| Dooley visits ‘Boro twice |
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By: DAVID HUNTER, davidhunter91@gmail.com
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Posted: Sunday, May 1, 2011 7:53 am
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Second-year University of Tennessee head football coach Derek Dooley made the long trip from Knoxville to speak in front of large crowd of Volunteer fans at two different fundraisers in Murfreesboro in the past week.
“It just so happened that two great opportunities to help children happened one week apart in the same city,” Dooley said.
On April 21, Dooley’s first speaking engagement was at the Middle Tennessee Christian School Spring Banquet.
Dooley spoke to the large group about last year’s football team and even took questions from those in attendance about any issue dealing with the team. However, he did not want to talk about the recent spring football game.
He joked that the first question was going to be about the quarterback position, and guess what he was right.
He discussed how a speech from legendary college football coach, Bobby Bowden at mid-season, helped turn the team’s fortunes around from being 2-6 to winning its last four games and advancing to the Music City Bowl in Nashville.
Dooley also mentioned the Vol-4-Life program, which he hopes to help current and former players with issues off the field after their college careers are over.
However, the focus of his speech was about different issues facing the youth of today.
He made four key points about young people being over connected, overprotected, over served and overwhelmed.
Fans also had a chance to have a meet-and-greet with the son of the famous Georgia head football coach Vince Dooley. They received autographs and took pictures with him.
His second stop was a week later at the Rutherford County Boys and Girls Club “Steak and Burger” fundraiser at World Outreach Church.
“I’m in the kids business,” Dooley said. “I have three kids of my own at home, and I’m raising another 120 at the University of Tennessee, so this is my passion, that is helping our young people. So I appreciate the Boys & Girls Club for all they do for kids all around the country.”
The format for this event was an interview between Dooley and long-time Channel 4 sports director Rudy Kalis.
“He is going to deliver a great message about working hard and achieving your dream,” said Michelle Clifford, spokeswoman for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford County.
The event started with members of the club taking part in several games and activies and some of the visitors played along with them. During dinner, in which everybody ate hamburgers and the club members got to partake of a juicy steak. After the meal, the campers performed several dance numbers, including one using buckets and one student reading a poem. JaLeah Goff, 10, had the special task of being the master-of-ceremonies.
She said she hopes one day to play for the Lady Vols basketball team.
“I had never met a college coach before, so it’s going to be a perfect experience,” Goff said.
Then it was time for the big interview between the coach and the famous local sportscaster.
Dooley touched on most of the same subjects as in the previous speech. However, he had a speaking style than was very open and honest.
He also made people laugh with several of his stories.
Several well-known people from the area were in attendance including Murfreesboro Mayor Tommy Bragg, who served some of the food to the club members.
With his two speeches, it looks like in a short time Dooley made his mark in Murfreesboro. MP |
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