An attractive brunette walks by the restaurant table and quicker than one can say “first and 10”, William and Mary assistant football coach Russ Huesman grabs her hand and proposes marriage.

“Will you marry me?” said Huesman to Amy Creech, a W&M graduate student and, by the way, a complete stranger.

Okay, sure,” said Miss Creech who called for a safety blitz with her version of a background check on her future husband.

“I thought I better check this guy out so I went over to a football player I knew to inquire about this coach, received two thumbs up and the rest is history,’ said Amy, a mother of four and one who teaches a world civilization course at UTC.

If only recruiting a 6-6, 300-pound lineman with quickness in his step and determination in his soul or a 6-2, 200 pound defensive back with 4.2 speed in the 40, were are simple, Huesman and company would be well on their way to the UTC national championship he said “can happen here” with all the pieces in place from player talent, facilities and community and institutional support.

Driven by a strong work ethic inherited from middle income, middle America type parents – a former minor leaguer for a dad (Jack) who worked three jobs simultaneously, and a mom (Marlene) who “drove a school bus for 26 years so we could pay the bills and raise five great kids.” – Huesman is the poster child for old school.

If one looks up work ethic in the dictionary, an 8 x 10 glossy photo of Huesman is staring back.

“Russ doesn’t comprehend settling for second best or doing something half way,’’ Amy said. “Mediocrity is not part of his vocabulary.”

Huesman is someone who has worked hard his entire life – a B student in the classroom who had the smarts to marry the valedictorian – strives for success and will not let others pass him by.

A winner at every level – football state championships at storied Moeller in Cincinnati and the defensive coordinator on the 2008 NCAA champion Richmond Spider team – with rings to prove the titles, the 50-year-old Ohio native strives to instill the meat-and-potatoes, lunch bucket, hard hat mentality into a talented, gifted generation of young football players yet who for the most part, are a product of a quiche lorraine, fast food, entitled and want-it-now mentality.

UTC Turn Around: In 21 months as UTC head coach, Huesman and his talented coaching staff have made great strides to make the Mocs football team not only respectable (1-11 in 2008 while Huesman was gaining that NCAA title to 6-5 and co-Southern Conference coach of the Year honors in 2009),but working to earn the right to play on the national stage with the Appalachian States, William and Mary’s and Montana’s of the football world.

The young, but talented group of Mocs players will find out Saturday afternoon if they are ready to walk on that stage.

Tough Foe: Five-time defending SoCon champion and No. 3 ranked Appalachian State (and three time national champs; 2005-06-07) will be the foe at Finley Stadium for the 3:05 p.m. regional broadcast (SportSouth on Comcast Cable Ch. 27).

The Mountaineers have won 20 straight SoCon games and have nine pre-season All-Americans on the roster.

“We have worked hard for this game and we know that the keys to victory are no turnovers and taking advantage of opportunities when they come our way,” said Huesman. “We can’t let golden opportunities pass us by.”

Yet in all his drive for success, Huesman did push the envelope as a kid as the second youngest of five.

“Many nights his dad would come home to find the “sins of Russ” listed on the family refrigerator and asked if his son wanted the punishment before or after Jack ate his dinner,” stated Amy with a laugh.

“Yea, I was kind of tough to control as a kid, that’s for sure,” said coach Huesman with a smile.

Saturday at 3:05 p.m, the fiery Huesman needs his guys to play under control, yet have that determined, dogged attitude in their quest to upset No. 3 ASU.

"Moc fans are hungry for a reason to stay home on football Saturday and go to Finley and watch UTC football," said former Mocs men's basketball coach Mack McCarthy.

"Russ has energized the people who needed to be energized. More and more, the folks are staying home to watch Moc football."

By dinner time, another school could be standing tall and ready to take its rightful place on that national stage.

Contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net