In my wildest and most ridiculous dreams I never thought I would write another blog about being part of a team competing in the Super Bowl. At best, it’s a once in a lifetime experience. But a second time? You’ll still catch me shaking my head in disbelief and gratitude.

It’s a game of inches and an oddly shaped leather ball that unites all walks of life. Bringing strangers together and turning them into a close-knit family all with a common purpose. Every August all 32 NFL teams begin the season even. As the weeks go by the wins and loss columns are revealed. Hopes are dashed and potentials revealed. Lucky are the cities whose teams are winning more than losing. Fans rally. Television and radio have endless pools of stories to spotlight. Social Media goes wild. But that is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg.

I should know because I have had a front row seat for the last thirty years. I met a guy and that first night we met we swapped the typical information. I told him I was a kindergarten teacher. He told me he was a football coach. I thought to myself, “How is that a real job?” I replied, “So you only work about 15 weeks out of the year then?” Well, I survived the rude awakening and am here to tell all of you, being a football coach is a real freakin' job.

I sometimes compare our courtship to the grueling recruiting process in college football. Hours on the phone, in person meetings to confirm if it’s a good fit. Well, it was and he quickly moved to “snatch” me up before another “school” did. Instead of a scholarship I got an engagement ring. We married during the off season, as most coaches do, even squeezing in a honeymoon before the season began. Our happily ever after consists of moving amongst seven different teams in six different states. Despite all of that, we raised two awesome children who are now successful, productive and kind adults. We are even fortunate enough to be adding an amazing daughter-in-law to our family as well.

My husband’s career to date, has allowed us to work at wonderful colleges and universities alongside some of the best people ever. It’s a life I wouldn’t change for anything, but one that took years of crystal-clear hindsight and a healthy dose of therapy too, to successfully navigate. It may seem like football life is a romantic life from the outside looking in, and I agree there are those times for sure. But mostly, the coaching life can be a lonely one. It means being prepared to move at the end of each football season. It means grappling with the guilt of uprooting your family. It means being vulnerable enough to make new friends and become part of the neighborhood and community, knowing there will inevitably be a painful goodbye. It means saying goodbye to one home and recreating a new one from scratch somewhere else.

For me personally, it also meant putting my career aside and following that of my husband. It meant leaving my hometown. It meant being far from friends and family. It meant often times raising our children “alone” because his job is incredibly demanding of his time, attention and dedication. It meant smiling when sometimes I wanted to cry. It meant times when I was scared, overwhelmed and drowning with responsibility. But always it meant carrying on.

Our family has had the esteemed honor and pleasure of being part of the Philadelphia Eagles football organization for the last ten seasons. If you’re looking for an organization not just succeeding in football but truly making the world a better place, then look no further. Buildings, stadiums, fields, cafeterias, offices and meeting rooms filled with great humans not only working towards a common goal on the field, but making a huge difference off it as well.

Of course, if I am being honest, I did worry about the mystique of the “colorful” Philadelphia fans at the beginning. But with most legends, it is always a mix of truth and lore. Those fans I feared are just honest to a fault, deeply devoted and true game-day difference makers. And now that their “Iggles” are in Super Bowl VII, their excitement is palpable. You cannot go ten steps in the city without a “Go Birds” or “Fly Eagles Fly.” Anything or anybody that can be donned in Eagles green is! “It’s a Philly Thing!”

Go Birds,

A tidbit or two: It seems my husband’s hard work, dedication and devotion to his team and players has reaped the benefit of a contract extension. We couldn’t be a single bit happier or feel more fortunate. Cheers to calling Philadelphia home sweet home for a few more years!

Our family is devoted to the Philadelphia Eagles. They are devoted to supporting the highest quality and most impactful autism research and care to improve the lives of affected individuals and families. Here is a link to the full fantastic story of how one of my husband’s players made a little comment on Monday Night Football and it turned into a raising almost $100,000 for the cause. Get your t-shirts here! https://tinyurl.com/stoutlanduniversity

Allison's Blog