1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:04,720 Speaker 1: Everybody. It's coach Bill Courtney with an army of normal folks. 2 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: With Thanksgiving in the holidays coming up, we wanted to 3 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:13,319 Speaker 1: bring you a bonus episode from our special campaign Don't 4 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:17,600 Speaker 1: be a Turkey person, And guys, this isn't about eden turkeys. 5 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: It's one of the most important life lessons that I've 6 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 1: ever learned, and it was one I learned from one 7 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 1: of my seventeen year old football players from inner city Memphis. 8 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: The story will likely change the way you look at philanthropy, 9 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:35,519 Speaker 1: at least it did for me. We'll bring it to 10 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 1: you right after these brief messages from our generous sponsors. 11 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 1: When I got to Manassas, their previous ten years record 12 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: was four winds and ninety five losses, four ninety five. 13 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 2: They've won four games and ten years terrible, awful. 14 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 1: I'm in my first season and we were three and 15 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 1: three midway through this season. And while I think three 16 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 1: and three is pretty average, when you've won four games 17 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 1: in ten years, that's pretty good and the kids. 18 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 2: Were buying in. 19 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:09,320 Speaker 1: But the other thing we found out is we had 20 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 1: to coach other things, basic fundamentals and tenants like character, commitment, 21 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 1: team work, the value of hard work, the importance of 22 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 1: just being on time, basic stuff that your grandmother taught 23 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 1: you at a kitchen table. 24 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 2: Half the team is doing what we're asking of them. 25 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: But the other half the team, while yes Ordas are 26 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 1: on the football field, there's still engaged in some of 27 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: the same destructive behavior in the streets that kind of 28 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: got them to four ninety five in the first place. 29 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 1: And the four ninety five it is kind of a 30 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 1: metaphor the losing that the decades long losing in football 31 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: is kind of a metaphor for the generational losing that's 32 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: been going on and some of our most disadvantaged communities. 33 00:01:55,760 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 1: And so I was frustrated. So I went to my guy. 34 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 1: Coach has a guy, and my guy that year was Bobo. 35 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: And went to Bobo, and I said, hey, man, how 36 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,799 Speaker 1: do I get that half the team to buy into 37 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 1: the important stuff? 38 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 2: Like you're half the team. 39 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:15,240 Speaker 1: Bobo was the guy who, whenever asked a question about 40 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 1: the culture or society. 41 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 2: Or history of the neighborhoods. 42 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:23,639 Speaker 1: Around Manassas or Manassas itself, would always kind of tell 43 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 1: me the down low, the real story. And so when 44 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: I asked him about why these kids were finding the 45 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: important stuff. Bobo just kind of dismissed me. He said, oll, coach, 46 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: just keep doing what you're doing. And that frustrated me 47 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 1: a lot. And I'm like, no, man, real talk. And 48 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:42,919 Speaker 1: he said, Coach, I don't want to hurt your feelings. 49 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:48,360 Speaker 1: And I said, Bobo, one more time, straight talk. Why 50 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: won't that half the team buy into the important stuff 51 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: like you're half the team. And he said, Coach, I 52 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:57,519 Speaker 1: don't want to hurt your feelings, but I'll tell you 53 00:02:57,560 --> 00:02:59,239 Speaker 1: and I said okay. He said, Coach, you're trying to 54 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 1: figure out if you're a turkey person or not. And 55 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 1: I said, Bobo, turkey person? What the hell is a 56 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 1: turkey person? 57 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 2: He's like, Coach. 58 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 1: Every Thanksgiving at Christmas, people come into our neighborhoods and 59 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 1: they give us hams and gives some turkeys and we 60 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:17,960 Speaker 1: take them because we ain't got none. 61 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 2: But then they leave and we never see them again. 62 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:25,639 Speaker 1: And it kind of makes you wonder if they're doing 63 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:28,079 Speaker 1: that because they really care about us, or they're doing 64 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:32,639 Speaker 1: that to make themselves feel good. He let me dead 65 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 1: eyes and he said, coach, what the hell are you 66 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: really doing here? 67 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 2: Man? And I'm going to tell you something that pissed 68 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 2: me off bad. 69 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 1: The truth was, I was waking up early in the morning, 70 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 1: like four driving to work, get my work done. Didn't 71 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: take a lunch break because I spent my forty five 72 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 1: minutes at lunch going to Manassas to make sure the 73 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:58,119 Speaker 1: guys were doing what they're supposed to do. Went back 74 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 1: to work, then hustled up and got to the practice 75 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: field at three thirty. Practice football from three thirty to 76 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: