Legendary UGA coach Erk Russell connected with his players like few others could | Loran Smith

Erk Russell had rare and extraordinary leadership skills.  Across the Southeast and beyond, there are hundreds of football players who would quickly attest to that.

He had remarkable instincts with an ability to get his point across graphically and made every player, regardless of his ability, think he was the “little train that thought it could.”  Erk invoked humor to relax and to communicate.  He gave of himself like no other.  He cared for his players, and they knew it.  This set him apart.

His leadership acumen, coupled with his mastery of the Split 60 defense, enabled him to gain an exalted reputation as an accomplished defensive coordinator at Georgia and head coach at Georgia Southern.  He was in demand as a clinic lecturer.  He began every clinic by writing K-I-S-S across the chalk board. “Keep it Simple Stupid.”

The signature ingredient to his success as a sage defensive swami was motivation.

Although he might use an off-color joke, befitting locker room vernacular to make a point, he never used profanity to teach his players.  It was also the put down era.  With some coaches, it was commonplace to belittle athletes.

Erk was the anthesis of that style.  He whispered encouragement in their ears on the practice field.  “I know you can make the play,” he would coax an eager young player whose physical stature might suggest that he was at a disadvantage.

Loran Smith

While I never dressed out for him, I did so vicariously.  I spent time with him on golf courses, at coaching clinics, Bulldog Club meetings and especially at the Rockwood Inn on the Lexington Highway outside Athens where the blue-collar clientele gathered around Erk to swoon to his pontifications just as his players did, because he made them feel he was one of them.

If any man could walk with kings without losing the common touch,…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/legendary-uga-coach-erk-russell-091056417.html

Author : Athens Banner-Herald

Publish date : 2024-03-07 09:10:56

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