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Kubiak delivers at Touchdown Club event
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Gary Kubiak speaks to the Touchdown Club Wednesday
Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak was the guest speaker at the Touchdown Club of Houston's "Texans Day" luncheon. As usual, Kubiak didn't disappoint the crowd of approximately 100 luncheon guests.
Kubiak joked about being nervous when he speaks to groups but he comes across cool, passionate, inspirational, and entertaining when he's talking about his team. Those who were in the room for the "hand signal" joke would also likely agree that he has a sneaky sense of humor.
One of the things I like about these events is that when Kubiak is story telling, you hear things that you would never otherwise hear during routine interviews.
Kubiak spoke briefly about his coaching career and shared an experience that helped shape his beliefs as a coach.
For example, when hired by George Seifert as the 49ers quarterbacks coach in 1994, Kubiak said that Seifert handed him 30 game tapes. He told Kubiak that ten tapes demonstrated how Bill Walsh ran the 49ers offensive system, ten showed how Mike Holmgren ran the system and ten showed how Mike Shanahan ran the system.
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Aggies past and present were represented at the event
Seifert then challenged Kubiak to figure out how he was going to run the system - even though he was just a quarterbacks coach at the time.
The moral of the story for Kubiak was that no coach is greater than the system (at least that system) which at it's roots still exists today, decades after Paul Brown and Walsh first uttered the words "West Coast."
Kubiak talked about how he is impressed with Kyle Shanahan's maturation as an offensive coordinator. Kubiak said this morning, instead of sitting in on the offensive unit meeting, he watched it from his office on a monitor and noted how Shanahan was really coming into his own and becoming comfortable with his role.
Kubiak went as far to say that Shanahan "won't be here long" and will "end up being a head coach somewhere."
Kubiak ran through this year's draft and gave a capsule on each of the players. He spoke highly of each and said that not as many starters may emerge right away from the '09 class - not because it's not a good class but because the overall talent on the team is better than it's been since he took the job.
Kubiak said he's learned some lessons along the way, citing how the Texans free agent acquisition strategy has changed to focus on younger players such as Antonio Smith and Kevin Walter instead of older players. I'm pretty sure he was referring to Ahman Green and possibly Roosevelt Colvin without naming names.
He talked about how the team's character was tested after the 0-4 start last year and shared a story about talking to the team in the locker room after the monumental collapse against Indianapolis in Week 4 last season. He told the team that it would be the ultimate test of their character and will to win.
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The local media surrounds Kubiak after the luncheon
He talked about how the team overcame a 4th and 10 and a 4th and goal in the last minute to bounce back the following week and beat Miami.
He talked about beating the Bears - who were playing for a playoff spot in Week 17 when the Texans had little to play for other than 8-8.
He talked about being 12-4 at Reliant over the past two seasons and that only two other NFL teams have better home records during that period. He said Reliant is becoming a tough place to play.
He talked about how Andre Johnson is one of the best football players he's ever been around and he described how watching Steve Slaton last year was one of the best performances he's ever seen by a rookie and a highlight of his coaching career.
He said that he totally believes in Matt Schaub and that if Matt can stay healthy, good things will happen.
He talked about Bill Kollar being one of the two best defensive line coaches in the league and how David Gibbs' experience as offensive coordinator at the college level will help Frank Bush during his first season as defensive coordinator.
He talked about how Glen Coffee could have been the Texans 3rd round pick had he not been picked by the 49ers a few picks before the Texans selected Antoine Caldwell.
He bristled a bit at the notion that this year's schedule is somewhat 'easier' than last years. He talked about having to play well every week (citing the Oakland loss last year just a week after the win over a 13-1 Titans team) otherwise you will get beat.
He is Gary Kubiak and I want him to succeed.
Other highlights of the luncheon included C.L. Whittington's talk about the Touchdown Club's involvement in donating weights and weight training equipment to local area high schools. Whittington, a Prairie View alum, spent four seasons with the Oilers, his last with the 1978 Luv Ya Blue team. He is currently the head coach at South Houston High School.
And I would be remiss without acknowledging Darrell Luckett's fabulous renditions of the National Anthem and God Bless America.
Last but not least, many thanks goes out to Chad Clay, Neal Farmer and the rest of the Touchdown Club Board of Directors and membership for sponsoring this enjoyable event.
I encourage everyone to visit the Club's website and plan to attend one of their many events which benefit the local community.
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