Earlier this week, FAMU Head Football Coach Joe Taylor spoke to the Tallahassee Quarterback Club (TQQ) about his strategy for helping his student athletes develop strong character.Taylor’s said his coaching efforts focus on the theme: “Success is an Inconvenience.” He tells his players that lofty achievements do not come easy. They require discipline, persistence, a positive attitude, a strong work ethic, and the ability to set the right priorities.
“I once had a player tell me he wanted to be a doctor. I told him that I’d heard he was drinking on the weekends. I told him that he was not preparing to be a doctor, he was practicing to be a drunk,” Taylor said to thunderous laughter.
“Character is developed when your backs are against the wall. Our team showed that they had character on last Saturday,” Taylor said in reference to the Rattlers’ comeback victory in the Atlanta Classic.
"I am so proud of the fact that we revealed our character,” he exclaimed. “We successfully turned our trials into triumphs.”
Taylor received applause for another anecdote that centered on the quality of persistence.
“Does anyone know how Formula 409 got its name?” he asked. “Well, the first 408 times they tried to make the product, it didn't achieve what they were after, but they kept trying. On the 409th time, they got it right. I try to tell my kids all the time that there is no monopoly on success. They can be successful if they endure the process.”