There is value in high school football that goes beyond wins and losses. Team sports build relationships, work ethic, character development, and teamwork. Listen in as Dan Walton (Assistant Football Coach at Hawken School, located in Northeast Ohio) interviews fellow Hawken alum about their time within the football program, and how it has impacted their personal and professional lives all these years later. Each episode contains stories and shared memories that may or may not be from your actual teammates, but the common experiences and lessons shared will resonate with all. As writer Devon Barnhard states, "shared memories simply gives a team a common experience to look back on and share together. There even becomes shared words and language that gets associated with the experience and memory".1 * Barnhard, Devon. “The Benefits of Shared Experiences for Teams.” Cloverleaf, Cloverleaf, 28 Jan. 2019, cloverleaf.me/blog/shared-experiences.
Part 2Class of '01 OL/DL extraordinaire Jason Roberts takes us on a deep dive into what its like to play in the trenches during his Hawk career. Jason shares his special memories and recollections of his time spent wearing the Wings. Look Good, Play Good is a mantra that Jason embodies. Listen to his reasoning and wait for the upload of Just Plain Nasty t-shirt.
Class of '01 OL/DL extraordinaire Jason Roberts takes us on a deep dive into what its like to play in the trenches during his Hawk career. Jason shares his special memories and recollections of his time spent wearing the Wings. Look Good, Play Good is a mantra that Jason embodies. Listen to his reasoning and wait for the upload of Just Plain Nasty t-shirt.
On this episode, Mel Jones '88 dives deep into his 3 year career at Hawken and all of the experiences that helped mold his time. Mel explains how he ended up at Hawken, his football memories, and his passion for writing. His recollection of his playing days is clearly shared during this two part episode.
On this episode, Tony Twymon '91 talks about his 4 year football career that started with the '87 State Runner Up and concluded with the 5th undefeated regular season in program history. Tony and I also talked about his success as a Free Safety and Wide Receiver and what helped his development. Other highlights include: the "infamous" high five against Beachwood, being a Captain, and walking on at Penn State.There is no Ask Coach segment.
On this trip Down to the River, four teammates talk about their shared experiences and how playing football together sparked a friendship that has lasted 20 plus years since graduation. Listen in on the class of 2000 as they share memories and impactful moments from their careers.
On this trip Down to the River, Joe Marabito '13 discusses what it was like to play Center, the type of captain he aimed to be, and qualifying for the playoffs his senior year. Joe and I also talk about his transition from HS football, to NCAA Division 3 football, to coaching HS football.There is no Ask Coach segment
Class of '95 Captain and Old Board recipient Kevin Gillespie takes a trip Down to the River, remembering the post season run of the '93 season and the high's and low's of a football season. There is no Ask Coach segment this episode.
Myles Simmons '10 discusses the importance of his 4 year varsity career and the lasting impact it had on him personally and professionally as he has worked within the NFL as a writer. Many great memories and laughs about the shared experiences from his playing days at Left Guard.
Chaun Powell '99 takes a trip Down to the River and discusses his switch from Kenston to Hawken and how important of a roll playing football was in his time as a high school student. Chaun and I talk about the responsibilities of being a captain, as a senior, and 12th man, as a sophomore, on special teams. There is no Ask Coach segment this episode.
On this trip Down to the River, Cliff talks about his entry into the program and the impact it had on his high school experience and shaping who he is. Cliff shares about his time on the coaching staff and what it was like to comeback and see that side of the program.There is no Ask Coach segment this week.
Geoff Beck '02 takes a trip Down to the River and discusses the art of kicking and trying to find out "what it means to play Hawken football". The Ask Coach segment: "what was the toughest team to prepare for?"
Marcus Teague '88 and I take a trip Down to the River to discuss his transition to Hawken, his role on the magical '85-'87 seasons, the origin of his nickname "Ice", and what it was like to play college ball in the Single Wing offense.The Ask Coach segment: "what was your greatest accomplishment on or off of the field?"
On this trip Down to the River, Nolan Hecht '93 shares with us why it meant so much to put the Wings on and play football. Nolan's memory for the teams of the 80's is impressive and he shares who he thinks was the best team in program history. The Ask Coach segment (Question submitted by Kirk Lintern '98): "Why were they called 5%?"
David Murray '04 takes a trip Down to the River and talks about his favorite memories within his football career. David talks about what it takes to run his own program and the characteristics he borrows from the football program.The Ask Coach segment(Question submitted by John Ours '95): "A lot has changed with the game since you first started coaching. What changes do you see as good, and which are not?"
John Wilson '10 and I discuss all of the memorable moments from his 4 years. Listen to his retelling of the kick return against Kirtland (one of the biggest plays in program history). John has many great stories as he travels Down to the River.The Ask Coach segment: "what was your favorite part of a game week"?
On this (brief) trip Down to the River, John Christie '89 shares some of his favorite memories from his playing and coaching days. A wealth of knowledge, there are plenty of stories for everyone here.The Ask Coach segment- How many times did the team skip watching film after the game regardless of the "win" or "loss"?
On this (brief) trip Down to the River, John Christie '89 shares some of his favorite memories from his playing and coaching days. A wealth of knowledge, there are plenty of stories for everyone here.The Ask Coach segment- How many times did the team skip watching film after the game regardless of the "win" or "loss"?
Jon Gottlieb '06 shares many memorable middle school and varsity stories that are quite humorous. He also talks about how one win can start a whole bunch of momentum. As a league employee, Jon talks about the completion of an NFL season and prepping for the Draft in Cleveland. The Ask Coach segment- why is it called the Garden Club?
On this episode, OJ McDuffie '88 and I take a trip Down to the River to talk about his time at Hawken and the lasting memories from his three years in the program. Ask Coach segment- what was your favorite tradition?
Darrell Butler '96 takes a trip Down to the River to discuss what it was like to be an incoming student entering the football program, as well as the deep '93 playoff run, and a challenging senior season '95. The Ask Coach segment- what loss stuck with you the longest during your career?
Paul Franklin '02 and I talk about the games and moments that stood out during his years, and then discuss what its like to get into coaching. The Ask Coach segment- what qualities did you look for in your staff?
Greg Pasiadis '10 and I sit down to talk about his time in the program and what it meant to wear the Wings. As a two time captain, Greg has tremendous perspective on the hard work and commitment it took to succeed on and off the field. He also submits a great question for the Ask Coach segment.
James Hardiman '93 and I chat about memories watched as a young fan and memories lived as a player and the lasting impressions they've had. James even shares his first Tang with us. In the Ask Coach segment, my Dad answers what "the challenges of being a first time Head Coach" were.
I chat with Aaron Brandt '86 about our connection to the program from the perspective of a kid, a player, and a coach. Aaron shares his vast knowledge of all things Hawken football. Also included is the Ask Coach segment where my Dad answers what one of his most memorable plays of his coaching career was.
The experience of high school football and what it provides on and off the field
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