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Romeo
Crennel understands what it takes to turn young men into champions. As
a defensive coordinator with the New England Patriots, Crennel did a
superb job of encouraging his players and was a key component in the
team’s three Super Bowls victories in four seasons. Although his four
seasons as the head coach for the Cleveland Browns were less than
stellar, Crennel continues to take pride in molding young men towards
greatness. Crennel recently sat down with rolling out sports at the
Living Legends Awards and Luncheon hosted by the NFL Players Father’s
Association.
Talk about the importance of recognizing resilient fathers in the community
I think the recognition a father get is important because a father is
very important to the family unit. Because there are so many kids who
need a role model and somebody to look up to who can show them the way.
What kind of values do you instill in your children?
First, I try to teach them right from wrong. That’s the foundation that
has to be laid. You can’t be around your kids 24 hours a day. The
foundation you lay in the household will help them when they have to
make the right choices when they’re with their peers.
What advice do you give to players to help them stay out of situations that will lead to them getting in trouble with the law?
It’s important for players to look at the small picture instead of the
big picture. Sometime it’s ok to ask for advice. Some of these
incidents happen when guys are out at the club. They have to use good
judgment by knowing when to walk away from trouble or stay away from
bad places. And if you know you’re going to drink, get a driver and
make sure they are able to take you home.
How stressful is it being a coach in the NFL?
Practice isn’t bad, the games are stressful. You try to teach these
young men how you want them to play and conduct themselves. When the
ball is snap, they need to do what you told them to do. Sometimes that
doesn’t happen and that’s where the stress comes in. The NFL is a
bottom line business and you have to win to stay around. But it’s also
important to teach guys how to carry themselves and to be standup
people.
Discuss the progression of black coaches in the NFL and how far we need to go
We’ve made a lot of progress, but there is room for improvement. The
league is improving and you look at a guy like Mike Tomlin who has come
in and proven that he can handle the stress of the job of being a head
coach. His success will open doors for other young men who want to be
coaches.
Romeo Crennel continues
to be one of the most respected leaders in football. Experts believe
that he will land a coaching job with either the Dallas Cowboys or
Notre Dame in 2009. –amir shaw
