BILLYFRED0000
09-28-2010, 01:34 PM
http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/news.cfm?id=55623D2F-96EF-AABD-071E9F1A73F71986
It started in the special teams meeting, which actually involves just about every player on the squad. Considering most of the roster plays on some type of special teams unit, all but maybe five or six players heard the message by DeCamillis, who, of course, is still battling through the pain of a broken neck he suffered in the May 2, 2009 accident at Valley Ranch, where the practice facility collapse. The injury also left scouting assistant Rich Behm paralyzed from the waist down.
DeCamillis spoke to the team for the first time about the incident and the daily battles he goes through just to survive. He used his personal challenges and his choice to either let his injury get the best of him or fight back, and used it as an example for the entire team's situation.
"We can either keep living as a team, or just die," DeCamillis said of his message. "And we chose to respond."
Many of the players, including some vocal leaders such as Marcus Spears, Gerald Sensabaugh and Tashard Choice, said they were moved by their special teams coach.
"It's really the first time I've ever heard him talk about it," Spears said. "This guy has gone through so much just to do what he loves to do. He's a true warrior. And he spoke from the heart. It was great."
Sensabaugh, who played for DeCamillis in Jacksonville, saw the direct correlation between the coach and the team.
"It's just great to see our guys play with so much passion," Sensabaugh said. "I know I wasn't big on speeches last week, but when Joe D. was talking about when the facility collapsed and he was under the rubble, he had to make a decision whether he wanted to live or die. He didn't want to die. He basically had to do whatever he could to live. He made the game situation like that. We are 0-2, we are falling behind and if wanted to live we had to go out there and play like we wanted to. We had a lot of guys playing with a lot of fire. ...We were a totally different team the next day."
Choice, who was known to deliver a few popular pregame speeches during his days at Georgia Tech, said DeCamillis' speech helped him realize the game of football isn't just about playing the actual game on Sunday, but doing what you truly "love to do" and making sure it doesn't go away.
"That's who Joe D is and how passionate he is for the game," Choice said. "Just the simple fact that it wasn't about football, but life. Making a decision on life. That's really what stuck out to everyone. We all know what a tragic situation it was here. He had to get through it to get back to coaching and that's what he loves to do. Everyone understands that it was an important football game, but not nearly as important as him living his life and getting back on his own two feet."
Following DeCamillis, Phillips delivered a memorable message of his own, asking the players to dedicate the game to someone special to them. Phillips said he realized that every player has a different driving force. But he asked each guy to find it and put a special dedication into the game for that sole purpose.
"I wanted them to pick out someone specifically and dedicate the game to them," Phillips explained. "I think it's important to do once in a while. It's not about yourself only. I just try to get that point to them. It's about people. It's not just a football game.
"I told them I was going to coach for my dad" said Phillips, who ironically tied his father, Bum Phillips for 82 career head coaching victories.
Phillips said the idea wasn't solely with defensive tackle Jay Ratliff in mind. Ratliff spent most of this past week in Georgia to attend the funeral services for his grandparents who died in a tragic house fire.
Actually, Phillips said he's used this request once before.
"I did that when I was an interim coach in Atlanta," said Phillips, who was 2-1 in his three games as Falcons head coach in 2003. "Gordon Wood, a famous Brownwood (Texas High School) coach, he passed away the week we (played) Tampa. I knew Gordon for a long time. He was a great guy. It was personal and I wanted to dedicate the game to him."
It started in the special teams meeting, which actually involves just about every player on the squad. Considering most of the roster plays on some type of special teams unit, all but maybe five or six players heard the message by DeCamillis, who, of course, is still battling through the pain of a broken neck he suffered in the May 2, 2009 accident at Valley Ranch, where the practice facility collapse. The injury also left scouting assistant Rich Behm paralyzed from the waist down.
DeCamillis spoke to the team for the first time about the incident and the daily battles he goes through just to survive. He used his personal challenges and his choice to either let his injury get the best of him or fight back, and used it as an example for the entire team's situation.
"We can either keep living as a team, or just die," DeCamillis said of his message. "And we chose to respond."
Many of the players, including some vocal leaders such as Marcus Spears, Gerald Sensabaugh and Tashard Choice, said they were moved by their special teams coach.
"It's really the first time I've ever heard him talk about it," Spears said. "This guy has gone through so much just to do what he loves to do. He's a true warrior. And he spoke from the heart. It was great."
Sensabaugh, who played for DeCamillis in Jacksonville, saw the direct correlation between the coach and the team.
"It's just great to see our guys play with so much passion," Sensabaugh said. "I know I wasn't big on speeches last week, but when Joe D. was talking about when the facility collapsed and he was under the rubble, he had to make a decision whether he wanted to live or die. He didn't want to die. He basically had to do whatever he could to live. He made the game situation like that. We are 0-2, we are falling behind and if wanted to live we had to go out there and play like we wanted to. We had a lot of guys playing with a lot of fire. ...We were a totally different team the next day."
Choice, who was known to deliver a few popular pregame speeches during his days at Georgia Tech, said DeCamillis' speech helped him realize the game of football isn't just about playing the actual game on Sunday, but doing what you truly "love to do" and making sure it doesn't go away.
"That's who Joe D is and how passionate he is for the game," Choice said. "Just the simple fact that it wasn't about football, but life. Making a decision on life. That's really what stuck out to everyone. We all know what a tragic situation it was here. He had to get through it to get back to coaching and that's what he loves to do. Everyone understands that it was an important football game, but not nearly as important as him living his life and getting back on his own two feet."
Following DeCamillis, Phillips delivered a memorable message of his own, asking the players to dedicate the game to someone special to them. Phillips said he realized that every player has a different driving force. But he asked each guy to find it and put a special dedication into the game for that sole purpose.
"I wanted them to pick out someone specifically and dedicate the game to them," Phillips explained. "I think it's important to do once in a while. It's not about yourself only. I just try to get that point to them. It's about people. It's not just a football game.
"I told them I was going to coach for my dad" said Phillips, who ironically tied his father, Bum Phillips for 82 career head coaching victories.
Phillips said the idea wasn't solely with defensive tackle Jay Ratliff in mind. Ratliff spent most of this past week in Georgia to attend the funeral services for his grandparents who died in a tragic house fire.
Actually, Phillips said he's used this request once before.
"I did that when I was an interim coach in Atlanta," said Phillips, who was 2-1 in his three games as Falcons head coach in 2003. "Gordon Wood, a famous Brownwood (Texas High School) coach, he passed away the week we (played) Tampa. I knew Gordon for a long time. He was a great guy. It was personal and I wanted to dedicate the game to him."