Full Circle with The Christi Reece Group

Coach Tremaine Jackson - Colorado Mesa University Football - Full Circle With The Christi Reece Group - Episode 14

May 11, 2021 Coach Tremaine Jackson Season 1 Episode 14
Full Circle with The Christi Reece Group
Coach Tremaine Jackson - Colorado Mesa University Football - Full Circle With The Christi Reece Group - Episode 14
Show Notes Transcript

Prepare yourself to  be entertained and inspired by Christi's conversation with Coach Tremaine Jackson from Colorado Mesa University Football!  They talk about food, community, race relations, Black Lives Matter, Texas, grandmas, the allure of Grand Junction and, of course, football.  You'll be wanting to invite Coach to your house for dinner by the end!

To learn more about CMU Football and how to support the team this fall, visit https://cmumavericks.com/sports/football.

If you prefer to watch the interview, visit our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/ChristiReeceGroup

Christi:

The Full Circle Podcast, compelling interviews and incredible tales from Colorado's Western Slope, from the mountains to the desert, Christi Reece and her team here from the movers, shakers, and characters of the Grand Valley and surrounding mountain towns that make the Western Slope, the place we all love. You'll learn. You'll laugh. You'll love with the Full Circle. Hello everyone. And welcome once again to the Full Circle Podcast. I'm Christi Reece, and I'm really honored today to have our guest here, Coach Tremaine Jackson from the CMU football program. Welcome coach. Does anybody call you Tremaine? Mostly coach. Okay. Um, so let's start with a little bit about your history, um, how you were involved in football all your life and how you ended up in Grand Junction.

Coach Jackson:

So I, um, from the time I was four years old, I had a ball in my hand. I grew up with my grandmother and my mother, and it was, it started off as an event to just get me out of the house. So every fall from four to 21, I was involved in football from, you know, I think the first fall might've been 1987 or 83. So it, uh, it's, it's always been a part of my life. When I got done playing in college, I knew I wanted to stay close to the game. And so I jumped right into coaching. When you jumped into collegiate coaching, uh, you have to work for free. And so that almost kind of got me out of it, but you stuck with it.

Christi:

You mean when you're initially getting into the coaching, it just, you have to apprentice and

Coach Jackson:

Graduate assistantships. Some of those are unpaid. I was lucky enough Christi to get an unpaid one,

Christi:

Right, because I bet they're very sought after.

Coach Jackson:

And so I was lucky enough to do that. And, uh, it ended up working out and that one, um, job in 2006 at Texas a and M Kingsville has led to a 15 year career of coaching on every level of football post high school, all the way to the NFL and, um, and kind of just fell into grand junction and had no real knowledge of where grand junction was. Um, kinda asked God for a, uh, I want to be a head coach. I tried 14 different times and had 14 different interviews. And number 15 worked out president foster decided to give me an opportunity to take a chance on a guy that didn't have any coaching experience. And now I'm here in grand. Junction has been the, uh, where for most people has been the worst 15 months. Uh, it's been the best 15 months of my life because we, we are truly living out what we think is out of the industry and what we want to do and how we want to impact the community. And so I'm very blessed and honored to be the head coach at Mesa and look forward to winning the lottery.

Christi:

Yeah. So what did the last year look like as far as practices games and how did you restructure? I mean, everybody in the country has had to make changes in the last year. How did it affect your football program?

Coach Jackson:

Um, you know, I, I tell people all the time, Christi, it helped the Mesa Maverick football program. Um, I got here in January the second, ready to go, you know, Tim toes down the staff, ready, getting ready for my first team meeting. And we were able to be around the players for eight weeks and then we shut it down. It thought it was going to be one extra week then too. And next thing you know, we're on zoom. Uh, and so what that really did for us is it helped us create relationships with our players because that's really all we had. It helped us connect as a staff because it's all we had. Um, normally you would jump in and get the practice and working out and doing all these things, recruiting. Uh, we didn't get a chance to do all of that because those things they happen in person in person. Um, so it helped us build a lot of relationships. It helped us in recruiting because we don't have a lot of things that major schools have. And so it made recruits really go. I'm going to go with the relationship, the things that I see, we tell people all the time, kids buy with their hearts and their eyes more so their eyes in their hearts. Well, we were able to get involved with their hearts because they couldn't go see anybody. So facility was as good as anybody's. And so, um, we weren't able to play, we were able to play three games, uh, which was awesome for me when we got a preview of our football team without the pressures of trying to win a championship right now. Uh, but it really, it helped us to show one that we were fighters over a sea of you. And we were going to fight to, to, uh, get back to some form of normalcy, but also it helped our program and helped us grow. And so now things are kind of back to normal. We just completed a normal spring, uh, which we might be the only football team to play a spring out or play a game before we have a spring practice. But, um, we're, we're excited about the future, but the last year was rough, but it was, it paid off for us.