five thirty or six at my asses. Then I would 77 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 1: get my car and drive to the suburbs to coach 78 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: my kids in football. Because the deal was, if I'm 79 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 1: going to coach man Asses, I'm still gonna stay involved 80 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: with my kids. We were paying for ACT prep classes, 81 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:26,280 Speaker 1: three game meals, helping kids with clothing. We were there 82 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:30,719 Speaker 1: every day, spending our time, our money, and our resources 83 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:33,240 Speaker 1: on eighteen hours a day. And we did that for 84 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: seven years. And this kid wants to look at me 85 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:39,840 Speaker 1: and ask me if I'm a Turkey person. That's a 86 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: bull man. I mean, honestly, my thought was, Okay, here's 87 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 1: the experiment I've dove in. I've given her my time 88 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:52,840 Speaker 1: and my effort, my money, and they still want to 89 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: see if I'm a Turkey Person. I'll tell you what 90 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: I thought. You can't help these people. Can't help these folks. 91 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 1: I mean, if everything I'm doing right now isn't enough, 92 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: you can't help these folks. I wasn't going to quit 93 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:09,039 Speaker 1: during the middle of the season, but I'd pretty much 94 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:12,920 Speaker 1: made up my mind that I was done. Like I said, 95 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:16,359 Speaker 1: I coached my kids out in the suburbs, and I 96 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:19,359 Speaker 1: would show up to practice at my kids practice, and 97 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 1: they were young, they were in third and fourth grade 98 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 1: and coaching high school ball, and I would show up 99 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 1: in my Manasas gear because I didn't have a chance 100 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 1: to change from Manassas practice going out there, and guys 101 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:32,159 Speaker 1: were walking up to me and saying, Bill, what's this 102 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 1: Manassas stuff you're wearing? And I'm like, you know, it's 103 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 1: I'm coaching Manassas like Manassas. 104 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 2: They're terrible. 105 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 1: This is not an exaggeration. Two weeks after Bobo told 106 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 1: me the Turkey Person story, the Commercial Appeal, which is 107 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 1: the daily newspaper in Memphis, not the sports page. 108 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 2: The front page. 109 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 1: Had a picture of the ABA, picture of me, and 110 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:01,600 Speaker 1: the title was Manassas Miracle because we turned around manasses 111 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:05,840 Speaker 1: me and so at these practices. People walking up and saying, Bill, 112 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:08,839 Speaker 1: has amazing what you're doing at Manassas? Tell me more? 113 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 1: I bother like well, I got am act pup classes. Wow, Bill, 114 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 1: what else are you doing well? 115 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:19,279 Speaker 2: You know? I got them winning football games? What else well? 116 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: Instead of going up and down the cold road these 117 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:25,840 Speaker 1: fall nights on yellow school buses, we're riding on charter 118 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 1: busses that we're providing. Man, that's amazing, Bill. What else 119 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: are you doing well? I got them doing their homework? 120 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 1: What else you doing well? 121 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 2: You know? I got them being respectful in classes. 122 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:42,600 Speaker 1: And the point is anybody, anytime anybody asked me anything 123 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 1: about everything that was going on Manasses, I was happy 124 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 1: to tell them everything I was doing and getting backslaps 125 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:55,640 Speaker 1: and kind of elevated me among my contemporaries in my 126 00:06:55,680 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: neighborhood and in my society, and it felt good. Meanwhile, 127 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:03,680 Speaker 1: you may not know why kids in the hoods sleep 128 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:08,680 Speaker 1: in tubs, and it's because most of the neighborhoods in 129 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 1: the hood, most of the homes are old, in the 130 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 1: tubs are cast iron. And the reason people lay their 131 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 1: children and babies down to sleep in the tubs at 132 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 1: night is because if there's a drive by shooting. They'll 133 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 1: survive the night. Me of these kids didn't know where 134 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:26,960 Speaker 1: the next meal was coming from. Many of these kids 135 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 1: were doing homework for the first time in their lives, 136 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: and their friends were calling them chumps. Many kids were 137 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: getting called sellouts because of Manassas. All the players, all 138 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 1: the students are African American, and I was white. There's 139 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 1: likely this white guy ain't got nothing for you. Man, 140 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 1: What you doing hanging around with as white coach? And 141 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 1: these kids to be part of one positive thing in 142 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 1: their life, fought their own friends, some of their own 143 00:07:57,840 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 1: cultural differences, started doing things that other people saw them 144 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 1: as chumps for doing. They were getting beaten out of 145 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: gangs to be able to be. 146 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 2: Part of the football team. 147 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: They were doing all of these things and starting to 148 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 1: the first time in their life be part of anything 149 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 1: that had a positive, winning thing. And any time anybody 150 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:25,520 Speaker 1: asked me about Manassas, I was all too happy to 151 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 1: tell them everything I was doing. If you serve soup 152 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 1: at soup kitchens, or you give away turkeys on Thanksgiving 153 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 1: or gifts at Christmas to children who don't. 154 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:41,920 Speaker 2: Have them, it is a beautiful thing. 