Vanderbilt Coach Encourages Students to Overcome Doubt

Picture Credit: MYKAL McELDOWNEY -- Greenville Online

February 26, 2013

The position of head football coach at Vanderbilt University came with unsolicited and unflattering counsel.

“They told me I could never win there; it was the toughest job in all of college football,” said James Franklin, who was hired at Vanderbilt two years ago.

“Over and over and over again, we heard that constantly,” Franklin recalled Tuesday night before speaking at the Coaches 4 Character program at Redemption World Outreach Center.

Franklin recounted those discouraging warnings for the attentive students, parents, teachers and counselors. He then revealed how he countered each modicum of doubt with positive words of encouragement.

In two seasons, Franklin has directed Vanderbilt to consecutive bowl games for the first time in school history.

“I’m a guy that’s got a chip on my shoulder, so I like proving people wrong,” Franklin said. “That’s part of our message about how we were able to turn the thing around, by trying to take that negativity and flip it, by bombarding our guys with the same consistent positive message over and over and over again.”

Stephen Turner and Caroline Newkirk epitomize Franklin’s message of positive reinforcement. Turner and Newkirk both overcame adversity and doubt to excel at Blue Ridge High School.

Turner, a senior, returned from a broken foot to lead the Blue Ridge football team to a region championship. Newkirk missed her freshman year after knee surgery. Now a junior, she has blossomed into a team captain on the Blue Ridge basketball and tennis teams.

The resilient pair was recognized with The Greenville NewsCharacter Award.

“It was a great honor. I think a lot of Coach Franklin,” Turner said. “A lot of people told me it’s hard to come back from a broken foot. It was fun to prove those people wrong.

“Be your own person and serve others, and even if someone treats you wrong, treat them well. If you show love to them, you’ll have a reward at the end of it.”

Newkirk said, while she was sidelined for a season, she applied Franklin’s tactic of combating negativity with a perpetually positive attitude.

“Even if you’re not playing, being positive is just as important as the person that scores 1,000 points,” Newkirk said. “Don’t get down on yourself. With whatever you’re doing, have a positive attitude and encourage other people, and you will get encouragement from that in return.”

Franklin structured his message like a team meeting. At the conclusion, he posted the number of days Vanderbilt has before its season opener. He used that illustration to challenge the students to optimize each day in the pursuit of excellence.

“It’s why we all got into the profession in the first place, I would hope, to try to make a difference in people’s lives and have a chance to hopefully reach a few of these young people and give them one or two things they can connect with that maybe can motivate them to do some special things in their lives,” Franklin said.

By: Mandrallius Robinson -- Greenville Online ​

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