Christi:

So I must admit I have not followed the football team in the past. Um, I don't watch a lot of, uh, organized sports, uh, but I am a big supporter of CMU in a lot of ways. And, and I'm just amazed at all the growth there and so proud to have that school in the community. And, um, so tell us a little bit about how the team was doing before you got here. And then now that you've gotten through, hopefully we've gotten through COVID, uh, what you see in the future of the program. Yeah,

Coach Jackson:

Yeah. So before I got here, you know, he says, always want, um, the issue that I saw is we never won anything. That's our home. We always share it with somebody. We had one hour at a conference championship in 18 years. A lot of our kids weren't even born the last time that normally a outright championship. And we haven't won our championship since we became Colorado Mesa University. So that outright championship was Mesa State. Um, we think that we're too elite to not have things to ourselves. And so because of that, because of the growth of our president, that he, that he made happen, um, because of the growth of our department, we look to win things alone. We want to be by ourselves in the future when we don't want to have to share a championship with anybody, I do think we're on the right path. And you know, everybody's going to sit here and make and tell you they're gonna win the championship. Um, but I really believe if our kids, uh, continue to buy him and we get the support from the community, like you

Christi:

Go to a game I really do. And I'm excited about it. Like,

Coach Jackson:

No, I think, I think we can be, we set out to be Grand Junction's team. I think we're on that path. Um, and so we look forward to being able to show this community what we've been working for.

Christi:

What do you think is your coaching superpower?

Coach Jackson:

I don't know if it's a super power, but it is, uh, having the ability to go where people are. Um, I do have a strong faith, um, but if there's somebody in my coat or we're not afraid to go there. And so I think, uh, having the ability to relate to a multitude of people and, um, being able to go where they are and help bring them up and either bring them down sometimes, um, has been a strength for me. And so, um, I think I'm funny. I think I am, but more so of just being able to relate to people, the streets,

Christi:

Well, humor breaks down a lot of barriers, doesn't it? So, especially with young people.

Coach Jackson:

Yeah.

Christi:

And I read a lot, um, you know, of your bios and your interviews and, uh, YouTube videos and, um, you really care about the kids. I mean, I think most coaches do, but some coaches are more about winning than, than the kids talk about your philosophy, uh, of helping kids and, and what playing football means to you and the kids.

Coach Jackson:

Yeah. So a coach saved Tremaine Jackson, um, and because that coach did that, I wanted to give back what was given to me. And so we strive every day to do that. It's, it's a hard job. You're trying to change me in 18 to 23 years old and, and that can be difficult. And so, um, because I'm fighting to give back what was given to me, it makes it worth it. I could care less about the game on Saturday. I honestly think that takes care of itself. Um, I think the Monday through Friday world rigor that those guys go through is more important than we help them deal with that. Then it is getting ready for a game. We all love football. Wouldn't be sitting here if I didn't, but I really loved the one-on-one interaction. And so what I found out is, even though I love it, you still gotta to make some tough decisions. Everybody's not gonna agree. Um, but I love that part too. And I love just the, just how things can roll in flow. And even when people get mad at me, it's okay. Because we're all working toward the common good being a leader. Yeah.

Christi:

So, uh, I asked everybody on the team, if they had a question for you and Suzanne wanted to know, have you seen Ted Lasso? Cause that's her favorite show, right?

