Clear Eyes, Full Hearts

Football did not play a big role in my family growing up. As a result, here I am a middle-aged man and I barely understand the game. This past season, I tried to get a handle on the ins and outs of football to connect with my wife and son during quarantine. I would not say that I have it all figured out, but by the end of the season I was able to follow and enjoy a game.

Like most families, we binge watched a host of shows this last year. Schitt’s Creek. The Good Place. The Office. The list goes on. I decided that I would keep up my football learnings through the offseason by watching Friday Night Lights. Watching the show not only helped me keep the saw sharp on my football knowledge, but Coach Taylor taught me to be a better man. Here are a few lessons I learned from Coach Taylor.

The art of saying the right thing. This is not to say that Coach Taylor is a good salesman, it just means that even though the football fans of Dillon put him at the center of their universe, he exercises good old-fashioned humility. On and off the field, he has an enviable ability to turn the conversation to others, often empowering them to do things that they do not believe themselves capable of.

The art of saying nothing. Coach Taylor has mastered the art of diffusing situations with a knowing glance. See the humility point above. Whether it is a tête-à-tête with his wife, Buddy Garrity, or one of his star players, he knows that sometimes the right things to say is nothing at all.

There is one direction in life. Forward. Through the series Coach Taylor is consistently knocked from his perch. Losing his star quarterback to an injury in the first game of the season. Missing states by one game. Miscalculating his dream job. Or the ultimate career setback of having to start again in middle age. He licks his wounds, sets his own ego aside and moves forward.

The joy of being content. From the very first episode, Coach Taylor and his equally selfless wife talk about moving to a bigger home. This comes up a few times throughout the series. However, they always end up staying in their modest ranch, even as their family grows, and their house becomes a crash pad for anyone in their circle who is having a tough time. Most of the cast members have spent a night on the Taylor’s sofa. In the end, the desire for a walk in closet, a pool or a bigger yard takes a backseat to other priorities.

We are an episode or two from wrapping the series. I have done an effective job of maintaining my football knowledge. But I also got a nice reminder of the importance of facing the challenges of life with a healthy dose of humility and purpose. After all, in the immortal words of Coach Taylor, “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose