T1B

Besides being one of my favorite ND players of all time, Zorich is a cool dude. Over came a ton to get a degree from ND and then went to law school. Still think he's one of college football's all time bad asses. Anyway, here's his opinion on the current state of college football coaches and players:

"You can't yell at a kid anymore, it seems, otherwise you get sued. You can't grab a kid's facemask, and if you stick a finger in his chest you get fired. Whoever started all these new rules about coaching football is probably the same person who said every kid in little league should be awarded a trophy for participation. Are you kidding me? Now the kid doesn't know what it means to truly earn something.

When I dislocated my kneecap in my first spring here, I couldn't practice but I was still out there in full equipment, with a knee stabilizer, and I kept my helmet on. That's how I was taught. Coach Holtz would grab my facemask, he'd slap my helmet, he threw me out of practice all the time. My line coach, John Palermo, he beat the shit out of me. The offensive line coach Joe Moore, what he had our guys do ... Do you even have fights in practice anymore?

This isn't badminton. You need coaches who can build you up, tear you down, piss you off ... Football is different than any other team sport, and your manhood is challenged every play. I could not coach today, because I would not only be fired the first day, I would be arrested.

I didn't come from a disciplined background growing up, and I needed someone kicking my ass. In high school I learned to always have my helmet on and not even take a knee on the sidelines. Water? When a student manager here first handed me a water bottle, I was like "Really?" I came from a different environment.

As much as I could hate my coaches at times, it taught me about courage, succeeding under pressure and pushing myself beyond what I thought I could do."


Rack you, #50.

Rack that rant.

Jesus, that Stanford (?) player looks dead!



Zorich was my all-time favorite ND player, bar none. Joe is the one I respected the most, but Zorich was my favorite.

"My line coach, Joe Palermo, he beat the shit out of me."

I'm actually crying a little after reading that.

Maybe I'll sue him for making me cry. I've been feeling this way for years now, but it's gone exponential the last few years... I'm really starting to hate this country.

the_ouskull

I went up to a coach when I was a kid and said "Hey coach, I think my thumb is jammed". A QB had landed on it after I SACKED him (RACK ME), anyway, he said "Man !!!" - did this thing with his thumb on one nostril, blew a shit load of snot out of the other, and said ... "Pull it out and get back in there son". So I did.

Played the rest of the game. Thumb was broken by then. That's why they have tape. In H.S. played with pulled muscles, broken hands, etc..

It's love of the game. A game that requires a coach and your bros to remind you "Don't be a pussy, dude".

Great article.

I know what you mean.

It was my senior year and we had our district golf tournament approaching, but I was suffering from a slight head cold. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to give it a go.

My coach took my 9-iron out of my bag and wrapped it around my noggin, then he ripped off my head and shit down my neck. He said if I didn't go out there and give it all I got for my team, he would burn my house down and hang my cocker spaniel from a tree branch.

You guys have no idea how intense it was back then in hish school golf.

Times have changed man.

No doubt America in general has been stricken with massive amounts of pussification over the years, but does anyone really think "player mistreatment" is the reason these guys got canned? I'm pretty sure Nick Saban or Urban Meyer could drop an anvil Acme-style on some 3rd string scrub and get away with it. It's only a no-no if they want you out to begin with.

Absolutely. It's nothing more than convenient, PC-pandering scapegoating.

I could be wrong, but I thought Mucho had mentioned that USF administration had it out for the guy for some time. I would definitely trust his angle on the matter.

Love seeing a guy like that come out and tell it like it is...RACK him (even if he's a domer)

imagine, a bunch of whiny pussies bitching about the "pussification of america." ja, homo, craig james: liberal standard bearer. sorry, he's on your side.

this has like 4% to do with the pussification of america and 219% to do with the increased scrutiny of public figures that comes with all of us lemmings trolling every dark corner of the internet for the lastest info on our football teams. next time your coach gets fired for calling a player a cunt, blame your own insatiable urge to "know." you can also blame the real life manginos who have abused their positions of authority at podunk high schools for the need to establish certain protections.

oh, and you can also blame this particular psychotic mess for punching a player in the face, twice.