Coach Jackson:

I have not. It's really fun to watch the second person that's brought that up. I need to watch it. I have not heard

Christi:

Really good. Yeah. You'll enjoy it. Um, and Mike, on the team asked, um, have you implemented any biohacking marginal gain technology or psychology strategies to the team? And if so, what are some of the strategies that have most moved the needle in term of the team's performance?

Coach Jackson:

Um, so psychology. Yes. Um, every day, um, about good for you. We have, we have tried to get to the psyche of guys and find out where they are. And here's what I mean by that. A lot of our players on social media. So we send signals on social media, create hashtags. We try to go and meet them where they are in their minds and physically, um, to get them to move where we want them to be. And so it's really a sight game every day because you, you have so many kids, we refer to coaching as, um, tailor made, not one size fits all. When we tell guys, Hey, my suit is not gonna fit like your suit coaches that I've known over the years. We, we, we don't have a lot of time. So we try to just make everything fit everybody. And so we've chosen the approach of spending the time to tailor, make each guy and really in doing that, you find you, you have to go to a guy's psyche to do that. And to help him realize, Hey, he's better than what he thinks he is B he's not as good as he thinks he is, but see, how can he help us with what he is? And so we really touch on the psyche every day. Yeah.

Christi:

It's a big psychological game in so many

Coach Jackson:

Ways. Yeah. So,

Christi:

Um, I went to college in Texas and, uh, I came from a really small town in Western Colorado. And I went down there to my first football game. And this was back in the eighties. Uh, and I had on my jeans and sweatshirt and those Dallas girls were like, what are you wearing? You need to dress up in for football. And I was shocked. One of the biggest differences you see between football here and football in Texas or other places,

Coach Jackson:

It's a part of who we are in Texas. Like I said, I grew up with a ball in my hand. Um, that story is for so many that grew up in the state of Texas, either love the Cowboys, or you liked the Texans or you still an Oiler fan and mad that they're left. And so, Oh, you love your university, even if you didn't go to that university. So you're in Austin, you love the university of Texas. You might've went to TCU, but you live in Austin. And so it's just, it's just so different here. I think football is catching up. Um, I think when you go to the front range, it might be a little bit more important than it is on the Western slope. I just think on the Western slope, we ever given a football product for people to latch on to, and that's honestly what we're trying to do. And so hopefully it's important a little bit more here than be a future because we, we try to emphasize the important football was the only game we, where it takes not just 11, but it really takes about 25 guys at all times doing the right thing, 11 on offense, 11 on defense, three specialists, uh, those guys matter and they have the right things as well. And so most of the time you're playing basketball, you need two people and they can shoot the lights out baseball, you need a good hitter and it's okay. And so football, it takes, it takes a multitude of guys. And so we celebrate that and because we think it's the closest thing to life. So hopefully we get it more important than you on the slope.

Christi:

I think it's coming in and CMU has become such a big part of this community, not just in the physical sense. I mean, they're expanding and it's noticeable, but I think people are more and more proud of this school and this community all the time. Yeah. I agree.

Coach Jackson:

We've come a long way from Mesa State. I often teach further foster, but I wouldn't have taken this out 20 years ago. Um, because of what it looked like. And now I think we're leap. We just, we have to do our part and catch up in athletics, but I think we're, um, as a university. So I'm excited about the future CMU. He's leaving me. He's leaving. Sorry.

Christi:

Okay.

Coach Jackson:

But no, he's he, you know what he's done there and what, what, how the community has embraced you? I tell people all the time when I got the job, I was embraced it wasn't like, it was, Oh, that's another football coach. I couldn't go to Walmart without somebody talking to me about football. So that's why I think it's getting more important to you. Yeah.

Christi:

And so, in addition to the pandemic, uh, you jumped right in here to, uh, grand junction and the black lives matter movement was really significant. Uh, uh, you ha you played a significant part in bridging, uh, the community here and I I'm really just blown away by what you did and the words that you spoke and, and how you handled that. Um, what did that mean to you to, to be an, uh, a new community member and be able to play such a part?

