A simple act

My roommate was walking back from his job at the chem lab this morning, full snowpocalypse 2014 brewing, when a car pulled up next to him.  Surprised someone would be roaming the snow covered streets of Corvallis lost, he turned to give directions and was caught off guard when a voice called out, "Hey, man.  You want a ride somewhere?"

Just like that, for no reason other than to help get a fellow human out of the cold, another Beaver football player (in this case Titus Failauga) proved why people love Coach Riley and his staff so much.  Good kids, good players and good people, this is the type of athlete recruited by Riley, and they make the town a better place.  No wonder people inside and out of OSU athletic circles are willing to give Coach Riley the "coach for life" stamp.

Now I know that there are some Beaver faithful who look enviously to that town in the south and wonder why we aren't reliving 2001 over and over again; to those of you like this, I ask if you have ever thought of Corvallis objectively?  Believe it or not, the peace and tranquility that makes this quiet college town so alluring actually makes it a difficult place to recruit to.  As it turns out, most 18 year old city kids find the bright lights and avid nightlife of more vibrant cities a little more appealing.  Yet, year in and year out, Riley and his staff succeed, both on and off the field.  They not only win at a clip unprecedented in Corvallis in decades, but they produce civically minded players with NFL talent and the knowledge that success takes work, discipline and an affinity for those around you.

You see, Coach creates family.  His "Hip, hip Hooray" is not an act, rather it is a genuine extension of the man's beliefs about football and life.  The biggest lessons taught at OSU reinforce what many of these kids already know, that life isn't all about the perks football brings, rather what is done with them.  Being that Titus is the cousin of '08 starting QB Lyle Moevao (an ex-student of mine who was one of the most genuine and kind people you could ever meet) it's fairly apparent that family is a word Riley takes to heart.

So, while my roommate gave a hearty thanks to Titus for his simple act, I think we can all give Coach Riley and his staff a heartfelt thanks for finding these kids and reinforcing that life is about more than football.