Oct 13, 2026 · 1 min · 1 segments
Same offense, same defense, worst players on the roster, and his team won every scrimmage. Coach Larry Blackford on why it's not about X's and O's, it's how you treat people. Full interview coming to…
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The head coach would give, uh, the, the other top assistant the best players and give me the worst players.
And every time we'd scrimmage, he'd go up in the bleachers and said, "Every time we scrimmage, my team would kick butt every time."
And then we'd go in, we'd go in the, and run in the c- in the coach's office after practice.
He said, "Well, Coach Blackmon, what do you think?" I said, "Well, Coach," I said, um, I said, "Both teams know the same offense, same defense, and they know e- they know everything." I said, I said, "Well, Coach," I said, "It's how you treat kids.
It's how you treat people." He said, "What do you mean?" I said, "Coach, it's not about X's and O's." I said, "It's how you treat people." I said, "They got a spirit in them." I said, "How you treat them, you either, if you can either nurture their spirit or encourage them in their spirit to do right, uh, and treat them fairly, you gonna get the best."
The head coach would give, uh, the, the other top assistant the best players and give me the worst players.
And every time we'd scrimmage, he'd go up in the bleachers and said, "Every time we scrimmage, my team would kick butt every time."
And then we'd go in, we'd go in the, and run in the c- in the coach's office after practice.
He said, "Well, Coach Blackmon, what do you think?" I said, "Well, Coach," I said, um, I said, "Both teams know the same offense, same defense, and they know e- they know everything." I said, I said, "Well, Coach," I said, "It's how you treat kids.
It's how you treat people." He said, "What do you mean?" I said, "Coach, it's not about X's and O's." I said, "It's how you treat people." I said, "They got a spirit in them." I said, "How you treat them, you either, if you can either nurture their spirit or encourage them in their spirit to do right, uh, and treat them fairly, you gonna get the best."