PAOspeak

2008-12-30T11:17:00.000-08:00

Check this vid out!

2008-10-24T09:47:00.000-07:00

Norm Evans Article in the Seattle P.I.

2008-10-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

Where Are They Now: Norm Evans
Original Seahawk ultimately made the Emerald City home
By DAN RALEY
P-I REPORTER
ISSAQUAH -- Norm Evans stood in his driveway, shivering in
temperatures hovering around 38 degrees, soaking in the pounding rain
and wondering why he had picked such a miserable February day to
resume his offseason workouts. He did what any self-respecting 14-
year NFL veteran would have done at that point. He went back inside
and retired.
Thirty years ago, the Seahawks' original starting right offensive tackle,
most-decorated expansion draft acquisition and co-captain ended his
football career with an impulsive call to general manager John
Thompson. "I don't want to do this anymore," Evans told the front-office executive.
"I'm not working out. I'm done." The Texan played three seasons for the Seahawks,
two more than he initially envisioned. He figured to help launch the new franchise,
quitand reside in Miami, which had been his NFL home for 10 years and
given him some of the game's greatest achievements.
Evans, 66, was a member of the NFL's winningest team, the 17-0
Dolphins in 1972; participated in the NFL's longest game, two
overtimes covering 22 minutes and 40 seconds in a 1971 AFC division
playoff encounter in Kansas City, won by the Dolphins 27-24; and
appeared in three consecutive Super Bowls, winning the last two, and a
pair of Pro Bowls in 1973 and 1975.Seattle was supposed to be only a temporary assignment, and, considering his credentials, almost a goodwill mission on his behalf.
"Truth was, we weren't very good," Evans said. "But it was fun to play
here." He shared the Seahawks' always interesting huddle with quarterback
Jim Zorn, now the Washington Redskins coach, and wide receiver Steve
Largent, a Hall of Fame inductee. He learned to dislike the Oakland
Raiders, who became a natural and bitter rival. He liked being the
leader of this team, often its spokesman. At the same time, Evans had come from one of the NFL's most elite franchises to a starter team, from veteran Dolphins coach Don Shula to
rookie Seahawks coach Jack Patera, from winning to losing, and that
took a bit of an adjustment.
"I was used to Don Shula foaming at the mouth in a pregame tirade,"
he said. "In our first league game, Jack Patera calls the team together
by the door of the Kingdome, I lean in and he says, 'Wow, guys, I know
just how you feel. This is my first game, too.' That was it. We clapped
hands and it was 'Go get 'em.'
"I couldn't believe what I just heard. I spent the whole first quarter
giggling and laughing to myself." Football had taken Evans from his hometown
of Donna, Texas, on the southernmost tip of the state, to college at Texas Christian,
where he was twice an all-conference selection, to 14th-round draft pick by the
Houston Oilers, who kept him for just one year. His TCU coach, Abe Martin,
said he would never make it in the NFL, and to show he was serious offered the offensive lineman an assistant coaching job with the Horned Frogs.
"My whole career, every play, was a surprise to me," Evans said.
As he pushed ahead with his pro pursuits, he went to Miami in the 1966
expansion draft and six years later became one of the best players on
the NFL's greatest team. He wears a Super Bowl ring that honors the
1972 entry and sports a Dolphin caricature, diamond, his name and the
words "Perfect Season." Last winter, he watched the New England
Patriots also try to go unbeaten, only to lose to the New York Giants in
the Super Bowl, which was the preferred outcome for Evans, who didn't
want to share the distinction.
"Absolutely, I'm as selfish as the next guy," he said. "I'm a closet
Giants fan." Evans wasn't a conventional nasty lineman by any means. He became
an openly devout Christian that first season with the Dolphins after he
and his wife, Bobbe, heard a Florida evangelist speak. This left him
open to teammate hazing, but he stayed true to his newfound beliefs
and played on. For more than four decades, Evans hasn't wavered in that faith. He is
president of Pro Athletes Outreach, a nonprofit organization that holds
yearly conventions to teach players and coaches how to manage their
marriages, money and fame using religious principles. He's one of nine
employees who work out of a second-story office in downtown
Issaquah.
Before taking over Pro Athletes Outreach, he dabbled in a couple of
post-retirement media ventures, offering "Norm Evans' Seahawk
Report," a popular four-year publication that was put out of business by
the 1982 NFL players' strike, and co-hosting Patera's radio show.
Evans and his wife have downsized from their five-acre Issaquah home
to a Cougar Mountain townhouse. They have two children, Deanna, 46,
and Ron, 41, realtors, married and living in Ocean Shores and Pacific
Palisades, Calif., respectively. Their son, a former UCLA football player,
also is a high school assistant coach.
"I always thought we'd go back to Florida, but Bobbe said, 'Let's go
anywhere that doesn't have bugs and air conditioning,' " Evans said.
"That eliminated Texas and Florida." The former lineman has some post-career
neck and back problems and a thumb that still bothers him, but he left the pro
game healthier than most, primarily by avoiding major knee surgery. He weighs 256
pounds, just four more than his playing weight. He walked away from football with only one regret, in hindsight thinking maybe the rain and chill that aborted that long-ago February workout clouded his judgment.
"It really killed me," Evans said. "For years, I felt I had made a
mistake, that I should have played one more year."