155 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:47,360 Speaker 1: Do not misunderstand the purpose of my sharing this story 156 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 1: with you. There's not only nothing wrong with doing those things, 157 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: there's are great things to do, and I think we're 158 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:57,560 Speaker 1: called to do them and should do. But what's your motive? 159 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 1: What's your motive? Are you doing it because it makes 160 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:05,240 Speaker 1: you feel good? Are you doing it because people in 161 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 1: your family are friends around you and your business say 162 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 1: oh nice what you're doing and they're giving you backslabs? 163 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:17,240 Speaker 1: Are you doing it because your company has a philanthropy 164 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:20,160 Speaker 1: that everybody gets around and you're just kind of called 165 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 1: to do it because it's the right thing to do 166 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 1: in your business, and maybe even it helps you when 167 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: the next promotion talks come up. 168 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:29,960 Speaker 2: What's your motive? 169 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:37,320 Speaker 1: If you are not motivated to do something for the 170 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:41,560 Speaker 1: simple edification and exaltation of another person who is not 171 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:45,440 Speaker 1: as blessed, as fortunate as you, and you're motivated by 172 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:48,600 Speaker 1: what it does for you, then you are, in fact 173 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: a turkey person. And what a Turkey person is as 174 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:56,960 Speaker 1: a fraud. And I can say that to you because 175 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:01,800 Speaker 1: I was. My son was sitting at the kitchen table 176 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:07,320 Speaker 1: and he looked at me. Not long after the Turkey 177 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:10,440 Speaker 1: person story and the manasas Miracle article, came out and 178 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 1: he said, hey, Dad, I know everything you're doing at Manassas, 179 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 1: but what are your players' names? Out of the mouths 180 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:22,839 Speaker 1: of babes. An eight year old boy shocked me when 181 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 1: he revealed to me that I'd been telling everybody everything 182 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 1: I was doing, but people didn't even know the kids' 183 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:31,200 Speaker 1: names who were actually doing the work. 184 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:33,160 Speaker 2: I reversed course immediately. 185 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:38,080 Speaker 1: I started giving credit where credits due. I started stepping 186 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:43,079 Speaker 1: back and allowing them to have the illumination of the success. 187 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:47,240 Speaker 2: And this crazy thing happened. That group of. 188 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:51,280 Speaker 1: Kids that weren't buying into the important stuff started buying 189 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:55,240 Speaker 1: in because what they saw was a servant, not a fraud. 190 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:00,440 Speaker 1: We need to create an army of normal folks things 191 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:03,239 Speaker 1: all over our country and their communities and their neighborhoods, 192 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:04,079 Speaker 1: and say hey. 193 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:05,959 Speaker 2: I have a need I can help. 194 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:08,840 Speaker 1: I know government's never going to get it right, and 195 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:11,400 Speaker 1: I know the fancy people on CNN Fox are just 196 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:15,439 Speaker 1: dividing us, but I see a need and I can 197 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 1: fill it my neighborhood and community. We need an army 198 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:20,440 Speaker 1: of normal folks saying hey, I can help. But we 199 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:24,079 Speaker 1: need to be motivated properly too, because we can do 200 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:29,679 Speaker 1: more damage than good if we go into areas of 201 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:37,760 Speaker 1: need and do it for ourselves. We need an army 202 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:44,520 Speaker 1: of normal volks motivated properly, not turkey persons, servants who 203 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:47,800 Speaker 1: see area need and fills those areas and needs for 204 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:50,520 Speaker 1: the right reasons, for the right people. And if we 205 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:54,720 Speaker 1: did that, we literally can change this country. And that's 206 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:57,720 Speaker 1: a lesson that was taught to me by seventeen year 207 00:11:57,760 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 1: old black kid from the hood. 208 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:01,200 Speaker 2: First serman isis. 209 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:06,600 Speaker 1: All right, y'all, thanks for checking out this bonus episode. 210 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:09,360 Speaker 1: I hope you'll consider sharing it with family and friends 211 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:12,199 Speaker 1: over the holidays. And if you want to check out 212 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 1: or share the video versu of this story, go to 213 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:19,160 Speaker 1: turkeyperson dot com. It's on the homepage. You can also 214 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:22,120 Speaker 1: join the army of normal folks there, and gosh, I 215 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:22,839 Speaker 1: hope you will. 216 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:23,679 Speaker 2: Together. 217 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:28,400 Speaker 1: Guys, we can change this country. But remember it starts 218 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:31,720 Speaker 1: with you. I'm Bill Courtney. I'll see you next week.