Shula's Passion Powered Far More Than Perfection

Coach Don Shula had a great run. 

But the world lost a unique influence today with his passing.

At least he was a very positive influence on me, and likely dozens of the players he coached and legions of football fans.

Better research from other writers will do a far better job covering all of the accolades Don Shula compiled over a lifetime of football. Among those stats, I learned just today that the he also intercepted 21 passes in his brief career playing for three NFL teams over six seasons before he jumped into the coaching ranks.

Shula never claimed to be an exceptional athlete, so I imagine a number of those interceptions were because of how well he understood the game. That understanding helped him become the youngest NFL coach in history by the time the Baltimore Colts hired him in 1963.

It was Shula's time in Baltimore that endeared him to my Maryland family.

In particular, my grandparents continued to be fans of the coach even after he left the Colts to become the head coach in Miami. My grandfather never offered praise lightly. That said, it was his rarified high opinion of Shula that inspired me to save up my pennies and buy the coach's first book, "The Winning Edge."

That book was published after the only perfect season in NFL history. Shula's Dolphins won all their games and the Super Bowl VII can make an impression on a young man. Hey, I was only 7-years old, so I was easily impressed.

That book was a joy to read. Those now dog-eared pages helped me understand that if you really care about what you do and how you do it, you can have success in life.

Shula's passion for football fired up my own passion for the game. I ran out to play little league football. I helped the coaches remember plays and made suggestions along the way. And years later, once my own lack of athletic ability pushed me down the depth charts of my high school team, I started coaching little league football and basketball.

I had a lot of success coaching for two decades and maintained a love of the game that opened the door for me to cover football for radio and the local newspaper.

A little influence can go a long way.

I think sometimes people get hung up on the perfect season and lose sight of what made Don Shula a positive force in life for so many people. He simply demanded the very best from each person, in hopes that getting the best from them would give each team the best chance to compete in every game.

He loved the game, he loved to compete, and yes, he loved to win.

Coach Shula leaves this world with more wins than any coach in the history of the game. All that from a will to do better and better, and a love of the game.

I liked how he went from winning teams that ran 70 percent of the game to winning with teams that threw the ball 70 percent of the time. He was able to adapt to the talent he had or didn't have. He won with some teams that were not very talented as well and yet, he never changed his expectations.

Everybody had critics, including Coach Shula. Ironically, those critics suggest he should have won a few more games. Seven conference championships with only two world titles does leave the door open for observers to have wanted more, but I think it's impressive to get a team in position to win it all across the 1960's, 1970's, 1980's and 1990's with both Baltimore and Miami.

For me, winning was fun. Watching Shula's teams win was fun.

Ultimately it was Don Shula winning the respect of my grandfather that led to his positive impact on my life and developed my attitude, my own winning edge. 

I'll miss you Coach.

Thanks for the hand-off.

Your enthusiasm and passion for life has certainly made me try to do better and better and live it with the same sort of passion. 

Perfection is nice, but it was merely a result of loving what you do. 

That's a big win for me.