bowl So unique is it's not a it's not a a Totality of different games where we say Out of seven I'll get you four right I'm Sitting here saying if we played them 10 We might win six or Seven we're 0 for one and they're one And0 and that's it and um yeah we peaked In the NFC Championship you know we Played that day everything we called Worked every play we ran was open every Ball that was contested we caught Everything worked and it was the exact Opposite in the Super Bowl and it's a Tough pill to swallow but that's your Biggest regret I assume in your career Losing that game would you say I mean I Think everybody looks back on their Career entirely different if we win that Game From Ron to cam to all of us you know to Have Super Bowl you know I think when I Think back to my career like that's the Only thing I wasn't able to accomplish Right individual goals and production And played in some great games and Played in multiple NFC championships One- one lost one you know all of a Sudden if you put Super Bowl
Champion we arguably would have had the Greatest season in NFL history I mean I Know the Dolphins went undefeated back In 70 or whatever 72 but we would have Been the first eight win Super Bowl Champion in NFL history and uh we were There we had a shot we just didn't Finish it must get to the 45 for a first Down Cutler fires downfield and the Catch is made by the tight end Greg Olen For a bears touchdown you scored I think I looked back at this 63 touchdowns 14 Years in the league what was your very Favorite touchdown you ever scored That's a good question I think I have I'm goingon to answer you I'm I'm not Dodging the question but I am going to Answer it a little more okay with a Little more Nuance so there's like Different different touchdowns tell Different stories to me so my first ever Touchdown so I go back to 2007 I I got Drafted by the Bears training camp last Preseason game preseason game four I Bang my knee on the ground in Soldier Field and I and I tear my PCL on my knee So my first four games two I miss two I Don't do anything game five we're going Sunday Night Football in Lambo field Brett Favre prime time game you name it And I catch my first ever touchdown in Lambo field we win the game I had six Catches and I was like all right that Was like my I had a tough start first
Round picked kid doesn't play you know How that goes and finally like have my Moment where I'm like okay like I can do This I can do this that one sticks out To me just because the first of anything Means a lot then as I go through my you Know I go through my career I think of You know my first ever playoff game in Chicago against the Seahawks the first Third down in the game I have a 50s Something yard touchdown in the snow Soldier Field we end up winning pretty Big there my first ever playoff game we Win um I think here obviously the 2015 Catch against Seattle up in Seattle just Because it wasn't a playoff game wasn't The Super Bowl I want to say it was like Week six or seven it was early in the Year but to me that was like that win Itself not the catch the win itself was Very symbolic of like we've turned the Corner cuz y'all could never beat seatt Could never beat Seattle we always gave Him a run we always gave him everything We had it just we never could get over The hump so that that game um that same Year my the catch in the Seattle playoff Game in the first half you know was Probably one of my better just pure Catches of my career um so I mean There's a lot that stick out for you Know a variety of different reasons some Catches had great significance to me Personally some had great significance
At an impact of a really important game Um but those are the ones that like kind Of come to mind you're a favorite NFL Player of all time you know when I was a Kid growing up granted I grew up in New Jersey so I grew up in Giants country And and all the Giants coaches a lot of Them lived in our town and their kids Played sports with us and we're on our Teams I grew up a San Francisco 49er fan Steve y um Jerry Rice Steve Young I was Like after the Montana days so it was it Was young and and rice I remember every Year probably when I was in Middle School you know for probably three four Years in a row I either got a Jerry Rice Jersey or a Steve Young jersey and Jerry Rice was a guy that still to this day When I see him I had a chance to Interview him on my podcast and that was Like a life circle moment you know just I just always really respected the way He went about it right he was you know You saw the videos as a kid of him Running the hills and how hard he Trained and you know he wasn't the Fastest guy he wasn't like I always Resonated with that like there was Something about his effort and his Approach that made him you you arguably The greatest one of the greatest players Of all time so he um he was he was the Guy he was the Jersey I was wearing he Was the Jersey I hope was under the tree
On Christmas morning um yeah Jerry was Somebody that still to this day I hold In high regard and that's been for a Long time since I was a kid find that Slant with your eyes pass pass pass Right there don't back up where are you Going hey can I show you what a slant Route looks like you're running one yard Off the ball watch me one two three and Run like this Yeah speaking of kids so you one of the Things you and I have in common is I Have coached tennis soccer and Basketball for my kids at one time or The other uh and you do a ton of that More than I do even was isn't Luke Keeley your defensive coordinator or Something yeah he's under contract what Do you sign him for what do Luke Keeley Go for these days we do pizza at least Once a week I I get him a lunch we do a Lunch coaches lunch meeting every Thursday at a local restaurant we kind Of move it around so he his compensation Is pretty good wow yeah it would be hard For anybody to match that you can't Match yeah yeah especially terer he Can't match that way right so what uh is What do you enjoy the most about that And and you're you're a pretty Hard-nosed coach right your style is Uh pretty intense yeah you know well I I Should say yes to that I I this winter Actually I'm I'm assisting my daughter's
Fourth grade basketball team at school Nice so I've really found like a new Version of myself um it's it's great These girls have never played before They are adorable they're cute at Practice it's it's I'll just say it's Unlike anything I've ever done before But my wife always says it's good for You that's what she every time I come Home and I'm like she's like how was it And I just take a deep breath she's like It's good for you um aside from that Team yeah we we we coach our kids hard And now especially as we're getting Older my older son's in fifth grade so He's almost in Middle School my twins Are in fourth but we uh we coach him Hard and and the reason we do that we're Very upfront with the parents we're very Transparent with with our style and our Philosophy is you know I find so often That in Youth Sports especially in Today's day the people that limit the Kids are the adults the the people who Put you know constraints and say okay They're only capable of this or they're Incapable of doing x y and z I always say that might be true but Let's find out let's find out how good They can Be and if whatever they end up failing At that's their ceiling but let's not Put their ceiling before we've ever Started practice let's not just assume
