By EMERY GLOVER, T&D Sports Writer
Emery Glover was able to catch up with former SCSU head football coach and the guest of honor, Willie Jeffries, at the appropriately named Willie Jeffries Jamboree and ask him five questions.
How did you first become interested in coaching?
Growing up in Union, SC, where football was really the king in that town. Our team won 92 straight games without a defeat. Of course, I was on the team that finally lost a game in 1953, but we lived that down. I guess it was just being an athlete all those years. We had a coach that we admired. I tried to emulate him. I always had great head coaches. I think a head coach has such an influence. That’s what caused me to go into coaching.
There were a few times that you were offered positions as an assistant in the NFL. How hard was it for you to turn down those opportunities?
You know, coaching at SCSU and with our team being so successful, it was too difficult to leave. I guess that is the way I’ll put it. It was more difficult for me to leave SCSU than to turn down the opportunity. The main opportunity I had was with the Atlanta Falcons and that’s one I look back on sometimes and say ‘Maybe I should have done it.’ But, with all the camaraderie we had at SCSU with everyone, it was too difficult to leave.
What is your fondest memory as head coach at SCSU?
I say this all the time. It was the year we won our first MEAC championship in 1974. That was the start of a lot of them, but that was my fondest memory.
If you would’ve never been a coach, what profession would you have taken up?
I probably would have been out here building some safe bridges, building roads and doing some water retention. I would have followed the civil engineering degree that I had because I had a job coming up in July after graduating, but I took a coaching job that was offered to me in June. So, now I probably would’ve been out here inspecting some bridges.
How do you feel about the SCSU program and the things that they’re doing?
The program is in great hands and the whole university is moving forward. Even back when Coach (Oliver "Buddy") Pough was on the team when I was coaching, I knew he had something special. He’s a very alert person. He has done a great job recruiting and I think this is going to be a great year for him.
Emery Glover was able to catch up with former SCSU head football coach and the guest of honor, Willie Jeffries, at the appropriately named Willie Jeffries Jamboree and ask him five questions.
How did you first become interested in coaching?
Growing up in Union, SC, where football was really the king in that town. Our team won 92 straight games without a defeat. Of course, I was on the team that finally lost a game in 1953, but we lived that down. I guess it was just being an athlete all those years. We had a coach that we admired. I tried to emulate him. I always had great head coaches. I think a head coach has such an influence. That’s what caused me to go into coaching.
There were a few times that you were offered positions as an assistant in the NFL. How hard was it for you to turn down those opportunities?
You know, coaching at SCSU and with our team being so successful, it was too difficult to leave. I guess that is the way I’ll put it. It was more difficult for me to leave SCSU than to turn down the opportunity. The main opportunity I had was with the Atlanta Falcons and that’s one I look back on sometimes and say ‘Maybe I should have done it.’ But, with all the camaraderie we had at SCSU with everyone, it was too difficult to leave.
What is your fondest memory as head coach at SCSU?
I say this all the time. It was the year we won our first MEAC championship in 1974. That was the start of a lot of them, but that was my fondest memory.
If you would’ve never been a coach, what profession would you have taken up?
I probably would have been out here building some safe bridges, building roads and doing some water retention. I would have followed the civil engineering degree that I had because I had a job coming up in July after graduating, but I took a coaching job that was offered to me in June. So, now I probably would’ve been out here inspecting some bridges.
How do you feel about the SCSU program and the things that they’re doing?
The program is in great hands and the whole university is moving forward. Even back when Coach (Oliver "Buddy") Pough was on the team when I was coaching, I knew he had something special. He’s a very alert person. He has done a great job recruiting and I think this is going to be a great year for him.
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