I'm especially thankful for being able to coach so many talented

Hear, O keeper of wisdom, the words of Bob Stoops, the long-standing steward of the gridiron, who declared: “I'm especially thankful for being able to coach so many talented young men over my 18 years here. It has been so rewarding to see these players come to OU and mature over a four- or five-year career, and not just on the field. To play a small part in their growth is what I will always cherish the most.” These words, born of humility and reverence, reveal the soul of a leader who measured his success not in victories alone, but in the transformation of men under his care.

The origin of this utterance rests in Stoops’s long tenure at the University of Oklahoma, where he guided not only teams but generations of young athletes. He witnessed them arrive uncertain, raw in their strength, untested in their spirit. Over years of discipline and struggle, they grew not only as players but as men—shaped by hardship, responsibility, and the bonds of brotherhood. Stoops’s gratitude is not for trophies alone, but for the privilege of guiding transformation, for being entrusted with the sacred duty of mentorship.

This wisdom is as old as time. Recall the figure of Aristotle, who instructed the young Alexander of Macedon. Though Alexander would go on to conquer the known world, he once confessed that to his father he owed life, but to Aristotle he owed the knowledge of how to live well. In the same way, Stoops recognizes that his role was not simply to instruct in plays and tactics, but to instill resilience, humility, and strength—qualities that endure long after the roar of the stadium has quieted.

Notice the tenderness in his words: he speaks of playing a small part in their growth. Here lies the humility of the true teacher. For though his influence was vast, he does not claim to be the architect of their lives, but rather one of many hands guiding them along their path. This is the mark of wisdom: to recognize that greatness is not in control, but in service; not in shaping men to one’s own image, but in helping them discover the best within themselves.

The lesson here is profound: success is fleeting if measured in accolades alone, but eternal if measured in lives touched and shaped. The trophies of sport gather dust, the records are broken by future generations, but the growth of character in the young endures and spreads through the world, like ripples in a great river. Stoops reminds us that the highest calling of any leader, teacher, or parent is not glory for themselves, but transformation for others.

Therefore, O listener, take this wisdom to heart. Seek not only to achieve but to nurture; not only to rise, but to lift others. If you are given the role of mentor, coach, or guide, remember that the measure of your life is not how brightly you shine, but how many lights you ignite in others. Speak encouragement, model discipline, and give of yourself so that those under your care may grow strong in both skill and virtue.

So let the words of Bob Stoops endure: “To play a small part in their growth is what I will always cherish the most.” In them is the eternal truth: that leadership is not conquest but stewardship, not domination but service, not the pursuit of personal glory but the cherishing of another’s journey. Carry this truth, and you will leave behind not only victories, but legacies—lives transformed by your faithfulness, and generations strengthened by your guidance.