Coach Jackson:

Yeah. You know, at first, I didn't know what that meant for my job. I just kinda jumped into that and I didn't talk to anybody. I didn't, I didn't say, Hey, this is what I'm thinking about doing. I just kind of reacted. Um, you know, if you know me, you know, that my grandma is, is the really major influence in my life. Um, she was an activist. She spoke up when she saw something, she said something. And so that was really big for me growing up. And so when I saw something, I say it's, um, and I didn't even think about the role that I'm in, where I'm working as a black man. I just felt something. And I felt like I needed to say it as we went through that, I got calls from parents of our, of our black kids and our Brown kids and our tongue. And he had Samoan kids basically saying, Hey, my son is in an area where he's not the majority, so how, what are you doing? And so, as I got those calls, I had to have an answer for those parents. Um, thankfully we have police chief, or we have a police chief, and we have a president that listened, wanting to know what they could do. Um, and we met him and had some real action items behind it and we move things forward. So I, I really fell into a really, really good situation with the people in positions of leadership in this community that supported what we say it. Um, but that wasn't playing and, you know, it was, it was just one of those things where it took off Christi. It really took off from under me before I could even say anything. And next thing I know I was knee deep in it. Well, once you get me deep in it, no

Christi:

Turning back. So,

Coach Jackson:

And we weren't doing anything football wise, and I felt like that was on purpose. I felt like that was a calling like, man, normally I'd be working camps or I'd be doing something. I wouldn't, this wouldn't even be a deal. Um, but we weren't doing nothing. And so I had to, you know, I had to say something while I saw something.

Christi:

And how, how do you think, uh, race relations are in grand junction right now?

Coach Jackson:

I think, and I don't know if they were bad before now. I'm not willing to say that, but I do think when you don't see a lot of people that, that, um, don't look like you, then you just have no experience. And so it would be like me trying to go drive a tractor right now. I'm going to be back because I've never driven a truck. And so when people don't see people that look like them, I mean, they encounter people that don't look like them. It's probably going to be bad. Or they're probably going to say something that they shouldn't say, but they didn't notice that no, even where's, there's no excuse. And so I think we've been able to educate a lot of people and help improve race relations and range option. I would venture to say that today, if a person of color moves to grand junction, they would feel better than I felt when I moved here just a year ago to see you.

Christi:

Yeah. And how do you think that? I mean, I'm sure that there were, uh, athletes, student athletes that didn't come here because they saw a lack of diversity here in the past. Do you think that that will improve as well with the conversations that are going on?

Coach Jackson:

I do. I do. Um, I've had numerous people stop me and say, Hey, coach, uh, what we saw you do on social media made us feel comfortable with coming here where I wouldn't have came here before, because I didn't see anybody that looked like me. And so I think that's why I think things are getting better. Things are easy to ease it up, a big shout out to our community because they have embraced. And that was tough for a lot of people. I, uh, I ended up eating a lot of good dinners, just trying to explain. And you know, when black lives matter was happening and people kept asking me, what's right. Wouldn't they want what they want. I don't know what they want. And so we said, we told them, it's not what they want. It's what we need. We need to be better. And not just for black people, Brown people, but for everybody, everybody needs to be better. And it doesn't cost you anything to just be nice and be a good person. And so we were able to really get into people's homes and if you can get them into somebody's home, you can get into their heart. And I really think the things that were going on were heart issues. And so we really tried to attack people's hearts. And I can't say enough about a guy like Doug, who is he's, he's my chief, you know, kind of where I go. He'll always,

Christi:

That gives me goosebumps. That's awesome.

Coach Jackson:

No, but he, um, you know, he initiated that by saying some things on Twitter that allowed me to know that he was here

Christi:

Open to having a conversation. Yeah. Getting something going here. Yeah.

Coach Jackson:

And even today, you know, you look at a year, year and a couple of months later. I mean, we're still having those conversations, you know, I still talk often and he's been very, very supportive of our team because our team Christi is probably the most diverse thing or organization.

Christi:

Entity. Yeah. Yeah. I would say you're probably right.

Coach Jackson:

So he's been really, he's been there and, you know, when are willing to spend your time and be there, then, you know, to deal with,

Christi:

Do you, is there any, um, discussion about how we get some of these kids to stay in our community after they graduate from CMU? Because I think there's a lot of us here that would love to have more diversity here and not just at CMU.

