Week 4
Coach of the Week: Gary Jessie
School: Sterling High School
Years Coaching: 25
Why I coach: "I coach to give back to kids what my parents, teachers, and coaches gave to me. The ultimate goal is education, but let's teach kids how to use football as the vehicle to get you to that goal. I chose high school because that's where it started for me in terms of the seriousness about my future."
Most rewarding/fulfilling part of the job: "Seeing what young men become. The joy is in the journey, not the start. I have coached 9 NFL players, one being former Texans Safety Danieal Manning, as well as doctors, engineers, and even guys who went on to be coaches and teachers. That is very rewarding."
Most misunderstood coaching profession: "The greatest misunderstanding is that there is not a direct correlation between football and life. Football is hard, workouts are hard, learning how to win and lose is hard, but so is life. When young men put themselves through something as difficult as a tough football program, it prepares them for life."
Important school initiatives: "We mentor our feeder pattern schools. We raise money for breast cancer awareness during the month of October. Each player must pay $1 for every pink accessory he wears. At the end of the month, we send all the proceeds to the breast cancer foundation of the players' choice."
