My Number One Dog Soldier

If you look at the names of the men on the Armored Life team you will see Emmanuel McDaniel. He is my number one Dog Soldier. The Dog Soldiers of the Cheyenne Indians were the final hope of survival through a magnitude of frequent battles. Some returned from the incredibly intense battles and some did not. If they returned they were possibly inducted into the highly revered “society of the bear”. The warriors were known to dismount ,drive a stake in the ground and attach themselves to it and fight to the death within the circumference of the circle. The phrase “you can stake your life on it” was born of that commitment. Coaching affords you the privilege of being able to witness the power of the human spirit.

##“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us”.

“Emac” had a ferocious work ethic and an incredible sense of determination. No one envisioned him to become a starter in Super Bowl XXXV for the New York Giants or to be voted the defensive MVP in an NFC championship. When he reported back to school as a redshirt sophomore    he looked like a skeleton off a Jack Sparrow pirate ship. I think he tipped in at about a 150 pounds. I antagonized him until he just about slept in the weight room. Emac was always very coachable with a genuine personality and eternally loyal. Those characteristics took him a long way but you don’t play in the NFL without great talent. He had good speed and worked relentlessly on his position specific drills. He earned All South Independent honors as a senior in 1995. He led the team in interceptions. The rate of his improvement was never a surprise to me. The more success he experienced, the harder he worked. He was hungry and thrived on momentum. At the end of he is senior season, he trained harder than anyone I’ve ever seen prepare for a draft with uncertain results. He was selected as the sixteenth pick of the fourth round in the 1996 NFL Draft. His playing career included team membership with the New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers. His story should be motivational to any young athlete with a set of wheels and a pulse.

The concept here is that there are thousands of real life examples of individuals who have brought glory to their gifts thought an indomitable spirit. Do all you can to be everything you might become. Outwork your weakness and believe the Word of God.