Here's what we're capable of doing and Just shoot to try to be average like I Just I don't understand that approach we Would never do it in academics we would Never set the curriculum of the year and Say this is all John is capable of Learning in math we should only teach Him this no you teach him every time you Learn one thing you go to the next and You just keep climbing so I think the Same thing through Athletics I think Every kid has a different ceiling every Kid has different skills different Innate qualities different level of Competitiveness and that's okay not Every kid has to be the same but every Kid can be maximized every kid can re Reach he or she's greatest potential and Often it's hard and often you have to Push them beyond their limits Beyond not So much their limits their parents' Limits the Parents what the parents think is Capable what the parents think is Reasonable and 99% of the time at the End of the year the parents come back And they go that was incredible like in The beginning I wasn't really sure Thought it was a little much I thought And then all of a sudden the light bulb Goes off and their kid starts to grow And they start to mature and and they Start to see yes I am capable of more Don't hold them back and often times the
The kid we give back at the end of the Season has grown significantly from the Kid you gave us at the beginning and to Me that's the goal the wins and losses In between that I always say that's a Byproduct of everything we do we don't Seek out to win games we're gonna win Just because we're gonna but that's not The ultimate that's not the first Priority the first priority is how do we Grow every player how do we hold every Player accountable how do we get Development and growth and skills and Then we're going to win at the end as a Result if we're willing to do all these Things along the way you do football and Baseball is that the two main on that's What we spend the most amount of time on And now obviously fourth grade girls Basketball which is so how are you with Uh umpires or officials pretty good fine I mean don't get me wrong well you know Well I you know in football if they call I I have a philosophy when I'm Coaching and again this is probably not 100% true because I'm trying to be Honest with myself I have a philosophy Where I'd say nine out of 10 times it Holds true I do not engage with the Other par the other team's coaches the Other team's players the Umpires 99% of my time energy messaging Communication is with my Players I will not get into with another
Umpire or another coach unless they Unless I feel they've mistreated or Disrespected one of the kids on my team Outside of that you coach your team I'll Coach mine at the end I'll shake your Hand and we go about my way I'm not a Big arguer with the other team I'm not a Big arguer over what you do you want you Do your thing I'll do mine that's I try To go into every game with that approach Certain coaches want to take it personal They see us walk in they want to make Their name they want to we've had a Handful of those situations over where You kind of have to nip it and you have To kind of put an end to it and let them Know you're not going to deal with it But this like this football season for Example it was great we had every coach We played against was awesome the Opposing players and teams after the Games coming up and they want Luke to Take a picture us that they were awesome We competed don't get me wrong we we Tried to beat them by 100 and we tried To get after them and but at the end of The game the other coaches were great Nobody tried to be a big shot nobody Tried to you know prove it it was a Really really positive experience which I wasn't sure going in how it was going To be right yeah you never know I know Exactly what you're talking about but The safest is definitely just stay with
Your own football is you're on opposite Sides of the field that's true the fans Are on your s stands they're 70 yards Away from our fans basketball gym you're On the same bench granted we haven't Played tons of competitive basketball We've had our most issues have been in Baseball you know everyone's there on Top of each other the fields are small Dugouts are right there so we've had our Fair share of moments here and there but It's mostly me reacting to how an adult Talks to one of our kids that's that's Where I have no patience last thing I'll Ask you real quickly who's the best Tight end of all time I'll tell you what I Think if the trend continues for another Couple years I think Kelsey's got a shot I don't think I ever thought anyone Would ever catch Tony Gonzalez Production wise I think there's a lot of People in the conversation with grank And and Whitten and Gates and gonzale I Me we've had a unbelievable run of tight Ends in the last decade two decades Um I always thought Tony would stand Apart just because his production and Longevity was so it was at a I mean he's Second to Jerry Rice it's crazy when you Think of the numbers that Tony was able To put up for as long as he did but Kelsey's on his way I mean Kelsey seven Consecutive a thousand yard
Seasons it it's it's really unheard of And uh I think people can say oh well Can he keep doing it they said that After he got full four and now he's at Seven so if anyone can do it if anyone Can match or pass Gonzalez's production I think it's Travis I think just what He's able to do the way he can take over A game um I think he's got a shot right Now I'd say it's probably Tony or grank Or I'd say it's kind of that that era Those two guys um but I think Travis When it's all said and done I think Travis could pass Everybody by well Thank you so much Greg for your time and Your thoughtfulness today best of luck At the Super Bowl this is sports legends Of the Carolinas join us again next time Thank you Scott appreciate it that was Great thanks so much for listening to Sports legends of the Carolinas a Production of the Charlotte Observer This show is produced by Lum Ali Sally Jeff siner and K Stevens the sports Editor of the Charlotte Observer is Lydia crarer and the executive editor is Raina cash Davin Coburn is mcl's Director of audio for lots more Sports Content and to continue supporting this Kind of work please visit Charlotte Observer.com and consider a digital Subscription and connect with me on Twitter at Scott fower or email at Sor Charlotteobserver.com see you next
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