Coach Jackson:

Yeah. So, so there is, there's a lot, there's a lot. And, uh, you know, we've got a lot of kids that are minorities on our team that want to be in law enforcement, getting

Christi:

That. That's fantastic, no clue

Coach Jackson:

About that. And so, uh, chief has done a great job of getting guys, you know, introduced to the process. Most of all, what we found is, um, people of color don't stay here because they don't see people of color in positions of leadership. So they think that there is no hope. We've challenged ourselves as an institution and as a community to be more intentional on hiring people that don't look like you currently, but that are people of color because the more people of color that we hire, the more people of color will stay. And when I come to visit, if I see people that look like me, then I'm more than happy to stay. Grand junction is a great community, not just a good one. It's a great one, but I don't even get to that if I don't see anybody that looks like me. And so we try to be out in front of them that, um, if there's somebody visiting here, I tell them, Hey, graduates have been great to me. Never thought of me in year after year. Uh, and so just to kind of put the word out, but there's, there's, scholarshipping, there's, um, job creation, things that we're doing, I know on campus. And then chief is doing in the department to help entice some people to stay. Uh, and then hopefully we can grow from there.

Christi:

Great. Um, so how many kids are on your roster? Total? 130. That's amazing. And how many minorities?

Coach Jackson:

Um, we're at 68 people of color on our roster when I got here, that was 25. And so naturally when you have a black coach, you don't get minority players. Um, but you know, we, we just looked at the guy that can run and the guy that can jump and the guy that can tackle, we don't care if he's

Christi:

Green, wasn't

Coach Jackson:

That, you know, it did, it flipped, flipped. And a lot of that has to do with mountains and being able to get people on the phone and on the zone and introduce them to our town. If we feel like this we're so elite as an institution, if we get you on our campus,

Christi:

You're going to stay. Yeah. Yeah. Quality of life here is so nice. Yeah.

Coach Jackson:

The 20 ounce Coke, zero is cheap.

Christi:

Well, what do you from, uh, Texas or other places?

Coach Jackson:

I missed it. I'm a big crawfish. I love seafood. So I think I saw like the pink truck. So no, they had crawfish

Christi:

Chasing it down.

Coach Jackson:

No, it's, you know, you, you can get stuff like that. Flown here. Um, it's, it's been so good for me because I'm living my dream. I don't have time to miss anything because I don't want to miss the dream. And so I love that, you know what I mean? So it's just kind of one of those deals where you present every day, every day, just trying to move forward, trying to figure out a different way to minister and talk to our players. Uh, even the ones that might be mad at me at the time, just trying to be creative in that because these guys need a lot of mentorship. Um, and then trying to figure out how we can continue to talk to some of the adults as well. You know, everybody wants to talk to the kids and some adults need some talking too. So I'll walk up and down our hallways. And we talked to some adults in there. I need coach. And so that's why I'm upset about Tim because he was my coach. And so we try to always make sure we're, we're giving something presently and, and stay in presence. So I don't miss too much. I don't.

Christi:

Well, we'll see if we can drum up some crawfish for you sometime we brought some donuts. We heard you like donuts. Uh, it must have been an awful lot to you to have Tim foster support and the support of the whole community during the last year. I mean, really was uplifting to see,

Coach Jackson:

You know, here's, what's special about that President Foster supportive advocate. Um, our incoming president, John Marshall supportive, if I could get, so I know I'm not missing, uh, from our campus commitment to what we're doing. Um, that was awesome because as I talked to coaches, there were some coaches that were like, Hey man, you really can't be saying that because you know, in games and I never felt like I was in jeopardy. I felt more like, if I even say it, then I would be more in jeopardy because when I interviewed, I ran on being real, ran on Buterin kids. And so I think that was, I was just me doing what I said I was going to do. And they were all in front the beginning. So to have your current president bother you all the way, and then your incoming president, it's an exciting time for us in the community and unique situation. I think we're so lucky here.

Christi:

I really feel that. So, uh, you have a daughter and she lives here with you. Uh, what do you all like to do in your free time? Do you have any free time?

