EPISODE QUOTES - Mike Mann
"My first 3 years at school I had 3 different head coaches...It was very clear that first morning (Laqua started) that it was, okay, we're not going to do things the way they've been done here before. We're gonna implement a system...hop on board or get out the way." "[What amazed me] we how clear expectations were and how little he could care about little things. The things he cared about he cared about 100%."
"My 10 best friends are all from Dragon Football....Dragon Football is truly a family."
"When I was there we had an underdog mentality. We always bonded together to overcome with what we had."
"[Doing what's right], that applies to my everyday life. One of the coach's examples...walking the hallway, seeing something on floor and pick it up. Even today I get so mad at myself if I ever pass up that opportunity."
"I was never the biggest, the fastest, or the strongest guy. I always tried to show up and to the right thing and eventually I got quite a bit of playing time...In my life, there's people a lot smarter than me, a lot more talented than me. But I think showing up, nose to the grindstone everyday and just be willing to outwork people is something I'll carry with me for the rest of my life."
"Those cold winter mornings going to conditioning in January are brutal, but that's when you decide if you really love football or not. You figure out why you're doing it because no one wants to go morning conditioning at 5am on a Tuesday. Figure out your why, what's driving you to do the work."
"When I got to Moorhead I was a kid. When I left I was closer to being a man. Laqua and the coaches gave us a lot of opportunities to become adults and gave us responsibility and earn their trust."
For those of you who don't know what THE DRAGON WAY is, simply it's four things Dragon Football focuses on to create men of character. Do What's Right, Find A Way, Be A Great Teammate, and Keep Getting Better! That's THE DRAGON WAY.