NFL, Texas standout Doug English touts importance of fan support, coaches
JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
MARBLE FALLS — As he scanned the crowd gathered for the latest meeting of the Marble Falls Athletic Booster Club, former NFL and University of Texas great Doug English credited two groups for his success.
“Great coaching,” he said, “and great families, boosters, parents and friends of the program.”
English was the club’s featured speaker March 17, fresh off his induction into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in Waco three weeks ago. He also is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
While reflecting on his career, English said he realized he had great coaches at the right time to help him be successful.
“I was really taken aback about the halls of fame because it’s about coaching,” he said. “I had a coach in my life every step of the way.”
He played for Darrell K. Royal at the University of Texas before being drafted by the NFL’s Detroit Lions in 1975 where he played for defensive line coach Fritz Shurmur, who was the defensive coordinator at Green Bay when the Packers played for the Super Bowl in 1997 and 1998.
At every step, English said, he played for coaches who saw something great in him that he didn’t until they worked with him, molded him and got it out of him.
He also credits others around the athletic department and his teams for helping him along his journey, notably the people who packed stadiums and made the time to go to practices and other functions to encourage him.
“You make great people,” he said to the crowd. “I’ve seen it all over the country.”
The former Longhorn said he doesn’t like seeing where the professional game is today, with linemen weighing 300 pounds. When he played in college, he stood at 6 feet 4 inches and weighed 220 pounds. At Detroit, he grew an inch and added 30 pounds.
“I don’t think it’s smart,” he said. “It’s not good for their bodies.”
One of the changes for high school athletes today is athletic departments are more knowledgeable about nutrition and training than when he played.
English is the CEO of PowerDrive Training Products, a company he founded when he found himself using the same defensive lineman techniques while working on his ranch. He said it happened when he was unrolling a 1,200-pound round bale of hay. Since then, he has developed products to help athletes of all ages improve their movements. He travels across the country to promote those products.
With his travels, he still believes the best football is found in his home state. One reason might be that Texas high schools pay coaching staffs. At other places, that’s not necessarily the case.
He added that Los Angeles has some great high school programs as does Florida.
To him, successful programs also have community members who invest in them. He noted that powerhouse programs in Texas, particularly in Central Texas, have that.
It’s what makes an athlete get up when they’ve been knocked down, he said, because he or she knows his or her importance to the team and how important the outcome is to the community.
“That’s what builds long-lasting dynasties,” he said. “There’s no better high school coach in the state than (Marble Falls High School head football coach) Todd Dodge. Even he needs the support of the community. (Athletes) make decisions in a split second. When kids get knocked down, they’re either getting up or laying there. They’re thinking, ‘I’m part of the fabric of this community.’ You’re getting up, you’re not giving up.”
The next meeting of the booster club is March 31 with site and time still to be determined.
jfierro@thepicayune.com