Todd Bowles returns to his high school, gets standing ovation
Posted by Darin Gantt on June 24, 2015, 6:07 AM EDT
Todd Bowles
AP
He might not win press conferences the way their former coach does, but that doesn’t mean the Jets don’t have a boss who can stir people with his words.
New coach Todd Bowles received a standing ovation after his commencement address at his alma mater, Elizabeth Public Schools, yesterday.
Bowles told a crowd of around 4,500 (including 1,151 graduates) that he had a speech planned but went without notes instead because he wanted to “speak to you from the heart, which is the only way I know how.”
“I’ve been to almost every state and there’s no place that taught me survival skills, whether on the street or in the classroom, better than Elizabeth High School,” he said, via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. “I wasn’t the best athlete when I was here. I wasn’t the smartest person when I was here. I wasn’t valedictorian, but I always tried to do the right thing all the time.”
Bowles’ talk hit on common wisdom (which might not be as common as it used to be: Listen to your parents, don’t give up, respect your hometown as a place of support.
That makes him a success story, as he entered the league as an undrafted rookie but became a starter on Washington’s Super Bowl title team in 1987. That led to a career in coaching, bouncing from stop to stop before getting what amounts to his hometown job this offseason.
“Most people think I’ve made it, but I really haven’t,” he said. “I never strived to be a head coach. I strived to be a good coach. . . .A lot of people told me I wouldn’t make it [in the NFL]. My senior year, I dislocated six out of seven bones in my wrist and I was never supposed to play football again. I was hard-headed. I didn’t listen. I played eight years, which led me to this stage.”
And that led to a standing ovation, as the crowd responded to one of their own.
“He’s a person our kids can point to,” said Elizabeth football coach John Quinn. “He came from a tough environment, got his college degree and worked his way through the NFL. He’s living the dream, as they say. Kids can say, ‘If Todd Bowles, who lived in downtown Elizabeth, can make it, I can, too.’ He’s truly an American success story.”
And while he might not be as bombastic or entertaining as his predecessor, he still knows how to bring down the house.
Posted by Darin Gantt on June 24, 2015, 6:07 AM EDT
Todd Bowles
AP
He might not win press conferences the way their former coach does, but that doesn’t mean the Jets don’t have a boss who can stir people with his words.
New coach Todd Bowles received a standing ovation after his commencement address at his alma mater, Elizabeth Public Schools, yesterday.
Bowles told a crowd of around 4,500 (including 1,151 graduates) that he had a speech planned but went without notes instead because he wanted to “speak to you from the heart, which is the only way I know how.”
“I’ve been to almost every state and there’s no place that taught me survival skills, whether on the street or in the classroom, better than Elizabeth High School,” he said, via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. “I wasn’t the best athlete when I was here. I wasn’t the smartest person when I was here. I wasn’t valedictorian, but I always tried to do the right thing all the time.”
Bowles’ talk hit on common wisdom (which might not be as common as it used to be: Listen to your parents, don’t give up, respect your hometown as a place of support.
That makes him a success story, as he entered the league as an undrafted rookie but became a starter on Washington’s Super Bowl title team in 1987. That led to a career in coaching, bouncing from stop to stop before getting what amounts to his hometown job this offseason.
“Most people think I’ve made it, but I really haven’t,” he said. “I never strived to be a head coach. I strived to be a good coach. . . .A lot of people told me I wouldn’t make it [in the NFL]. My senior year, I dislocated six out of seven bones in my wrist and I was never supposed to play football again. I was hard-headed. I didn’t listen. I played eight years, which led me to this stage.”
And that led to a standing ovation, as the crowd responded to one of their own.
“He’s a person our kids can point to,” said Elizabeth football coach John Quinn. “He came from a tough environment, got his college degree and worked his way through the NFL. He’s living the dream, as they say. Kids can say, ‘If Todd Bowles, who lived in downtown Elizabeth, can make it, I can, too.’ He’s truly an American success story.”
And while he might not be as bombastic or entertaining as his predecessor, he still knows how to bring down the house.