Culver on coaching...

2008-08-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

Be sure to catch the next Coaches Time Out!

Tyrone Culver of the NFL discusses the impact a coach can make in one's life...

Great links on our PAO friends!

2008-08-08T16:49:00.000-07:00

Click here to read a great story on Coach Jim Zorn.

Watch Kevin Mawae's awesome video diary for NFL network by clicking here.

Last but not least read a great article on MLB All-Star Lance Berkman by clicking here.

Coaches Time Out

2008-08-04T11:27:00.000-07:00

August has arrived and things have slowed down considerably in our office after working at break-neck speed to help put together six conferences in five different states across the country. God was at work in the lives of many coaches and their families and we were priveleged to be a part of it.

Our last conferences was in St. Louis and I thought I would share a "teaching highlights" recap from Reed Warrick who was there working alongside Grant Williams, PAO staff and many volunteers to put on just our 2nd St. Louis conference ever.

2008 St. Louis CTO Conference
Teaching Highlights by Reed Warrick

· Coach Larry Kindbom: Highlighted the apparent similarities, yet important differences between lettuce and cabbage. They look the same, both grown from seeds, subjected to the same elements, but respond very differently to adversity. When life delivers HARD KNOCKS, the stem/spine of the lettuce gives way and all the leaves fall away (like a team falling apart & going separate ways); the cabbage is virtually indestructible (very strong stem, tightly united leaves, huddled close together, hard to peel even one leaf away from the 'team').

· Coach Larry Kindbom: "What would you do?" character talk about commitment. When player makes verbal commitment to play for a school, then finds a better offer elsewhere, is it right/fair for him to "do what's best for me!" and disregard his prior commitment? How about the reverse - if a school offers a player a scholarship, then rescinds the offer because they found a better player for that position, is that right/fair? Now apply this to a young married couple walking down the street. Suddenly, the woman sees a better looking, stronger guy who makes more money and has greater faith and she says, "Sorry, honey, I need to do what's best for me. I'm leaving you to pursue this other man." Is this right/fair? Hope this makes you think about what COMMITMENT means to you.

· Pastor Robert Flores: NOTHING will shut down the miraculous in your life like TAKING OFFENSE. When you choose to be offended, you literally push the Holy Spirit out the door and shut him out of your thought life.

"If something gets your goad, it just proves that you still have a goad to get got." ~ Barry McGuire (1970's singer)

An offense reveals areas of my heart that God still needs to heal & restore.

· Grant Williams (Panel Discussion): I told my mentor, “I'm not a Scripture memorization kind of a guy.” He looked at me and said, “You can be.” He was right.

· Brian Holman (Panel Discussion): "We need to get our focus right. It's JUST A GAME! Go out, play hard & enjoy yourself - don't beat yourself up for failing. The greatest players in baseball fail 70% of the time! We must remember that the KIDS are more important than the game!

· Emily Williams (Panel Discussion): For all of you coaches' wives, ASK your husband how you can best support him. After a losing streak, he may not want a pep talk; he may just want a nice dinner and then some time to himself, or to go out on a date together and take his mind off things. You won't know what he needs unless you ask.

· Brian Holman (Panel Discussion): Coaches, try to keep a level head at ALL TIMES! When chaos ensues on the field or up in the stands, the kids will look to YOU to stay calm and focused. They will mimic what you model, so give them the gift of peace, hope and confidence.

· Pastor Robert Flores: 3 Things that Friends Do: (1) Friends Extend Grace; (2) Friends Care Enough to Confront; (3) Friends Never Lose Hope (they never give up on you)

· Pastor Robert Flores: 4 Ingredients for a Great Attitude: (1) Learn to Cultivate a Grateful Spirit; (2) Be Teachable; (3) Be a Servant to All; (4) Let God Promote You!

"He who saves one person, saves the whole world in time." ~ Jewish Talmud

Whoever impacts ONE LIFE through coaching, impacts the entire world in time.

· Grant Williams (Workshop on "Rest"): "The things that matter most should never be at the mercy of the things that matter least." ~ Goethe

"The Sabbath was made for MAN, not man for the Sabbath." ~ Mark 2:27

We cannot rush around and reflect at the same time.

4 Purposes of Sabbath: (1) To rest; (2) To reflect; (3) To be reached (by God); (4) To be restored (do something that recreates you)

PAO Conferences '08-'09

2008-07-25T22:48:00.000-07:00

Watch this video to see what our PAO conferences are all about. Then register at www.PAO.org to experience it in person!

Norm Evans AIA Feature Video

2008-05-27T14:18:00.001-07:00

We have been cleaning up the office here in Issaquah and uncovered this gem of an interview with Norm and Bobbe Evans. This video is a great example PAO's unchanging mission to serve pro athletes, it also will give you some great ideas for new hair do's! Enjoy.

It is LINKING time!

