The Football Blitz

The thought of winning forever seems outlandish to most, but to one of the premiere college football coaches in the country that is his motto.  One has to ask, “What exactly does win forever mean?”

In an article on petecarroll.com dated March 25, 2008, Carroll states winning forever is about maximizing the opportunities in front of you so that each player can become the best he can be and each team can achieve its fullest potential.  Carroll says, “Realizing this is a tremendous accomplishment whether it’s football or in life.”  Carroll has proven he can win on the college football field.  Since becoming the head coach at the University of Southern California he has compiled an astounding record of 90-15.  He also obtained two National Championships (2003, 2004), a record 6 BCS bowl wins and 7 BCS bowl appearances, seven consecutive Associated Press Top 4 finishes and Pac-10 champion or co-champion, and a national record of 33 weeks as the nations number 1 team in the Associated Press Polls. He also guided USC to win three consecutive Rose Bowls, which no one else has ever done.  The college game is a perfect fit for Carroll’s laid back, high-energy style of coaching.  He knows how to get results out of his players and still have fun while doing it.  He has been known to play pranks on his team, but he still has the respect of those young men as the results show.  All of his accomplishments and accolades are impressive, however, what he does when not on the football field may impress even more.

Carroll stepped outside of his comfort zone on the football field and ventured into the community of Los Angeles where gang violence was becoming more of an epidemic.  Carroll has stated, “I was motivated by a week of real problems that happened in the streets one right after the other reports kept coming on the radio and it just got to me.   You know, I wanted to do something.”  What Carroll did next was call the head of the Pacific Institute, an organization that improves lives through educational conferences and seminars, and together, with Carroll as the lead they formed A Better LA.  The non-profit organization is aimed at reducing violence in LA and is made up of local leaders, law enforcement, educational based groups, faith based groups, and social services all working together to create change.  One would ask, “Why would Pete Carroll be so concerned?”

“You have to believe good things are going to happen and you have to find a reason to hope.  You have to create hope for kids that don’t see it otherwise,” Coach Carroll said in an interview with Steve Syphers.  According to Gary Mann, LA Deputy Sheriff, when he spoke to us he didn’t know what he could do since he was just a football coach, as he put it, but he was in.  Carroll was excited to see change and saw that it could start with him.  He wanted to make a difference in the youth of Los Angeles lives.  Why couldn’t he use the same philosophy he uses to get the most out of his football players to get the most out of these kids?  It is evident he has a passion for these youth by many of his actions.  There are nights during football season and many more during the offseason that he ventures into the more violent neighborhoods to speak with these youths in gangs.  He wants them to believe there is something better out there for them.  This truly is a man who realizes the profound impact he has on others and is using his voice and his actions to make a difference.  Carroll states, “Maybe we can do one of the greatest things that has ever happened in America to turn the whole culture around where it isn’t full of fear.”

It’s clear to see this man’s passion for life, football, and America’s youth. A football legend in the making, Carroll is truly a hero to many already.   This man is proving that he can “Win Forever”.  Below is Pete Carroll in his own words.  

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***Many of the sources for this article were compiled using internet research; however quotes were used from a Sports Center segment by Chris Fowler with Steve Sypher reporting the story and from an article dated March 25, 2008 from petecarroll.com.