Coach Jackson:

You know, when we do have some free time go to puffer, bellies, giant cinnamon rolls, um, no, she's, you know, she's 15, so she's in her room most of the time doing her own thing. And so, um, you know, she's a football daughter, football girl, and she loves it as much as you do. Uh, I think so. And what she really loves. She doesn't have any other siblings, so those are truly her brothers. And so there was a dream, um, that I had, Oh, probably when she was four years old, I always wanted to stand at the 50 yard line, twirl my whistle with my daughter standing next to me and look at our team. Well, we've been able to live there and not too many times you can get a dream. Exactly. Right. We've been able to do that. And, and, uh, I think she enjoys it, that part of it just as much as I do that more. And so it's been really good for her. And then she's kind of like military, she's been a lot of places around a bit, so this was my ninth place and she can stay here for a while. That is the plan. Here's the point? A lot of things through college.

Christi:

Do you think it takes to turn around a football program the way you want to turn it around?

Coach Jackson:

I think it takes as long as it takes the players to fully submit to one another. You know, we don't talk about commitment in our program a lot. That's kind of where I started earlier. When, when I say commitment, um, we talk about truly submitting yourself to the guy next to you and being all in. We use the example of when I was five, I used, you know, the telethons, you could see the number on the screen. So I called one day and it was St. Luke's in Houston. I played$5. I could beat it. I saw my$5 on the screen. Christi. Those people were still waiting on that$5, but I committed five bucks nowadays, when you buy stuff on Amazon and you put, submitted the bottle, that money is gone before, before any merchandise purchase, we want the Amazon, some people we don't want guys that could commit. And then later on not sending the money, we want people that are when you press the button it's over. And so I think when those players do that fully, um, we'll be ready to go.

Christi:

I have a business coach. I really believe in coaching. I mean, it's really been fantastic for me. And we talk a lot about, uh, are you interested and are you committed and are your actions in line with one of the other, cause you got to move that needle to the committed side. Yeah. Instead of just the interested side,

Coach Jackson:

No doubt. We know there's a lot of people that are interested in athletics and interested in business, but then when the rubber meets the road and you really got to put out, you know, a lot of people interested in that. Um, I think we're on the way. Awesome. Yeah.

Christi:

I want to, I want to talk a little bit more about your grandmother, cause I know she means a lot to you. And so did you not have a father figure

Coach Jackson:

Growing up? I didn't know. It was, her foot was hurting. It was, it was whatever coach she could get me in front of. Um, my grandmother was the youngest of 17 and, and there was a point where she was the only one. All of her sisters lived there in Houston. Um, but she was the only one that would drive on a freeway. So she wouldn't be the Uber family Hoover to her sisters. Um, after a hard day's work after, you know, going all out and she did home health care. And so she would work around the corner, come back, feed us, go back to work and just be like this ongoing deal. And so watching her do that and then watching how she still raised a family, um, strong, strong lady, she was strong strong man. And so I tell my players that my grandmother was as strong as if not stronger than somebody else to act like I would pick her first in a Sandlot football game, uh, because she was so strong. But what she taught me was have a foundation in faith. Don't be afraid of hard work. And if you don't have any bootstraps to pull yourself by go find something.

Christi:

And did she, did she give you that advice verbally or was it through just through her actions?

Coach Jackson:

Yeah. Very people wonder why I talk so much. She was very vocal and if she didn't like it, she would tell you. And what I appreciated about her was she also told me though, that people know where they stand with you. And if you don't know where you stand with them, you need to ask them. And that was that stuff that I still use today. Uh, she died, she passed two years ago. And so before she died, she told me 2019 is going to be your year. I was like, what are you talking about? It's it's April where we're headed down this path and nobody wants to deal with it. And she just said something, I don't know what's going on, but this is going to be your year. She felt it. She felt, and in six months to the day that she died, I ended up getting a Mesa job. And so it was kind of like one of those things, um, to where it was surreal. I was like six months ago, she just told me something. We were dealing with her there. I just became a division one football coach for the first time in my career. Um, and so I thought that was it. I'm like, well, I'm already here, but, but she was very instrumental in the way these kids get coached today. A lot of that is her, uh, the way she coached me. So, uh, it, at times it was brutal, but it was love. Yeah.

