The Place to Be
Reverend Joe Haynes, who does great work with Athletes in Action at Wake, played football at Clemson, lettering as a 6-5, 250-pound offensive guard for Coach Danny Ford in 1987. He’s a fixture at the Deacons’ football practices, one of those I’m always glad to see.
We were marveling yesterday at the first spring practice of the season how different it is at Wake than pretty much anywhere else.
Haynes said that even for an ex-player, practices are almost impossible to get into at Clemson. He mentioned something about a moat with guards. He was kidding, but I got his drift. I’ve known a lot of football coaches over the years, and have liked most of them. The man I was named for, Richard Daniel Stott, was my father Hobe Collins’ best friend, and he was the head football coach at Franklin High. My dad helped out as an assistant and my brothers, Tom and Joe and I were ball boys from the time we were old enough to stay out of the way and not get run over by some rampaging linebacker. But as much affinity as I have for the profession, no one in this great good world takes themselves more seriously than a football coach.
So Haynes wasn’t overly optimistic when he dropped by Coach Jim Grobe’s office one day to ask if there was any way he could attend practices. Grobe’s reaction bowled Haynes over.
:“He just laughed,’’ Haynes said.
Not only could Haynes attend, so could his wife and son, and neighbor and casual acquaintance who bags his groceries down at the store. And not only is the public invited to Wake’s practices, it is welcomed with Jim Grobe’s open arms. Stand alongside the wall as the players and coaches are saddling by and Grobe will invariably pat backs, shake hands and have a warm word for pretty much anybody around. Jokes are told, laughs are shared, smiles are the order of the day every day at a Wake Forest football practice. If you look around and find Steve Shutt, the director of media relations, he’ll have a roster for you.
Lest you get the wrong impression, work gets done at these practices. The coaches are focused and intense, and they know their business. The train definitely runs on time. But what they don’t have is a high-pressured taskmaster walking around micromanaging the operation. Grobe can usually be seen talking with a scout or friend, or maybe his boss Ron Wellman. But you can tell he has an eagle eye, and doesn’t miss a thing.
Jim Grobe takes his job seriously. He wouldn’t have an ACC championship on his resume if he didn’t. But the beauty of Jim Grobe is I’ve never known anyone who takes himself less seriously. And because of that, he allows those who care about him, his players and his program, an opportunity you’re just not going to find at too many other BCS schools—a chance to swing by and watch practice.
There will be 14 more leading up to the Spring Game on April 16. If the weather is as sunny and bright as it was yesterday, there’s really no other place to be on a Tuesday or Thursday afternoon in Winston-Salem. They usually get going on the campus field around 4:15 or 4:30, and they’ll practice Saturday mornings at 10 at BB&T Field.
Maybe I’ll see you there.