I read that coach Ornato passed away- He was the same age as my dad he isn't doing too swell either- Coach was a throwback to the old school coaches- Lombardi Paterno Shula Landry and coach Butter field- He never blew his top and we all respected the hell out of him-
Coach gave me inspiration to get sober when I wrote him a letter from rehab- He said only an opportunity no guarantee- You could either be a jack ass or a thoroughbred to coach and everybody wanted to be the latter-
He helped instill work ethic and his legend preceded him- Greenwich high is a powerhouse football program that has produced many college and NFL greats- Football didn't build our character but it helped reveal it- He always said we had the best program in the country w/ the best coaches and he was right- Most of us look back on that time as the best time of our lives-
I didn't stay sober forever god had other plans- I had to learn more form the school of hard knocks- It was kind of like when Frank Lucas asked the dirty cop if he wanted his house to blow up next time- I went to three rehabs in ten years- and knew that one more strike and I would be out of the game forever-
That would be four rehabs all together that is more then enough- I was fairly certain my house would definitely blow up next time and there wouldn't be another recovery left- Getting sober almost ten years ago was the easier softer way-I already had the discipline what could be worse then having your own house blow up- That motivation kept me going-
Sobriety is like the rock of Gibraltar and that is what I told my good holistic doctor friend - During my stints to various rehabs and jails my foundation was very shaky- That is the difference infact I told my friend no matter how hard things get and it has that only guarantees my sobriety even more-
That's the difference between finding solace in drugs and knowing that source has got my back no matter what- Coach is in the same category as Dr K another throwback to previous eras- They both stressed the continual development and growth of our souls.