By ANDREW WILSON, Record Herald Writer
Courtesy of the Record Herald; Printed 11.3.13
WEST MILTON – After reading the book “Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance” by Super Bowl-winning former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy and reviewing parts in his “Champions” manual (a collection of ideas that the team lives by: mass collection of quotes, and stories), Milton-Union football coach Mark Lane came into his first season as coach of the Bulldogs with more than just a determination to win. He came with an idea for a new tradition.
That tradition was started in the first week of the season as Lane and his assistants got together and named one player the “Uncommon Man,” an award for a player who has excelled on and off the field that week. The player who was named the “Uncommon Man” would give a pre-game pep talk and lead the team onto the field while carrying a bright red wrench. The ritual has continued for the rest of the season.
“Right now I think it’s a little new to them,” said Lane about the award. “I think that they understand, because they get a chance, when they win it, to stand up in front of the team and talk about what football means to them. And I just think they all kind of want to earn it and be a part of it.”
The wrench, which is bright red and approximately one and half feet long, symbolizes hard work and sacrifice for others. It belonged to Lane’s father before his passing, and after being passed down, the wrench stayed with Lane and even hung in his office while he was the assistant coach at Wilmington.
Lane played offensive and defensive lineman on the Milton-Union football team and wrestled before graduating in 2001. After graduating, Lane went on to serve as an assistant coach at Wilmington College, where he stayed before being named the Bulldogs’ head coach this past May.
To date, three members of the Milton-Union football team have been named the Uncommon Man twice, including senior defensive back Kodey Wolf, senior running/defensive back back and captain Kenton Dickison and junior offensive lineman Andrew Lynn. Senior tight end/linebacker Sam Morgan, defensive lineman Matthew Bracci and senior offensive/defensive lineman and captain Wesley Martin have each been named the Uncommon Man once.
“We’ve had multiple guys win it twice,” said Lane. “Just because you got it once doesn’t mean you can’t get it again. If it was the same kid doing the same stuff and being extraordinary every week, it would be him. So it’s all about who’s doing the extra effort and exemplifying exactly what we want them to be on and off the field.”
Although the ritual is still relatively new, Lane stated that the Bulldogs who win it this year will not be the last ones to do so.
“Absolutely,” said Lane when asked if he plans to continue the award in the future. “The guys take pride in it and want to earn it. They get to lead the team out on to the field and kind of have a little ritual of what they do, and the guys want to lead the team out.”
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