Butkus An Assistant Coach In High School
NEW YORK (AP) -- Dick Butkus is back screaming on a football field.
The Montour Spartans in suburban Pittsburgh have fallen on tough times, going 2-16 the last two seasons. Enter Butkus, the coach this fall, who will attempt to instill confidence and a new work ethic.
The Hall of Fame linebacker's tough love approach to the high school team is captured in the ESPN reality series
Bound for Glory, which debuts Tuesday night.
"My thing is trying to convince them they can win," Butkus said. "Anything that happens that's good, they think, 'Oh, it's an accident, when is the roof caving in?' You've got to get them out of that mental framework."
ESPN cameras are rolling in school halls, at Friday night games and at after-school hangouts, capturing the travails of a ragtag team at a school that won district championships in the 1970s and 80s. The Spartans have had losing seasons the past eight years, going 22-56 since 1996.
Ray Crockett, a former 14-year NFL veteran and two-time Super Bowl champ with Denver, joins Butkus on the sideline as an assistant coach. He's working with the secondary, while
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger makes a one-time appearance during the eight-week series.
The Spartans are 1-3 in a nine-game season, and television exposure has had some drawbacks.
"We're a big check mark on everybody's schedule," Butkus said. "I told them it's just another challenge, let's go after it."
Spartans head coach Lou Cerro and his staff are in charge, but Butkus focuses on fundamentals and positive mental imagery.
"He told us to look in the mirror every night and ask if we're giving 100 percent," Montour tackle Anthony Pastin said. "It's about everybody starting to believe in themselves. It's growing every day."
Butkus intimidated NFL offensive players during his nine-year career with the
Chicago Bears. Known for his ferocious hits, the eight-time Pro Bowler retired in 1973 because of knee injuries.
Butkus, 62, entered the Hall of Fame in 1979, a decade before Pastin was born. He's appeared in movies and television shows, and the Spartans saw a highlight film of his many exploits on the field.
"His presence, his aura, everything about him has been great," Pastin said.
And when plays aren't executed at practice, Butkus shows his frustration like most coaches.
"Just by yelling at us," Pastin said, laughing.
Parents, for the most part, are behind the project that puts their children and community in the national spotlight.
"Winning is the ultimate goal, but Butkus is teaching discipline and hard work that the kids can use the rest of their lives," said Jim Pastin, Anthony's father. "What parent wouldn't want their kid to be tutored by a Hall of Famer?"
A few moms had second thoughts.
"Some parents were nervous about how they would portray everything," Butkus said. "At a picnic the moms put on for the team and coaches, I said that all the reality shows are turning around and showing good things, not bad things."
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