2008-05-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

Here are some great stories that we have enjoyed in the office.

Click here to read an inspiring story on sportsmanship.

Click here to read an interview with Coach Mike Holmgren.

Click here to read a short article on our first ever Florida Coaches Wall of Honor event.

2008-01-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

Hello people of PAO. Long time no update. Using high tech bullet points I am using the below space to share a review of the Baseball Leadership conference written by our ambassador of baseball, Eddie Taubensee. Enjoy.

Tim Cash (Braves Chaplain & UPI National Director) kicked us off for the conference. And if you know Tim Cash's teaching (http://upi.org/audio/index.html), he is a clean-up hitter. So to have him lead off, set the tone for the conference. In the workshop with the help of Steve Sisco (Reds Chaplain & Director of Player Relations for Baseball Chapel) they taught on Jesus' final command to his disciple's, to GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES.

Dr. Voddie Baucham came right at us with fast balls right down the middle, he let us know the importance of LEAVING A LEGACY behind.

Our Bible teacher for the Conference, Dr. Rod Cooper taught us the power of a 13-letter word, ENCOURAGEMENT.

Don Christensen never pulls any punches back when it comes to the importance of financial stewardship.

Jackie Kendall finished the conference the only way she knows how, by pouring out her heart to us with what God is teaching her.

Mixed in with all the speakers was the incredible music of Jonny Diaz (www.myspace.com/jonnydiazband), who taught us so much just by his lyrics (the single guys know what I am talking about).

As you can tell by the compelling bullet points that this was an incredible week of teaching for all of us there. In addition to all of the teaching we also had a great time hanging out, playing games and sharing testimonies at a local school and juvenille center.

NEVER GIVE UP!

2007-11-02T09:15:00.001-07:00

This is a miracle finish from last weekend. It is probably the most popular sports video on the internet right now. I think it is a great reminder to never give up. It is also just a whole lot of fun to watch. So enjoy!

That's What Father's Do!

2007-10-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

There is nothing better than coming home from work to find your in-laws in your bathroom. Now I know what some of you are thinking, "What in the world is he talking about!!??"

Now that I have your attention, I’ll share a quick story that will help this statement make some sense. The story starts with our ugly bathroom sink. No one really liked the rust pits in the bottom of our sink but it was my in-laws that took action and decided to do something about them. They not only bought us a new sink and drove over an hour to our home to install it, but after they completed the install, they took my wife and me out for steak dinner!

I challenge you to find another plumber in the world who buys you a sink, installs it for free and then takes YOU out for steak dinner. So now you see why finding your in-laws in your bathroom on a week night may not be such a bad thing.

Let's continue with the story…

After dinner we were checking on the sink when we noticed the steel pipe underneath had a leak in it. This was a brand new pipe that obviously had a manufacture error. It was getting late and I figured I would be exchanging the bad pipe for a new one and reinstalling it the next day. Instead my father in-law insisted that he would come back tomorrow and handle it. While looking at the leaking pipe he received a phone call from his other daughter who just had a flat tire. It turned out not to be an emergency, she was with friends that could help her put on the spare, but "dear old dad" did add the task replacing a tire, to his list for the next day.

When my father in-law didn’t appear phased or frustrated it concerned and confused my wife. She asked, "so tomorrow you are going to drive an hour to get a new tire, drive to Haley's to replace the spare, buy our new sink part, drive another hour to our place, and then reinstall our sink?" My father in-law strolled into the kitchen and replied, "That’s what father's do."

As you can see my wife and I are blessed with good parents. Not perfect parents but generous parents who love us and do so much for us that it is easy for us to take it for granted. We accept their gifts, time and love often without even blinking. And they keep giving because "that's what father's do." That night I started thinking about that statement and wondered how it related to God. I came up with a few questions and thoughts and decided to pass them on.

If God is our perfect father, and He is, than how much more does He give us? How often do we stop in astonishment of all that our Father in Heaven is doing for us? And how often does he humbly reply, "That’s what fathers do."

Let's go hiking now...

2007-10-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

In August the PAO office ventured into the mountains of the Northwest to see the twin falls. We ate a gigantic breakfast at a diner called Twedes, played games, and hiked. I hope this photo inspires you to buy a cool hat like the one Jim Horsley is wearing on the right.

SEND ME! I"LL GO!

2007-10-05T11:43:00.001-07:00

WARNING! This video contains graphic images. It is not for the faint of heart and may inspire you to tell others about Jesus. It may remind you of those hurting around you and inspire you to say to God, "Send me, I'll go!"

Hello World

2007-10-02T10:41:00.001-07:00

This is it. PAO is officially a nerd friendly organization. We are diving head first into the baseball postseason and football regular season with a fast paced, high action, adverb filled blog. Check out the blog for updates, pictures, stories and my day to day life in the PAO office. It is my desire that all you pro athletes and coaches out there will be so addicted to this blog that you don't go to sleep or start your day without checking and commenting on it four or five times. Just kidding... sort of.
So stop by and say hello. Leave a question, comment or just tell me how brilliant of a blog writer I am.