Lee Cors’s influence was far outside “College Gamedai” audience

“I appreciate you, young man.”

With all due respect “not so fast, my friend,” these are not the words that first think of my Corso, who will bring his last look “College Gamedai” in the State Ohio on Saturday. Instead, that’s the first sentence. Because it’s the first words I’ve ever heard from the coach. Well, I heard in person first.

While he said that, on Saturday, 1. October 1994. years, I already heard him say so many words, but always through a television speaker. I looked at him on ESPN for seven years. When “College Gamedai” debuted 5. September 1987. year, I was a high school student who lives in a house at the Faculty-Football in Greenville, South Carolina. My father was an ACC football official, and my role in the house was to get up in the morning and make sure that the VCR rolled on the dad’s game that day, so we could collapse on Sunday when we had to crash on Sunday.

Then it appeared on my wonderful eyes appeared, but the new Espn Studio show, examining all the delivery football games, including wherever the pits could be with a whistle. He called “College Gamedai” and that night in the same study, the crew returned with top those plays. The host is Tim Brando, with which we knew from “SportScenter”, with analysis of the Human College Combal football computer and … Wait … Was that the guy who trained in Indiana? The last time we saw him, didn’t he train Orlando Renegade at 5-13 records during retired usfl days?

Brando tells the story of Corsa ESPN audition, as was the 52-year-old partner and said, “Honey, I will be a trigger for your career and my career. I will be Dick Vital Faculty. And soccer will be one.

This vehicle switched to drive and stayed there, even as “College Gamedai” remained parked in Bristol, Connecticut. At the end, Brando moved and the Wunderkind Chris Fowler took over as the host. The former joined the former run back Craig James, which was transitioned “Pony Patriot” for his faculty in SMU and his NFL Stint in New England. But it didn’t call him a coach. He was published by James as “Mustang Breath”.

It was a formative year “Gamedai” setting, I consumed so hungry during college Days in Knokville, Tennessee. My roommates and I ruined on Saturday morning that I could have a Corso chose our Vol to win that day before he arrived at the dormitory to grab Cheeseburger and headed into a student section with Neleva Stadium. If he said Tennessee would win, we declared him a genius. If he said that Vols would lose, we would scream, “What the hell do you know?! You only lasted a year in North Jurnino!” That night, pizza in her hand, we would watch it on the shows with a digit and shouting on television again. It was “in place”, Coach! “Or” Hey, Coach, not so fast, my friend! “

These were the fall of the early 1990s. Just as the coach predicted, “College Gamedai” was really a trigger. And he really became the face of the sport he loved so much. We could feel that love at home because we recognized him. And we loved the Faculty of Soccer. Has Corso chose your team or not, his passion for sports was undeniable. That created a relationship. As you see the same friends every Saturday, the ones whose season tickets were always next to yours. Or the tailgate who always parked in place next to you, offered a beer and rack rack. Or a guy that happens to meet as both your stomels on Saturday to watch football games at college. They all.

In business full of fake, Lee Corso has always been a true article. And in the world full of a horrible, Lee Corso has always been fun. Everything is suddenly so irresistible, but also greater than life.

So now imagine my moment through the smooth glass of that the first time I heard it directly to talk to me. That October Sabbath 1994. years. I was an ESPN production assistant, barely a year from these homes in Tennessee. I was also barely five years old with grain vessels in our family room Greenville, marking the VHS tape for my father while looking at what he thought could happen in the Tatin game.

“I appreciate you, young man.”

My task was to cut and hides the peak of my alma mater, because Vols was hosted no. 19 Washington State. The Headliner game was a long touchdown leading Broadout Nilo Silvan on a reverse terrain than a child named Peiton Manning. But a peaceful game that really handed the VOLS, it was fourth-down conversion early in the fourth quarter, when Manning from 1 yard started first down, barely inch Tennessee. It set it on the field goal that finished sealing 10-9 victories.

