“We Are Marshall” Coach Addresses First Tee Crowd

With a blend of humor, humility and honesty, collegiate Hall of Fame coach and administrator Jack Lengyel delivered the keynote speech at a recent banquet at Firestone Country Club supporting The First Tee of Akron. A crowd of 200 attended the annual Executive Dinner. Lengyel recounted his days as a student and football player at The University of Akron where he played with local legends John Cistone, Mario Russo and Frank Stams, Sr., the father of First Tee Executive Director Frank Stams, Jr., himself an All-American defensive end at Notre Dame. Upon graduation, Lengyel embarked on a football coaching career that would eventually lead him to a university in West Virginia touched by tragedy. After stints at Akron, Heidelberg College and Cornell University, Lengyel landed the head coaching position at Wooster College in 1968. He remained there until 1970. Then fate intervened. “I came home after a game. I was laying on the couch, digesting what happened and starting to get my mind set on preparing for the next game,” said Lengyel. “Then, a report came on the television. It said that an airplane carrying the Marshall University football team had crashed, killing everyone on board.” Lengyel felt compelled to help. He called the university to offer his services. At first, he was told the university hadn’t decided whether to continue the football program. Soon afterward, though, Marshall University President Don Dedmon and Athletic Director Joe McMullen made the courageous decision to re-build the program, and they set about finding a new coach. “I wasn’t their first choice,” said Lengyel. “In fact, I wasn’t their second, third or fourth choice. But, I finally got the call.” With only four remaining players, Lengyel went about the daunting task of not only re-building the football team but, in the process, the spirit of the town of Huntington, which passionately embraced its college football team. It was at this point in his remarks that Lengyel drew parallels between the undertaking he faced and the mission of The First Tee, an educational program designed to teach youth between the ages of 6 to 17 character-building skills through the game of golf. Lengyel pointed to the bedrock of the First Tee mission to have youth embrace the organization’s 9 Core Values: Confidence, Courtesy, Honesty, Integrity, Judgement, Perseverance, Respect, Responsibility and Sportsmanship. “There are many of the qualities of the Nine Core Values that we had to employ to get to where we wanted to be, to field a team against the odds.” But Marshall was able to field a team, complete with freshmen, baseball players, soccer players, basketball players and walk-ons. It even managed to win its second game back, a 15-13, last- play victory over Xavier. The struggle and the eventual triumph was featured in the 2006 film, “We Are Marshall” starring Matthew McConaughey portraying Lengyel. “I commend The First Tee of Akron for reaching out to young people and teaching them that they can accomplish anything they want if they want it badly enough.”