Character and Responsibility Determine Success

This statement, which is has inherent in it an acronym for CARDS is one of the messages that Coach Charlie Strong, U of L’s new football coach brought to a luncheon speech at the downtown Louisville Rotary Club yesterday. He uses lots of ways to motivate and inspire his new team. Character and Responsibility Determine Success is just one of those.

Ranked last in the conference, Coach Strong is undaunted about his new team’s capabilities. He has put together a great coaching staff, covering all the bases, and he has put effort into recruitment snaring 4 out of the top 5 graduating high school football players in Louisville. So, for a man who is used to being ranked first, he just sees this as one hurdle that he can easily get over, and over which he has some control.

And he is focusing on education. 39 of the team’s players made over a 3.0 this last semester after some strict rules went into place about class attendance and grades equating to playing on this soon to be memorable team.

Enthusiasm, focus, dedication and drive seem to be components that Coach Strong brings with him. What a pleasure it is to experience positive and uplifting moments and to hear good news about predictions for the future. Coach Strong got two standing ovations from the mostly business crowd, and if he is as successful on the field as he is in front of an audience, then watch out Big East as those CARDS are coming back.