Earlier this week my friend Chip Walters, the "Voice of the MTSU Blue Raiders," posted on Facebook that he had been walking on campus and had passed a statue of former Blue Raider head football Coach, James "Boots" Donnelly. He posted a picture of the statue and asked his friends to post their favorite "Boots-isms." I posted mine and have laughed all week long at some of the others. My favorite "Boots-ism" came in 1981.
MTSU had lost to UTC's Mocs 42-19 and after the game Coach Donnelly, who had suffered through a 3-17 record in his first two seasons and was mired in a 1-1 start to the 1982 season, told reporters after the game, "I don't have to eat steak, but I would like to have a little baloney every now and then."
From that game on, the Raiders finished 6-5 and Coach Donnelly's team was on its way. Within a few seasons, Middle Tennessee was making the playoffs every year and winning OVC Championships and "Boots" was eating plenty of steak. Here are some of the other "Boots-isms."
"It's not your fault son, it's your parents."
"Our defense is like the snail darter....it's almost extinct."
"Million dollar body, and a nickel brain. "
"Looks like Tarzan, and plays like Jane."
"Stevie Wonder could throw it and Ray Charles could catch it against our secondary."
"My good friend Jerry Reed has pledged his support to our program. Of course Jerry hasn't had a hit in a while."
"We're not all fishing from the same pier."
"That young man is a pup and he barks. Pretty soon, he'll bite."
When asked why his defensive backs were playing so far off the line of scrimmage, Boots replied, "Son, do you want to die a slow death or be killed instantly."
"It's like lookin' for a bone in ice cream."
"Ya gotta step up to the lickin' block."
"He can throw it through a car wash and not get it wet."
"He's so slow, that grass dies under his feet."
"Who's gonna stay in the buggy when the horses rear up?"
"He's on the All-Greyhound team. He can't play but he looks good gettin' off that bus."
"He's so short he sleeps in a pillowcase."
"In fall camp, they all look good in shorts."
"Our defense couldn't hit water if they fell out of the boat."
"He's all sizzle and no steak."
When offering a young man a scholarship, "Boots" asked him if he had any dreams of playing professional football. The young man said no he didn't. "Boots" replied, "Good, cause your'e too small and too slow."
Coach Donnelly is perhaps the most popular football coach to ever have a job at Middle Tennessee. Stay safe, Coach. We all love you.
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