Wisdom From Lou Holtz on Fatherhood

For my birthday earlier this year my wife gave me a copy of Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic's book, Mike and Mike's Rules for Sports and Life. Greeny and Golic are hosts of the popular ESPN Radio morning show, Mike and Mike in the Morning, a show I often listen to on my way into the office each day.

I was reading a section from the book this afternoon when I came across a story from Mike Greenberg about an encounter that he once had with Lou Holtz, the well-known football coach and now analyst. With today being Father's Day, I thought it was especially poignant.

Here is Greenberg's story:

"The first time I met Lou Holtz, we taped a SportsCenter segment together. Afterward, we were walking down the hall on our way out of the studio. Holtz walks very fast, and I'm chasing just to keep up with him, trying to make any small talk that comes to mind. Out of nowhere, Holtz stops and turns to me.

"How many kids you got?" he asks.

"I have two," I tell him, a little surprised. "They're, you know, little kids."

He looks me straight in the eye. "The best thing you can do for them? Make sure that, every day, they know how much you love their mother."

And with that, Lou Holtz walked down the hall and out the door."

I'm sure Lou Holtz heard those words from someone else (Theodore Hesburgh, the former president of Notre Dame is said to have originated the quote) but that doesn't make them any less powerful. As a husband and father, when I love my wife well then I love my kids well.