The Quarterback Club put on quite a show Monday night to celebrate the graduating seniors on the Griffin Football Team. The annual football banquet was held at Summer Grove church in south Shreveport. Coach Dennis Dunn and his assistant coaches presented numerous awards won by individual members of the team.
Coach Dunn reminded the team that although they had some losses this season, they came incredibly close to going all the way to the state championship. He thanked the seniors for their hard work. “You laid the foundation,” Dunn said, “You gave us something to build upon in coming years. And I don’t think a state championship is that far away.”
Underclassmen on the team presented the seniors with their game jerseys. And there were congratulations all around.
Leading off the evening was the coach of ULM in Monroe, Terry Bowden. His message was one of hard work, getting an education, and building your personal faith in God. Bowden has coached college football for 27 years. He spoke of his father Bobby Bowden and his brothers and the competition that came about in his family. He talked every day of competing for his father’s favor.
There were jokes and lighthearted moments. Bowden is a great storyteller. But woven in those stories were some sound advice for the graduating seniors and other members of the Griffins.
Bowden made several simple points of what college recruiters are looking for. “Athletic ability is given,” he said, “It is genetic, your God given ability. That you cannot control but there are things you can control like hard work.”
Bowden’s points were work hard, keep up your studies, and build a good character. Bowden said, “Be the hardest worker. Put the time in. Set your goals high and pay the price to achieve them.”
On academics, Coach Bowden said, “You have to have the ACT scores and the GPA. Are you doing what you have to do? If you make the grade there is a college for you.”
And on character, Bowden said, “Character is what you do when no one is looking. What kind of character do you have? Do what is right, not what’s wrong. What is your spiritual life like and what about your faith? Do you go to church, do you pray, and do you need something more? Football is a priority, but don’t make football the priority in your life. Make God the priority in your life and you’ll have all the other things.”
