My first year at Lexington was not particularly impressive in terms of wins/losses (3-8) but we were pretty good at catching criminals. We were doing our specialty phase of practice on our game field and a young man came through the main gate by our fieldhouse. Some twenty (20) yards behind was a police officer in pursuit. He yelled, "Get him!" Twenty to thirty of our football players took off running and pulled him down off the fence (he had tried to jump it when he saw he wasn't going to make it). They held him until the police came and arrested him. Lexington police officers wanted the delinquent for shoplifting. It was found later in Greensboro that he was also wanted on felony charges. – Randy Holmes, Former Head Football Coach at Lexington High School.

One hot summer during the first day of contact, we were doing one on one. I was watching the JV 9th graders. I noticed one kid had blood on his forehead and nose. I stopped the drill and the trainer came over and wiped the blood off his nose. We checked to see where he was cut. We could not find any cut at all. I then looked at the top of his head and found the injury. I checked his helmet and asked him how he got cut on top of his head with a helmet on? He said he had put his house keys in the top of his helmet so he would not misplace them. (Oh boy!) – Roland 'Chip' Gill, Former Head Football Coach at Southern Durham.

We had a foreign exchange student from Russia. He had never played football or soccer, yet he ended up being our kicker and setting a school record of seven (7) extra points in one game. One day I asked him how many languages do you speak? He said Russian, German, French, English and a little Spanish. I told him I was impressed, I could hardly speak English. He said no coach, I speak English, you speak American. – Donald Simpson, Former Head Football Coach at Currituck High School.

During my first year at Northwest Halifax we were playing a scrimmage game against Northampton-East. It wasn't long before a player came up to me and asked, "Coach, why is that official throwing that white bean bag?" At that point I knew it was going to be a long season, and it was! – Believed to be contributed by Harold Williams, formerly from Northwest Halifax High School.

At Mt. Tabor in 1994, we were playing South Rowan in a game on delayed TV telecast. In the third quarter we were on defense and recovered a fumble. The offense goes on the field, but we can't start play because we can't find the ball boy with the game ball. After two or three minutes we discover he is with his friends playing a tag game of football in the area behind the endzone with the game ball. He thought we were on defense still. Delay of game – no game ball! – Bob Sapp, Head Football Coach at Mt. Tabor.

While playing Gatlinburg (TN) High School in 1994, an unusual play happened. We hit their RB on the 10-yard line and he fumbled through the endzone and out of bounds. You can imagine our shock when three officials looked at each other, shook their heads and then signaled TD!

It took us a good ten minutes to get them to realize that it should be a touchback and not a touchdown.

Good thing those Tennessee officials know the game so well! – Donnie Kiefer, Head Football Coach at East Carteret.

They say we all have 15 minutes of "Fame" or universal recognition. Although I have won over 130 games in my 20 years head-coaching career; my "Day in the Sun" came about because of a PIG. In my first head-coaching job in Florida in 1974, my defense called themselves The "Root Hogs". Several of the seniors came to me during August practices and asked me if they could get a "pig" to represent the "Root Hogs"? I thought it was fun and gave my OK. The newspapers got hold of it and came out for interviews with the players. The next days headline read "Team to eat mascot after season!" (The boys being honest said they would have a barbecue after the season), after all, we were the "Cowboys" not the "Pigs". The pig was not our mascot.

The incident caused a mad and completely perverse look at human nature. Letters came from all over the United States. Calls every day and night came pouring in. People called us "Cannibals" and cussed me out over the phone. – M. Dwight Kerr, When Head Football Coach at Beaver Creek.

Jimmy Smith, a trainer for the Brown High School football team in Kannapolis continues a tradition of handing out Snicker Bars before football games. He also enjoys giving them to players if they ask politely after games. As a result, all of our coaches are becoming more horizontally advanced as a result of their habits or tradition. "Last years pants never fit!" – Bruce Hardin, Assistant Football Coach at Army.

After a 2-8 first year at Franklinton High School, I was looking for "little things" to pull the team together. Since excessive celebrating was a current concern in '87, I wanted to use that as an angle to develop a "team" attitude. I told my team going into our opener at SE Halifax that we were going to score a lot of points in '87 and (unlike '86) we were going to 'act' like we had been in the end zone before. I challenged all eleven guys on the field to "meet at the goal post" as soon as we scored – say "Ram Pride" and hustle to the huddle for the extra point. I had one "SPECIAL" player who didn't hear to well and the first time we scored he's in the endzone – excited – and slapping the goal post pads (on tape that Saturday, we saw an official gently pull him away and point him toward our huddle.) The next time we scored, we were flagged for "beating up the goal post." This "SPECIAL" player is on tape giving the goalpost a one-two. His response was that "coach told us when we scored to beatup the goal post." He was special in more ways than one. He averaged 6 tackles per game as a soph LB at 5-1, 140. – Tasker Fleming, When Head Football Coach at Franklinton

While working with a ninth grade quarterback, one of my assistants instructed the young man to "pump fake" on the out route and throw deep down the sideline. The kid took the snap, took a three-step drop, kicked his leg up in the air, and threw the ball incomplete. The coach asked, "What are you doing?" The young kid replied, "Coach, you told me to punt fake!" – Ken Whitehurst, former Head Football Coach at North Pitt

A first year assistant football coach (at Grimsley) stood on the sidelines at a JV game at South Stokes. As a sweep headed toward our sidelines, I told everyone to back up. He said he wasn't worried, he was out of bounds.

After getting nailed, he writhed in pain under the bench in a fetal position. This was his last year as a football coach. – Jeff Smouse, Head Football Coach at Lumberton