Well it is that time of year again that I get to spend three days with nearly every college football coach in the country at the AFCA Convention.  This year the convention returns to Orlando which was the site of my first AFCA convention a few years ago.  The crazy thing is that many of the connections that I made at that convention turned out to be some of the most beneficial relationships I have ever created.

This year I'll have my regular schedule of running to every NAIA meeting possible along with hearing several of the country's top football coaches speak.  Lou Holtz, Brian Kelly, Mike Singletary and Tony Dungy are just a few of the big names talking along with some of the best in small college football.

Additionally I'll get to come back with some stupid story of how I likely made a fool of myself in front of a big time college football coach.  Someday I will share with you my classic Pete Carroll story.  It's not surprising to any of you who know me well . . . mostly because I'm occasionally a big dumb animal.

The NAIA will induct Bob Young of Sioux Falls into the NAIA Hall of Fame this week as well.  Coach Young was one of the first coaches I made contact with once I decided to start up my own company a few years back.  For every bit of a great football coach that Bob Young is and was he is that much greater of a person.  Back in 2002 I was right out of college and Coach Young didn't owe me the time of day.  But he went out of his way to talk with me about my business, what my plans were for it and if there was anything he could do to help.

To top it off, Bob Young never forgot me.  I'm sure he has met 1000 media people over the years and even more football players. There was no reason that Bob Young needed to remember who I was past 25 seconds past when our conversation ended.  But the next time I called him he instantly asked me about the business, Grand Island and how everything was going with me.  Bob Young has never looked at me with a distant look of "hmmm who is this guy" in fact he has always made it a point to seek me out and say hello.  But I'm not special . . . and this was evident after seeing Coach Young in Georgia at the NAIA championship game.  He remembered every single person that walked up to him and say hello whether he saw them earlier that day or if it had been 10 years since he had seen a former player. And it was never "Oh hey Jim."  It was always, "Hey Jim, how's Nancy and Jake doing? How are your parents?  Is the insurance business good."

Bob Young is the type of coach that everyone I've met that understands the game of football would want to play for.  He is a gentleman, he is a role model and he is a true gift to the world of coaching.  The NAIA is a better place for having him and inducting him into the hall of fame.

Other stuff:

• Check out our live broadcasts today from Sioux City, Iowa as Briar Cliff and Morningside do battle in the GPAC.
• Next Thursday we will be live from McKenzie, Tennessee as Trevecca Nazarene travels to Bethel College for men's and women's basketball on College Fanz.

Have a great day folks and we will catch you all soon!

JD