I knew I was going to be the football beat writer for the Herald for several months before the season actually started. That left me to ponder the many games I would cover, all the players I'd be writing about, the different stadiums I would go to, and the coaches I would interview.
The coaches part is what had me most intrigued, with the schedule being what it was. I had the potential to talk to some national-championship caliber coaches during the season.
These included Frank Beamer, the coach at Virginia Tech, whose teams were always competitive in the ACC.
There was also Rich Brooks, who I didn't personally care for all that much because of his coaching of Kentucky but who was still a bigger name than anyone I had talked to before.
There was even Nick Saban, the one man in college football who you either love or hate, and was the highest paid coach in history at Alabama.
Those were names that are instantly recognizable to most every college football fan, and have their mugs plastered on TV screens every Saturday during football season.
But none of those people meant crap. I wanted to interview somebody else, I wanted to ask a question of somebody better.
I wanted to talk to Howard Schnellenberger.
To truly love and appreciate Howard Schnellenberger you have to be a UofL fan (and sure as hell not a Oklahoma fan). For a true UofL fan remembers the dark times in the mid-1980's. While the basketball team was winning championships, the Cardinal football program had losing records ten out of their last 12 seasons, including six in a row. The Athletic department couldn't get enough butts in seats so they gave away tickets, and the Cardinals shared their arena with a minor-league baseball team the Louisville Redbirds (who I used to love going to see, and now are called the Riverbats). The situation got so grim that the AD was looking at dropping the program to Division 1-AA level or maybe eliminating the team altogether.
Then came Howard.
Simply put, Schnellenberger is Elijah. He's the Prophet. He has looked into the future and saw what was to come.
At his opening press conference, he famously stepped up to the podium and said "We're on a collision course with the national championship. The only variable is time."
Now, sure, he's gone on to say a variation of that for every program he's every coached or played against...and I'm half-certain he says that when he's making love, but to UofL fans he was hope. A promise of a better future. He was a legend.
(Tall Dude note: Okay, I know I wasn't born quite yet when he said that, and was all of seven years old when he left for Oklahoma, but that doesn't mean I can't like the guy. Just think about every Bama fan that worships at the altar of Bear Bryant, who died almost 20 years ago. On a related note: Big thank yous to Wikipedia for providing said information)
After leaving Louisville, he went on to coach at Oklahoma for a tumultuous year, before selling bonds for a while. He then founded the football program at Florida Atlantic, which he grew into being one of the success stories that WKU hopes to become in it's transition to the FBS, taking the Owls from fledgling FCS team to Sun Belt conference and New Orleans Bowl Champions in just seven years.
Then came this season, a year when our paths were destined to cross. I had begged and pleaded with the higher-ups at the Herald to let me interview Schnellenberger, even though I had never really used a quote from one in a game story before and it usually took place during David Elson's interviews.
However, my editor, in his wisdom, let me talk to Howard while he talked to Elson and got quotes.
During the game I saw him, always recognizable with his white head and immaculate dress. I did have cause to wonder, though, as to what he actually did during games. He just seemed to pace in between the 40's and letting his assistants do the work.
Whatever, he was probably transferring coaching wisdom telepathically. But who cares, he obviously has some more important things to worry about.
Well, Western managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory...AGAIN...with the game ending in a 24-20 loss, and it was time for Howard.
I waited by the visiting locker room with the Florida contingent of reporters, trying not look like an idiot but still barely able to contain my excitement.
A few Owl players came out to talk to the other reporters. I really didn't need them so I just held my recorder out like I was doing something. Afterwards the FAU SID came out and said that Howard might be a while.
"What's a while," we asked. "Like five minutes?'
Nope, she said, he might take a shower.
Now, I am not familiar with the visiting locker room facilities in LT Smith, however I know plenty of other places I would rather take a shower (Baghdad, the Bates Motel, Sarah Palin's house). Plus, it was a rather cool day, and I hardly doubt he had worked up a sweat ambling down the sideline like he did.
We politely told the SID that we would need to speak at him now, and she went in the locker room to fetch him out.
We waited out there for about 10 minutes, our hearts rising every time the door opened before sinking when we realized it was a lowly equipment manager.
Finally, he emerged...and was promptly swamped by about a dozen old people. Like ancient old people... I think they were groupies for Jesus and his 12 disciples. It looked like a Cocoon remake. So after ten long minutes of "Good game", "It's an honor, coach" and "Say, have you seen my dentures?" he finally got around to answering questions.
And as tough as waiting through all that had been, it was worth it. For when the prophet spoke it was like Gabriel singing, albeit with smokers lungs and a throat full of gravel. I could have listened to that man speak all night. But unfortunately my ordeal was far from over.
As part of the stadium renovations and the overall new WKU football look, a really loud explosion is fired off at different points during the game. The thing about the particular device they fire it out of is that once it has been loaded, it has to be discharged.
And it was...right in the middle of our interview. Now, I'm a strapping young man, and I think I may have peed myself a little bit. I can't not imagine what most have been going through the head, pants, or circulatory system of poor Schnellenberger. I was afraid I may be witnessing the last few moments of his life.
He took it like a champ, though. Although, remarking about how loud it was and admiring the smoke ring, or the "halo" as he called it, the explosion produced.
The rest of the interview was relatively uneventful, except for another minor interruption by some more old people, who I later found out where some of his old Flaget High School teammates (thanks again, Wikipedia).
I did ask Schnellenberger a question, which was pretty much my ONLY goal this season. I asked him about how the Owls were able to counter any major offensive moves Western made, limiting the Topper's momentum. However, the question he answered was not the question I asked. Oh well, he's forgot more about the great game of football than I will ever know...
And that was that, all of my goals for the season have been accomplished, so the season could end tomorrow as far as I'm concerned.
Which would be a good thing, considering basketball season starts on Halloween, giving me another buttload of work with which to deal with. However, the Toppers do play Louisville on November 30. That means I'll be breathing the same air as Rick Pitino.
I've already circled the date....
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