“My Father’s programming was paying off. Hard work was a necessity to life.”- Marco Pierre White
Meet Russ. Giant human, giant heart, giant drive, kind smile.
Russ would’ve been part of the “6AM Beef Club” back in the day. The “Beef Club” was an unofficial ‘cool kids’ clique inside the gym I attended. I was neither beefy nor cool enough to part of this club that included country-strong Heath and “OG Dick Bauer” also known as Richard.
Russ would be stretching out with a PVC or warming up on a foam roller when I would be leaving the 5AM class. The class didn’t have some fancy name, but we all showed up M-F at 5:00 and suffered together just the same. This gym in East Memphis had a community like no other when I was a member.
I did not know Russ well, but we were always friendly at the gym. He’d be full of that big guy energy that seems to be a default setting within giants like him, and I’d be near death, sweaty, and seeing purple from overexerting myself in the workout. Thankfully, a guy like Russ accepts just about anyone as friend and would always be kind to me and strike a brief conversation.
In these brief encounters, I learned that he was once an Offensive Guard for Wake Forest. I mean, it made sense. A Giant human that can move like that in the gym would certainly have been on the O-Line for someone. He contributed mightily for the Demon Deacons back in the late 00’s.
I’m speculating here, but I imagine he kept workouts and practices fun with his kid face and goliath build. Russ is just an overall big-hearted guy who works hard for his family and loves to take on home projects. Sometimes, he even takes on projects that might be better suited for a professional. At least, one specific time.
I don’t remember all of the details, so here is the short version. Russ was hanging Christmas Lights and had an accident that left him injured. The injuries were mendable but certainly would take time to heal, meaning, he would have to forgo power cleans and deadlifts for an extended period of time. A big guy like Russ needs to move. It’s just in his nature, so you can imagine the difficulty he went through during those months of recovery.
Not being able to work out, not being able to be the energetic husband and dad he loved to be, and not being able to work as hard as he wanted to for his family. Remaining positive and strong during that time would be difficult for anyone given this scenario but Big Russ recovered, nonetheless. It took time, but he recovered.
It took a while to regain his full form at the gym, but he worked hard and found his strength again.
I’m taking time to mention this because many can relate to the bruises and breaks in life and the fortitude it takes to get back to one hundred percent. Some may be on the mend right now–I know one specifically–and may need to know that another has fallen, been severely injured, and now, fully recovered. Guys like Russ can be an encouragement to us all whether you know him or not. If you do know him, you know a pretty good dude.
It’ll Christmas Season in about five weeks, which means it’s almost time to decorate the house with lights. Here’s my advice, let someone else hang the lights. Clark Griswald did all that stuff in a movie in the 80’s. People were damn near invincible in the 80’s. Dads don’t bounce off flower bushes or coincidently fall into the pool like they used to. Now, one has to be careful just to bend down to tie a shoe. Do it just the wrong way and you might be hunched like that for days. Yessir, the days of hanging your own lights by yourself might be a thing of the past.
Then again, “Scars heal, glory fades, and all that’s left is just the memory made. Pain hurts, but only for a minute”…yeah sorry Chris Cagle, I’m going to have to stop you right there. Maybe when you’re a brand new eighteen-year-old, but there’s an age where you grow out of that mindset.
Russ, the world, Memphis, and those within arm’s reach need to hold onto giant hearted dudes like you. Stay safe buddy.
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Russ’s Demon Deacons are 4-2 this season and will host 5-2 SMU at Noon on the CW.
This will be a gut-check time for both teams.
For SMU–
The Miami Hurricanes are coming to Dallas next week. Can they remain focused for four quarters?
This game is sandwiched between Clemson, which they won, and incoming Miami. The last time they played a road ‘sandwich game’ like this was back on Week 3 when they struggled on the road in Springfield. That game was sandwiched between their bouts with in-state rivals Baylor and TCU– And while the Mustangs eventually bested Missouri St 28-10, it was a struggle to get the horses moving.
If SMU struggles in a similar way this week in Winston-Salem, I don’t think they get out with a win. This game will require 100% focus.
For WAKE–
SMU will have to focus because this Wake Forest team is hot right now. The team that took Top10 Georgia Tech to OT is riding a two-game winning streak and will be up for this one.
A few guys lead them statistically, but this is a team that gets contributions from a variety of players.
Defensive Standouts:
- LB Langston Hardy 33 Tackles, 7 TFL, 5 Sacks
- EDGE Jayden Long 17 Tackles, 5 TFL, 2 Sacks
- SS Nick Anderson 50 Tackles, 2 TFL, 3 PD
- McNelly Award Watch
Wake was a puzzle of a team to evaluate over the Summer. Well, so were many other teams, but Wake was certainly one of them. It seemed as though they had enough on the roster for about 5-7 wins by my simple estimation. However, Coach Dickert has had no trouble placing those puzzle pieces so far and it’s forming a nice season–But now, it’s gut-check time.
It’s time blow past the low ceiling dummies like me set. Stand up at home. Show some grit, some graft even. Show up in front of the sold-out crowd and “deliver the best damn game you know how.” Listen to coaches, remain disciplined, keep your cool, lose the ego and do what’s necessary on every play. Wake Forest is good enough to beat this SMU side, but they have to “get excited and want it more.”
With SMU at home this week and then going on the road to Florida St and Virginia the next two, this feels like a spot that Wake needs to stand up and win. Can they? Absolutely.
Will they? The players on Saturday will decide in front of 31,000+ donning black and gold. I’ll say it right now–Deacons Up!
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Let’s all be like Russ until then. Be kind to another.
Find the Humor and Keep on Movin’
Whit W.