Messages That Last A Lifetime
Written By: Keith L. Anderson, Ph.D
These are just a few sayings coaches said to me and my teammates. They all translate to life off the field. I have used these and other sayings in my life after football.
- Keep your head on a swivel. (Know what’s going on around you)
- Don’t get beat deep. (Do your job the best way you can and you won’t get beat very often)
- If a receiver crosses your face one way, you can bet another will cross your face the other way. (Don’t get so focused on one thing, that you miss other things going on right in front of you)
- Everyone needs to work hard, because, we’re only as good as the last man on this team. (Push yourself and make those around you better and everyone wins)
- How hard are you willing to work when there’s no one around? (Success is mostly a lonely road. Oftentimes, you have to be able to motivate and encourage yourself)
- Start strong and finish up strong. (Odds are, if you start strong and finish strong, you’ll completed the task, the way it should have been completed)
Dr. Keith L. Anderson is a former Boise State football player from the late 1970s. He was a longtime adjunct professor at Boise State and is also an author, lecturer and singer-songwriter. He coached several years in Optimist Youth Football, coaching the first girl to play in the OYF program, Missy Wheeler. Dr. Anderson worked 26 years with the TRIO Program, helping and motivating low income middle school and high school students to go to college.
As part of Boise’s African American community, Dr. Anderson has used his communication skills to coach, teach and reach students from many backgrounds.
