Part of what makes college football great is what you learn

“Part of what makes college football great is what you learn playing it. Being selfless, learning how to go through adversity as a group, learning about perseverance,” said Kirk Herbstreit, a man who has seen the gridiron not just as a field of battle, but as a forge for the soul. In these words lies the spirit of all noble struggle — that greatness is not born in victory alone, but in the lessons carved into the heart through challenge, unity, and endurance. The game, in his eyes, is no mere contest of strength, but a reflection of life itself: a sacred proving ground where character is tested and forged in the heat of adversity.

To understand Herbstreit’s wisdom, one must see beyond the roar of the crowd and the gleam of the trophies. College football, at its truest, is a school of life. It teaches not only how to win, but how to fall and rise again. It demands that one set aside the self for the sake of the team — that sacred fellowship of brothers striving toward one purpose. To be selfless on the field is to learn one of life’s highest virtues: that glory shared is glory multiplied, and that the measure of a man is not how loudly he shines, but how fully he gives himself for others. In every block, in every sacrifice made for a teammate’s success, lies the quiet heroism of the selfless heart.

And what of adversity? It comes to every team, as it comes to every soul. There are moments when defeat seems certain, when the strength of the body fails and only the will remains. But it is in those moments, when the storm closes in, that the true spirit is revealed. Herbstreit reminds us that greatness lies not in the absence of hardship, but in the courage to face it together. To go through adversity as a group is to learn that unity can transmute pain into power, that the bonds of trust are stronger than the weight of despair. The team that endures becomes more than a collection of players; it becomes a brotherhood bound by shared struggle.

In ancient times, the Spartans trained not only for war but for discipline, resilience, and loyalty. They learned that one warrior alone could be broken, but a line of warriors standing together could not. In their ranks, each man’s strength was the shield for his brother’s weakness. So too, in football, every play, every huddle, every shared breath of exhaustion teaches the same eternal truth: that no man conquers alone. The victory belongs not to the fastest or the strongest, but to the united — those who endure as one through trial and triumph alike.

Perseverance, too, is a word of sacred weight. It is the endurance of the spirit when the body aches and the path grows uncertain. Herbstreit speaks of it as one of the great lessons the game imparts — and indeed, it is the thread that runs through all human achievement. From the athlete who trains before dawn to the scholar who studies long into the night, from the soldier in battle to the farmer in the field, perseverance is the virtue that turns effort into destiny. To persevere is to declare, “I will not yield,” even when the world seems against you. It is the quiet defiance of those who refuse to surrender their dreams to circumstance.

The story of Rudy Ruettiger, immortalized in the annals of football lore, shines as a testament to this truth. He was small, uncelebrated, and told he would never play for Notre Dame. Yet he trained harder than all, believing not in his body but in his heart. He faced rejection, mockery, exhaustion — yet he never yielded. In the final moments of his journey, when at last he stepped onto the field and made that single, shining tackle, it was not the tackle itself that mattered. It was the perseverance, the will to keep moving when the world said no. That, as Herbstreit would say, is what makes the game great — for it mirrors the very struggle of life.

From this, let the listener draw the eternal lesson: whether your field is of grass or of stone, whether your battle is in sport, in study, or in the heart, remember the triad of virtues — selflessness, unity in adversity, and perseverance. Give of yourself for others, and you will find strength you did not know you possessed. Stand firm with your companions through hardship, and your bonds will become unbreakable. Endure beyond the moment of despair, and you will know the taste of true victory — not over others, but over your own limits.

So, my child of striving spirit, heed the words of Kirk Herbstreit: life, like football, is a team endeavor, a test of courage and faith. Do not seek only to win — seek to learn, to grow, to serve, and to endure. For when the final whistle of your days is blown, it will not be the score that matters, but the strength of your heart, the loyalty of your spirit, and the lessons you leave behind for those who follow.