The Bodda Getta

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Hornistau said...

I just returned from an hour long or more inspirational talk at the vet school by Trooper. He brought his daughter Star with him because she wants to be a vet (she is a straight A student and elite student-athlete track star and an incredible young lady). I was standing there in front of the vet school with his chaperone when Troop drove up in his SUV with Star and the cameraman/video engineer and Troop introduced himself to me and gave me a great warm handshake. Troop's talk was both very humorous and highly motivational. He described what it was like growing up in a small town in Texas (one stop light and a gas station and the tallest building was the court house) with 16 brothers and sisters in a small house with 3 bedrooms and only one bathroom so you can imagine with 8 sisters how early you needed to wake to get to use it). He talked about his mama with great love, respect and admiration. She being Latino is where he gets his Spanish culture even if it is only eating out sometimes at Taco Bell. He really loved his dad too an African-American who was a hard worker and family provider managing 2 jobs during the day one from 7am to 3pm and the other from 4pm to midnight. His dad passed of a heart attack going from one job to the other, when Trooper was only 12 and he laments to this day that the last words he had with his dad the night before were to say not to kiss him good night when his dad tried to kiss his head 'cause he was grown up now. He never saw him again. His dad, in fact, is the basis for his backward cap because that's how his dad liked to make him wear it when he was a kid and Troop continues the practice to honor his dad. Trooper preaches family is #1 above all else and we should never take our loved ones for granted and always tell them we love them - in fact, he prays for the well being of both his kids (Star and his son Blaise who plays on Auburn High School's team) ) and tells them he loves them right over them in their beds every night no matter how late he comes in - even if it's at 4am. I really enjoyed Troop's perspective on life and his inspirational witticisms. Troop says he was raised to live by 2 rules: (1) Always treat others exactly as you would want to be treated; and (2) always tell the truth. He also said that one's "attitude" creates one's "altitude" or higher limits of success and that if you accept something (negative) and tolerate it you are encouraging it. He stressed that everyone in some way has an important effect on others around them so one should be careful of their attitudes or behaviors around others. He said this year has been incredibly tough and a challenge but overall he has probably coached better this year than any other because of the difficulties and it was a cinch to coach during the NC year he basically just got on the bus and said "let's go." He knows that this is God's plan and it is designed to make everyone stronger and ultimately successful if one doesn't quit when it's dark. He knows God is with him because what are the odds this guy growing up in a small town in Texas ultimately gets to chest thump the president of the United States! In essence, Troops says to appreciate what is really important in life and especially the presence of your family; no matter how bleak everything is he is blessed to have a job he loves and would gladly do without any pay and to have his wife and children with him. At the end, Troop was presented with a small bronze statue from the vet school with an Eagle thanking him for never giving up and for everything he has done. It was a really great experience to hear him talk, very different than just seeing him swing the towels on the sidelines during game. Oh, he admitted he had never seen the eagle fly pregame and has never seen a band at halftime, because he is in the locker rooms, but he really wants to see the eagle and see and hear the band play.

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Hornistau said...

I just returned from an hour long or more inspirational talk at the vet school by Trooper. He brought his daughter Star with him because she wants to be a vet (she is a straight A student and elite student-athlete track star and an incredible young lady). I was standing there in front of the vet school with his chaperone when Troop drove up in his SUV with Star and the cameraman/video engineer and Troop introduced himself to me and gave me a great warm handshake. Troop's talk was both very humorous and highly motivational. He described what it was like growing up in a small town in Texas (one stop light and a gas station and the tallest building was the court house) with 16 brothers and sisters in a small house with 3 bedrooms and only one bathroom so you can imagine with 8 sisters how early you needed to wake to get to use it). He talked about his mama with great love, respect and admiration. She being Latino is where he gets his Spanish culture even if it is only eating out sometimes at Taco Bell. He really loved his dad too an African-American who was a hard worker and family provider managing 2 jobs during the day one from 7am to 3pm and the other from 4pm to midnight. His dad passed of a heart attack going from one job to the other, when Trooper was only 12 and he laments to this day that the last words he had with his dad the night before were to say not to kiss him good night when his dad tried to kiss his head 'cause he was grown up now. He never saw him again. His dad, in fact, is the basis for his backward cap because that's how his dad liked to make him wear it when he was a kid and Troop continues the practice to honor his dad. Trooper preaches family is #1 above all else and we should never take our loved ones for granted and always tell them we love them - in fact, he prays for the well being of both his kids (Star and his son Blaise who plays on Auburn High School's team) ) and tells them he loves them right over them in their beds every night no matter how late he comes in - even if it's at 4am. I really enjoyed Troop's perspective on life and his inspirational witticisms. Troop says he was raised to live by 2 rules: (1) Always treat others exactly as you would want to be treated; and (2) always tell the truth. He also said that one's "attitude" creates one's "altitude" or higher limits of success and that if you accept something (negative) and tolerate it you are encouraging it. He stressed that everyone in some way has an important effect on others around them so one should be careful of their attitudes or behaviors around others. He said this year has been incredibly tough and a challenge but overall he has probably coached better this year than any other because of the difficulties and it was a cinch to coach during the NC year he basically just got on the bus and said "let's go." He knows that this is God's plan and it is designed to make everyone stronger and ultimately successful if one doesn't quit when it's dark. He knows God is with him because what are the odds this guy growing up in a small town in Texas ultimately gets to chest thump the president of the United States! In essence, Troops says to appreciate what is really important in life and especially the presence of your family; no matter how bleak everything is he is blessed to have a job he loves and would gladly do without any pay and to have his wife and children with him. At the end, Troop was presented with a small bronze statue from the vet school with an Eagle thanking him for never giving up and for everything he has done. It was a really great experience to hear him talk, very different than just seeing him swing the towels on the sidelines during game. Oh, he admitted he had never seen the eagle fly pregame and has never seen a band at halftime, because he is in the locker rooms, but he really wants to see the eagle and see and hear the band play.

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jojo 1 said...

Why was Trooper talking at the vet school?