“Chargers Coach-Man of Value”

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NFL Head Coaches come in all sizes, shapes, and backgrounds.
Some are screamers, some are common sense thinkers
Some are players coaches, some are fierce old school leaders.

And then there is Brandon Staley, the Chargers second year head coach, who has gone thru the ups and downs of hot streaks, losing streaks, bold moves, second guessing, rumors, big plays, bad defenses, and injuries.

The Chargers play the Broncos on Sunday with a chance to get a home game as a wildcard team if they win and Baltimore loses this final weekend.

But his press briefing was not so much about his offense, his defense, his kicking game, who is healthy, who is not.

85% of the question and answer session revolved around Damar Hamlin, the tragedy in Buffalo, the player’s recovery, and the stories about the NFL and how they react to all situations.

Read what the man had to say, and evaluate his care, his logic, his intelligence.
Brandon Staley.  It’s not just wins and losses.  It’s about values and honesty.
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HEAD COACH BRANDON STALEY

On his initial reaction to Bills S Damar Hamlin’s injury:

“I have a relationship, going back to when I was at John Carroll and James Madison, with Damar’s high school team. He went to Pittsburgh Central Catholic. I recruited him when he was 15 years old, and a lot of his teammates. I know his head coach, Terry Totten, really well. This is a great kid, this is a great kid. This guy is one of the best players to ever play at Central. He was an incredible player at Pitt. It was a little bit more personal because you know this guy, you know his teammates. [Defensive Coordinator] Renaldo Hill, our defensive coordinator, coached and recruited him at Pitt. His wife, Tanaya [Hill], was his academic advisor. [Wide Receivers Coach] Chris Beatty, my wideout coach, coached him for two years at Pitt. This was a really personal thing for us. The first thing was just the prayers for him and his family, prayers for the Bills and his teammates and his coaches — everybody that is involved within that organization — prayers for the Bengals and their players, because they were sharing the field that night. You just know that, if you’re a part of this game, when something like that happens, it impacts so many people. Total respect and admiration for [Bills Head Coach] Sean McDermott and [Bengals Head Coach] Zac Taylor in the way that they handled a truly rare, one-of-a-kind, type of situation. So much respect for both of them. Since that play, you’ve seen that football brings people together, and the power of prayer. What you’ve been able to see since is what, I think, makes football special. We send our deepest prayers to Damar and his family, the Bills players and their organization, the Bengals, and everybody that is involved with pro football.”

On his conversation with the players surrounding Hamlin’s situation:

“I think the big thing is telling them the truth of what happened, what actually happened on the field, from a medical perspective, and that’s what we tried to do. We activated Dr. Eugene Yim [MD], one of our team physicians, and he said, ‘Hey, this is what actually happened on the field that day,’ so that everybody knows the truth of that. Then, also understanding that there were a lot of amazing things on the field that night — the medical personnel, that they were there, they were prepared. I think the NFL and its protocols are a big reason why this guy has a chance to make it. I thought you saw the best of the NFL that night, coming together to save his life. I think you saw the special part of the NFL fraternity of those two teams coming together and the way they handled it, just the grace of both of those teams, and the courage and the strength. I just think that that was something that we wanted to do with our team, is have Dr. Yim talk to our team, and then [Team Clinician] Dr. Herb Martin and George Gregory, our chaplain. You want to involve all of the people around your team to share with your players what’s going on and to be there for them. That’s what you have to do in a situation like that, you have to be there for your guys because this is going to hit people differently and it’s going to hit at different places, maybe, in spaces and time. What we want to do is make sure, every step of the way, that we’re there. That’s what makes football special.”

On how Hill and Beatty have reacted to the situation:

“They’re both hanging tough. When you know someone and you’ve invested in someone, you know how special they are. This kid is living his dream. To be able to see him at such a young age, and now, to be one of their starting players, just a young kid living his dream. I think it hits you. It’s really heavy, but at the same time, you’re hopeful, and you know how special of a person he is and how special of a kid that he is. We’re just praying for him. I think that this is going to bring everybody closer together, for sure.”

On further evaluation of the situation:

“I think the thing about everyone learning about what happened is just truly how rare that case is, just the perfect sequencing. That right amount of trauma, that right sequencing with the heart’s rhythm, we’re learning like everybody else, and I think that is what is important for our players to understand, the truth of what happened. It’s one of those accidents that is a part of life. Like I said, now, our focus is on the prayer and lifting him up, and everybody else up around him. That’s where our focus is going to be.”

On resources available to members of the Chargers organization:

“The NFL did a good job of getting all of the clubs together and having an open forum of what each club was going to do, thoughts for how to proceed. We have a tremendous team in-house, led by Dr. Herb Martin, and with Dr. Yim on the medical side of things. From a mental health standpoint, with [Sr. Director of Player Engagement] Arthur Hightower, what you want to establish with your guys is that when something like this happens, everyone handles it differently; some people want to handle it right away, some people might need some space, some people need to do it 1-on-1, some need it do it in small groups or a big group. You just want to make sure that you offer all of those avenues for your players, and that it’s not just today that you’re talking about it, that you’re available for them throughout. It’s that consistency of your presence and understanding that we’re all in it together. Then, in your own way, living an example to help raise Damar up, because that’s the most important thing, to lift him up and those around him. All of the things that the NFL has done, and is doing, since that game, you can see what people have done for his GoFundMe page for his charity, and what people are doing for the Bills players and the Bengals players, and throughout the entire NFL, I think that’s amazing, what has happened in such a short amount of time.”
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