Glenn's view from the Field - The Pride of Arkansas?
'The Mission' has brought us and our readers closer to 'the inside story' of the SEC than I ever thought possible.
Over the past few months we've sat with legendary coaches like Spurrier and Dooley; legendary players like Wuerffel, Rogers and Sullivan; legendary fans like The Big Dawg and Jim Brown and even legendary mascots like Aubie and Uga. While these moments of great access have helped us in telling the stories of passion and pride in the SEC-- it is the off-cuff moments and the surprise sound-bites that have had the most impact on me...
On September 23rd Alabama and Arkansas battled it out into double overtime. When the victory finally fell into the hands of the Razorbacks, I made the mad-dash to midfield to document the profound hysteria of the day. On my way to the 50-yard line I saw Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt embracing one of his daughters-- not that many media had gotten to him yet and as I closed-in, I heard him say: 'We needed that one.'
College Football coaches have a tough job. Tremendous demands coupled with a uniquely calculable gauge of job performance create a profession that is defined by its instability. In this game, one man can carry the pride of an entire state on his shoulders. That is a lot to ask of anyone ...
Hours before kickoff at that very same Alabama - Arkansas game I walked around the tailgating areas that encircle Razorback Stadium gathering footage for CSTV's Sultan of Saturday. The question that day: 'What coach is on the Hot Seat?' Very few Hog-fans hesitated to say: Houston Nutt.
Last night I again found myself on the field at Razorback Stadium--
With the home season over (this weekend Arkansas will be playing LSU at their alternate 'home' stadium in Little Rock) Coach Nutt decided to move practice to the stadium field. As practice ended, the media engulfed Coach Nutt, in every way possible this is a different man than he was less than two months ago...
Under the lights last night Houston Nutt seemed confident but humble. While his squad may have had some luck against Alabama and Vanderbilt, he seems to know that he was the architect behind the convincing victories over Auburn and Tennessee. In the hysteria following the Alabama victory, Coach Nutt ascended a ladder to conduct the Arkansas band-- there doesn't seem to be a need for that now. The Hogs have climbed further and higher than any team in the country, with the notable exception of the State Univ. of NJ. Houston Nutt has arrived.
While few teams have exceeded expectations more than Arkansas, a very tough road remains. No team in the country would want to end the season having to face LSU and Florida.
Coach Nutt looks confident. He looks proud. His team looks ready and his job seems quite secure...
So I guess you can say that he 'doesn't need this one' when it comes to the game this Friday afternoon in Little Rock.
But wouldn't it be great to celebrate again like we did on September 23rd?
