Portland State’s “Next Man Up” philosophy and strategy with all players – regardless of their position – is being ready to contribute to the team’s success.
For the Portland State University football program, “The Next Man Up” philosophy has become something of a rite of passage. It translates into “no excuses and no explanations” which is the slogan of Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin.
We use the “Next Man Up” philosophy as a way to persuade every man on the team that his role is important. Whether you came as a walk-on, first year player, the third safety, or your role was to be the gunner on special team, you are doing something the team needs to do to win. Our philosophy is to emphasize that no person is irreplaceable. We will coach everyone the same way.
If our All-American player goes out, his replacement goes in and the flywheel keeps on churning. We believe in never panicking. When someone gets hurt or is held out, we will still function and OUR expectations do not change. It’s not doom and gloom about the season being over. Rather, it’s an opportunity for others to succeed and contribute to the team. As Miami Heat President Pat Riley said, “Being ready isn’t enough; you have to be prepared for a promotion or any other significant change.”
It’s our expectation that when a player is called upon, he will not be overwhelmed by being thrust into the spotlight. Understand - it’s not a given, just because you are the next man in line. You still have to compete and earn the job. At PSU, you are being coached to be aware of your opportunity, no matter what the situation, on or off the field. As a program, we understand that our strength is in our numbers, and at any given time our program has the ability to adapt to any given situation, physically and mentally. “When things look the worst is when you may have your best opportunity” – Sun Tzu – The Art of War.
The “Next Man Up” philosophy also relates to the National Football League. The following are two examples of hard work, preparation and perseverance.
Over the course of the 2004 season, New England repeatedly overcame the loss of key players during their Super Bowl run. In every situation, the player tabbed to shoulder the load handled the responsibilities with hardly any drop-off in production following the transition.
Troy Brown, the New England Patriots’ franchise record-holder for career receptions, and newest member of the franchises Hall of Fame, was one of those men. Patriots owner Bob Kraft had this to say about Brown: “The best example of what this organization stands for, that’s Troy Brown.”
Head Coach Bill Belichick would later deem Brown a true team player and the Patriots’ version of Next Man Up. He is no different than many of you on our team. He had to deal with some of the same uphill struggles in order to achieve his goals. According to Belichick, “At every stop on his road to the NFL, Brown dealt with adversity and confronted the perception he was too short and too slow to play in the NFL.”
At Lees-McRae Junior College, Brown didn’t travel with the team for road games during the first few weeks of the season. He eventually broke into the lineup and played well enough to convince Marshall University to offer him one of its two remaining scholarships. In 1991, while at Marshall, Brown was the Division 1-AA leader in kickoff and punt return average. His career kickoff return average of 29.7 yards and his four kickoff returns for touchdowns still stand as 1-AA records.
In spite of Brown’s success at Marshall, he was not selected until the eighth and final round of the NFL draft. The Patriots only drafted him because his coach, Jim Donnan, convinced his former colleague, Bill Parcells, that Brown was worth the risk. By applying his core values of hard work, perseverance, and trust (in his coaches) as well as the Next Man Up philosophy, Troy was able to reach his potential. “I was always motivated by the doubters,” Brown said. “If you want me to get a job done, tell me I can’t do it.”
During his 15-year career with the Patriots, Brown played wide receiver, defensive back, and on special teams. Brown was on three Super Bowl champion teams. Belichick has stated that the 2006 season might have been seen as one of Brown’s finest years. Not only was he third on the team in receptions/yards, he lead the team in special team yardage, was second on the team in interceptions and was even asked to take snaps at QB during the Patriots’ playoff run.
Another example is quarterback Frank Reich. Not once, but twice in his football career, Reich led his team to victory against insurmountable odds. Reich was prepared through hard work and perseverance to achieve many of his lifelong goals as the Next Man Up.
While playing for the University of Maryland, Frank was injured in the fourth game of his senior season and the chance to play professional football seemed lost. But in a game against the Miami Hurricanes, Reich came off the bench and led the Terrapins to the greatest comeback in college history. Down 31-0 at half, Reich engineered Maryland to a 42-40 upset win over the previously undefeated Hurricanes.
He could not have known that history would repeat itself eight years later. Drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1985, Frank, a long time backup quarterback to eventual hall of famer Jim Kelly, played for the injured Kelly in a playoff game against the Houston Oilers. As the Oilers charged to a 35-3 lead, Reich attempted to stop the stampede one play at a time. Although no team had ever won after being down by 32 points, Buffalo captured the lead in the final minutes of the game and eventually won in overtime 41 to 38. It is an NFL comeback record that still stands today.
Frank Reich clearly succeeded as the “Next Man Up.”
About the Author: In his second stint coaching Portland State, Jaime Hill was named defensive coordinator in January, 2013. He also coaches safeties for PSU. Hill also coached with the Vikings from 1993-1997 and has more than 25 years experience coaching at the collegiate and professional levels. He was a wide receiver for Sacramento State.