11.9.2026 – these little children

these little children
knew nothing about football
nothing about fear

Adapted from the book Bo by Glenn “Bo” Schembechler and Mitch Albom (Warner: New York, 1989), where Bo writes:

We went to East Lansing and lost to Michigan State, 23-12. Fumbled. Made stupid mis- takes. Just played terrible. We were not prepared defensively. They were rolling up yardage as if we were a lace curtain. I marched over to Jim Young, my defensive coordinator, and began screaming. “JIM, WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON OUT THERE? THEY’RE KILLING US!”

He looked at me—and he fainted dead away. Right be- fore my eyes, just went down. Ker-—plop. :

“Hey, wait a minute,” I said. We carried him to the bench and eventually revived him. “Hey, Jim,” I said, “I don’t mind you bailing out on me. BUT FOR PETE’S SAKE, WAIT UNTIL WE’RE AHEAD!”

That may be funny now, twenty years later, but back then, I was not amused.

I was really hot after that game. I screamed. Threw a fit. The typical behavior. But I remember coming home late Saturday night, and Millie and the three boys were still out. I sent the babysitter home, stripped down to my undershirt, and walked over to Shemy’s crib. Here was this little child who knew nothing about football, knew nothing about my obsession with Ohio State, knew nothing about my fear of failure now that I was finally the head coach I had waited my whole life to be. I picked him up and held him close to my chest, and I lay back on the reclining chair, just for a minute.

I must have been more exhausted than I thought, because I fell asleep holding him, and Millie came home to find the two of us asleep in that chair. She says it was the most peaceful night’s sleep I ever had after a loss. I can thank Shemy for that.

Coach Schembechlor was right.

With these little children around, I didn’t notice much and cared less about any football game.