10-01-2010, 08:10 AM
Hargis: Daffron driven to coaching
By: Stephen Hargis
After more than 30 years of driving a tractor-trailer from one end of the country to the other, Steve Daffron could have parked himself on the couch, propped up his feet and enjoyed retirement. But with an endless road of possibilities to choose from, Daffron decided to shift gears and return to his first true love — high school football.
Daffron starred for four years at Whitwell High School, then played one year at Memphis State before finishing his career as a running back at East Tennessee State. His Memphis team played Ole Miss and legendary quarterback Archie Manning.
“They were up like 30-0 at halftime, and that’s the last time we saw Archie,” Daffron joked. “I think they put him on a private plane back to Oxford to keep him safe.”
After his college playing days, Daffron intended to become a high school coach, but the money he had made by driving a truck during the summers was too good to pass up. His travels took him to Miami while the Super Bowl was in town, to Pasadena, Calif., during the Rose Bowl and to Indianapolis while the Indy 500 was being run.
But after retiring in 2008, Daffron couldn’t stop thinking about the high school game.
“In the back of my mind, I always had a desire to coach,” he said recently. “I knew I wasn’t going to be happy until I gave it a try, so I finally decide now was the time to do it.”
After renewing his teaching certificate, Daffron got a call from Hixson coach Houston White last spring and became a volunteer assistant with the Wildcats. Some people joke about liking their job enough that they would work for free, and that’s just what Daffron is doing, showing up for practice every afternoon to work with the defensive backs on the varsity and serving as the junior varsity defensive coordinator.
No paycheck ever has brought the type satisfaction Daffron said he gets from his new job.
“I’ve never been 1-4 at any level in my life, but that’s where we are right now,” Daffron said. “But I’m really enjoying all of it. It’s been something I sure am glad I got to do. It’s not about money, and I intend to continue for as long as they want me to help.
“There’s just something about working with kids. When you have one who has a desire to do something and you watch him struggle but work hard until he finally makes it work, that’s pretty special. It’s like putting a puzzle together. You see the results, the look on the kids’ face when they have success, and it’s all worth the work you put in to help them.”
Once White met with Daffron, he knew immediately how valuable an addition he would be to the staff.
“You can’t have an ego when you coach high school ball,” White said. “Steve came in with no ego and a willingness to get to work. Whether it was helping us hand out jerseys or coming in on Saturday from 7 a.m. til 1 to watch film, he’s helped us in about every way possible.
“He’s great at teaching the kids the fundamentals, and to be honest, we’re a young coaching staff, so I knew his life experience would be something that’s not only good for the kids but would make us a more well-rounded staff.”
Aside from the fundamentals of the game, Daffron also tries to teach the players something he learned from years of being alone with his thoughts while driving trucks cross country.
“Working with these kids has made me wish every day that I was back out there with them,” Daffron said. “I tell the kids all the time that even if they go on to play in college or no matter what they do in their lives, they will always come back to the memories from their high school days.
“Make sure you gave it everything you’ve got so you can say ‘I did’ instead of ‘I wish I had.’ That’s the main thing I hope I can teach these kids.”
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.
By: Stephen Hargis
After more than 30 years of driving a tractor-trailer from one end of the country to the other, Steve Daffron could have parked himself on the couch, propped up his feet and enjoyed retirement. But with an endless road of possibilities to choose from, Daffron decided to shift gears and return to his first true love — high school football.
Daffron starred for four years at Whitwell High School, then played one year at Memphis State before finishing his career as a running back at East Tennessee State. His Memphis team played Ole Miss and legendary quarterback Archie Manning.
“They were up like 30-0 at halftime, and that’s the last time we saw Archie,” Daffron joked. “I think they put him on a private plane back to Oxford to keep him safe.”
After his college playing days, Daffron intended to become a high school coach, but the money he had made by driving a truck during the summers was too good to pass up. His travels took him to Miami while the Super Bowl was in town, to Pasadena, Calif., during the Rose Bowl and to Indianapolis while the Indy 500 was being run.
But after retiring in 2008, Daffron couldn’t stop thinking about the high school game.
“In the back of my mind, I always had a desire to coach,” he said recently. “I knew I wasn’t going to be happy until I gave it a try, so I finally decide now was the time to do it.”
After renewing his teaching certificate, Daffron got a call from Hixson coach Houston White last spring and became a volunteer assistant with the Wildcats. Some people joke about liking their job enough that they would work for free, and that’s just what Daffron is doing, showing up for practice every afternoon to work with the defensive backs on the varsity and serving as the junior varsity defensive coordinator.
No paycheck ever has brought the type satisfaction Daffron said he gets from his new job.
“I’ve never been 1-4 at any level in my life, but that’s where we are right now,” Daffron said. “But I’m really enjoying all of it. It’s been something I sure am glad I got to do. It’s not about money, and I intend to continue for as long as they want me to help.
“There’s just something about working with kids. When you have one who has a desire to do something and you watch him struggle but work hard until he finally makes it work, that’s pretty special. It’s like putting a puzzle together. You see the results, the look on the kids’ face when they have success, and it’s all worth the work you put in to help them.”
Once White met with Daffron, he knew immediately how valuable an addition he would be to the staff.
“You can’t have an ego when you coach high school ball,” White said. “Steve came in with no ego and a willingness to get to work. Whether it was helping us hand out jerseys or coming in on Saturday from 7 a.m. til 1 to watch film, he’s helped us in about every way possible.
“He’s great at teaching the kids the fundamentals, and to be honest, we’re a young coaching staff, so I knew his life experience would be something that’s not only good for the kids but would make us a more well-rounded staff.”
Aside from the fundamentals of the game, Daffron also tries to teach the players something he learned from years of being alone with his thoughts while driving trucks cross country.
“Working with these kids has made me wish every day that I was back out there with them,” Daffron said. “I tell the kids all the time that even if they go on to play in college or no matter what they do in their lives, they will always come back to the memories from their high school days.
“Make sure you gave it everything you’ve got so you can say ‘I did’ instead of ‘I wish I had.’ That’s the main thing I hope I can teach these kids.”
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.