Christi:

Well, she gave you some boundaries and enforce some rules. I bet. Well, it's obviously the obvious that you have a real passion for not just football, but life in general. And we're just so glad you're here in our community.

Coach Jackson:

I'm glad to be here. I'm not supposed to be here. So that's why we try to go all out every day. Some people on campus told me I'm on the overdrive and I'm in overdrive because I never thought I'd be in drive. So it's really been a blessing.

Christi:

And I think if COVID has taught us anything and black lives matter is that you never know what's going to happen tomorrow. I mean, people ask us in real estate all the time, is this going to continue? What's it going to be like next month, next year? And we don't have a crystal ball. I mean, we, we tell people, it looks like things in real estate are going to continue for a while, but wait tomorrow. Thanks. Good change. Yeah. So you got to take advantage of things while they're in front of you and

Coach Jackson:

Go for it. I don't want to miss it and I don't want to regret it.[inaudible],

Christi:

You know, I, uh, I listened to a lot of podcasts and one of the quotes I heard the other day that really hit me and it stuck with me was I rather regret something I did do than something I didn't

Coach Jackson:

No doubt I'm going to steal that one from your

Christi:

Good isn't it like, it just got to go for

Coach Jackson:

It. It is, it is, uh, you know, look at it. You try to live that way. I don't want to look back and say, I missed it. I've been telling you to get better as a coach, as a person, myself, or to pour into somebody. And so that, that matters to me, who are they eating game? And so, yeah, I liked that one.

Christi:

So any, anything that you want to share about what you're excited about in the next year of CMU football and new things coming in new, new techniques, new coaches, new? Uh,

Coach Jackson:

Yeah, so I am, I'm just excited for this community to see us in full, not with a number, a restricted number of capacity, but really enjoy us. And we've, I went to the athletic administration and said, Hey, we need to play our first game on Thursday night, September the second at seven o'clock so that this community can get football back as fast as possible. Um, so the, the kids at Appleton elementary, then we went and spoke to can come see us. So the lady in Walmart that always asks me how our players are doing, come see for ourselves. I'm really excited for us to just get back to playing. Um, but not just playing, giving back. You know, some of them we're really proud of we've done over a thousand hours of community service, uh, in a pandemic or he was just put on a mask and they want it. And so we're excited continue to do that. We can't wait to get back on the ground and do stuff like that. So anything in our staff, I think our staff, our staff, they are some of the finest young man and all older me, um, that I think we have as mentors in our community. And so I'm really excited. These guys keep me hold. They keep me humble. Um, I coach one of them, I coach with another one, uh, when, when he was just a graduate assistant. And I think we've been able to, you know, I thought we hit a home run with our first out the staff down there as a grand slam. So we're excited for you guys here.

Christi:

Well, and that's how I feel about my team. You know, like every person that you add that is just a great hire, like, wow. It just is so expansive.

Coach Jackson:

[inaudible]

Christi:

Thank you so much for being here with us. You're going to laugh when I show you this

Coach Jackson:

[inaudible]

Christi:

I never turned it on. I have no idea how long we've been talking, but I could go on forever. Um, anything you'd like to share, uh, with us or with our listeners and our Watchers before we go

Coach Jackson:

Get Christi Reece and The Christi Reece group to our first game.

Christi:

Yes you are. Yes, you are. We're going to be there with our shirts on and with some CMU.

Coach Jackson:

Well, I'm going to personally bring you guys to you because I am really grateful for being here and have, since I walked in the doors then also. So thank you. Thank you, sir.

Christi:

Thank you very much. We really appreciate Coach Tremaine Jackson joining us today, and it's just been a treat, uh, look forward to watching your success here at CMU and just watching you, uh, be a leader in our community. It's it just gives me goosebumps and I'm just really proud that you're here and taking a leadership role. So, all right. Thanks everybody for listening and watching. And we'll see you next time here at the Full Circle Podcast. Thanks. Thanks for listening. This is Christi Reece signing out from the Full Circle Podcast.