Then every ESPN highlighted in the converted basement room was loaded with machines and filled with a 20-room room like me, pushing out and out of the lands that deleted what we called “screening”. When you have finished collecting your minute bar and hiding written scripts hand, you run out of room to edit and down the hall to the tape and TV studio to deliver it.

As we saved to pick up your tannessee-wazz for delivery, the door of our Edit Suite is open. There was Lee Corso. Without us that familiarity, he looked out the window to see what we played in our peak. Without a word, on my scenario called “Sheet Sheet” – and he started to teach him him. He read it, turned it by being turned to me and used his finger to touch the box that describes that the decisive unscrupulous fourth fourth quarter of the fourth fourth quarter.

“I appreciate you, young man.”

Then he continued.

“I came here to make sure you had this game out there. It was a game game. If we had no game about this game, then I’d like a doll. And I don’t need any help in that department.

He squeezed my editor’s shoulders, a guy for the wheel of machinery.

“I appreciate you too.”

Then he went out in the furious racket screening and shouted through the aroma of cloud sweat and pizza, “how we work, troops!”

Someone shouted back, “How was Nebraska, Coach?” Reminder that it was the first year that “College Gamedai” hit the road. They went out once in 1993. years, they take Ladies, as a test. It went well, so they took six times in 1994. years. Only two weeks earlier, they went to Lincoln, the third journey of the show.

He replied, “Many corn and big dudes fed corne!”

Another Vic: “You’re excited about going to Florida State-Miami next week, Coach?”

“Let’s hope it will go better than when I played there!” Reminder that Florida was called the State Defense “Sunshine Scooter”, which held the FSU record for a career interception decades (14), was a career 0-2 against hurricane in Miami.

Before the coach was throwing down the hall in the studio, he said again. This time the entire room of children desperately try to find their way in TV sports jobs.

“I appreciate you!”

That was more than three decades ago. And whenever I remember that story, every person who was in that scrinnal room with me back in the day. And the people who first went out on the road from the “College Gamedai” in the mid-1990s. And people who are there today with the play.

During many cases, these are the same people. Jim Gaiero, the current manufacturer of “Gamedai” was also down in screening during the day. A group that produced amazing “Not so fast, my friend” The ESPN documentary led a handful of Emma an award-winning feature that was also down in the pit, and also the recipients were so much “appreciates you”.

It is impossible to measure the influence of someone like Corsa, the face of your sport, taking those moments to encourage, mentor and yes, yes, yes, coach. This is not common. But he’s not either either.

In the morning of 2024. Rose vessels, football playoffs, sitting alone with coach before moving in “Gamedai” set. I shared that story with him since 1994. years and told him how much he has always meant to me. He replied, “The winning games are great. But any real coach will tell you that it is not the best part of the job, see them grow into adults, have great jobs and raise great families.” That’s why you do it. “

Lee Corso spends every Saturday surrounded by those who trained. And that’s why it’s been and it will be so hard to say goodbye. Therefore, there was never a chance for ICIKLA in Phoenix that Corso would be outside the show after he suffered a stroke. Therefore, it is still part of the show in 2020. years, when Cavid-19 stuck him at home in Florida, because the rest of the crew was on the way. That is why on the show was ever born, even as there were grown in a few tens of fans behind the stage on the road to rock concert circus caravan as it was today. Exactly what the coach believed he could be when he appeared for that first audition 38 years ago.

Love. That’s why.

You see it in the eyes of those who work on the show. The way he watches him on him. The way in which it still holds on every word it says. We all see it very public when we watch Kirk Herbtreit. It is difficult to remember when we see the current Herbie, the Father of Four State Sports, but when he first joined the “College Gamedai” in 1996. year, only turned 27, less than four years from the state in Ohio. When Kirk sets those early Sabbaths in the morning videos of a coach who shares a story or coach who snapped how to move on how to move on how to move overly complicated to Escalator, we all feel it. Just as we felt that from the first countdown to the first “College Gamedai” 5. September 1987. years.

Not so fast? It’s been too fast. But what a friend.

I appreciate you, coach.