Forty years ago this month, I headed off to junior college to play football in the hope of landing a big time scholarship. While that did not happen on that grand scale, I did become brothers with about fifty other guys my age who were looking for the same opportunity. This would be my first time away from home for an extended period as I could not leave campus or football for nearly eight weeks. With practice and school, we had zero time for anything else.
Homesick? Dear God, yes. As my sweet beautiful mother dropped me off at campus on that blazing hot August day, I walked over to hug her and to tell her goodbye. She said to me, “Don’t come home. You can obviously, but stay here and don’t worry about us. You will do great and if for some reason things don’t work out, you can always find your way home.”
Fast forward to August of 2026 and I was listening to a press conference from the Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh. He was talking on how sometimes the defensive players need to be agitators against the offense, to the point where a flag is almost called but not. He then said something that sent a chill down my spine that I can’t get out of my head. “When all is said and done, find your way back to the huddle.”
Chills.
Find your way back to the huddle. How amazing that this is truly a metaphor for life? Find your way back to the huddle. I heard Saleh say that and I cannot stop thinking about my mom telling me to find my way home if it is not working. Find your way back to the huddle is the sports equivalent of that. On the field, if you get lost or things aren’t going as planned, find your way back to the huddle.
I am telling you that this is absolutely powerful. We are all going to make mistakes and screw up and Lord knows I have done my share. I realized that it is okay, we all make mistakes but we learn and move on. A big part of that is finding our way back home, or to the huddle, or better yet, to the Father.
When that storm comes and the wind is tossing you every which way, just remind yourself to find your way back to the huddle where someone is always waiting for you. A line forty years ago that I had almost forgotten came to me today by the way of a hard nosed coach who understands the power of finding your way back.
Whew! Thank you, Robert Saleh.
