Former NFL QB Jon Kitna finds ‘gold mine’ at his troubled old high school - Dallas Cowboys Forum

**WoodysGirl** · 12-19-2012

TACOMA, Wash. – Before he left the Dallas Cowboys to come home again, Jon Kitna had one request of the two principals who run Lincoln High School:

Give me your worst students.

The other teachers told him to stop. This was last February and it was going to be hard enough to teach three algebra classes in the middle of a semester. He was two months gone from an NFL career that went for 16 years, after all. Yes, this was his old high school, the one where he was a star quarterback in the early 1990s, but didn’t the new football coach understand what he was getting into?

Didn’t he see the numbers? Didn’t he know that four of every five of the students were on free or reduced lunches? That finding a meal was more important than understanding negative integers? Inspiring the best students was going to be difficult enough. Save himself, they advised. Start slow. Make it easy.

Kitna shook his head. Easy wasn’t the point. At 6-foot-4 with a buzz cut and a body built for football, he fills the classroom doorways. He would not be intimidated. And how could they understand this was the only job he ever wanted – that his time in the NFL was a daily preparation for this moment? No, coming home was supposed to be as hard.

Read more: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nfl--fo...194739063.html

arglebargle · 12-19-2012

Thanks for finding this WG! Great read, including some nice little bits about the behind the scenes good some of our Cowboys are doing. Kitna is one stand up guy.

I worked child care for five years. This story brought tears to my eyes.

67CowboysFan · 12-19-2012

That article is pure gold. The world needs more teachers and coaches like this.

**Idgit** · 12-20-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by 67CowboysFan

That article is pure gold. The world needs more teachers and coaches like this.

It's a nice story, to be sure. You have to wonder about how much might be positive spin only when you hear things like this, though, don't you?

Quote:

He had to give up two of the algebra classes this fall because the demands of building the football program became too much.

Nirvana · 12-20-2012

Great article. Kitna is an inspiration.

M'Kevon · 12-20-2012

That is an absolutely great story. Hope it stacks success upon success.

burmafrd · 12-20-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Idgit

It's a nice story, to be sure. You have to wonder about how much might be positive spin only when you hear things like this, though, don't you?

someone always has to be the debbie downer

**Idgit** · 12-20-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by burmafrd

someone always has to be the debbie downer

That was my high school nickname. I'm such a pessimist.

Seven · 12-20-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Idgit

That was my high school nickname. I'm such a pessimist.

Did ya have it on the back of your jersey?

"Downer"...........that'd been cool. And semi-football related.

Wood · 12-20-2012

always liked the guy. Team rallied around him while he played. We now know why.

erickb · 12-20-2012

That HS is pretty bad, hope he is able to do some good and get through to some of the kids. It's a great story because he could have went to one of the private schools or a public HS in nicer areas but he did not, heck the HS around where he lives is nice but he choose to go out of his way to teach at that one.

8FOR!3 · 12-21-2012

It's nice to know there's people like him out there. The guy's got no reason to do anything other than enjoy the rest of his life as a wealthy retired football player, but he wants to make a difference. And from the sounds of it he's starting to. Kind of reminds me of Coach Taylor from Friday Night Lights.

Angus · 12-21-2012

Thanks, WG. Many thanks for the story.