LOXLEY, Alabama - It’s not a big surprise to many sports fans in the state of Alabama to find out that Bob Baumhower loves the game of football. What would surprise many people would be that he didn’t love it right away.

Baumhower, who is most well-known as a member of the University of Alabama and Miami Dolphins football teams, didn’t start playing organized football until his junior season at Palm Beach Garden High School in Florida.

He chose to play the game for many reasons but apparently love of the game was just not one of them.

“I had to be talked into playing. I wasn’t into playing football or anything.” I wasn’t one of those guys that grew up living and dying football.” Baumhower said. “I played because I got talked into it.”

Many young men today put on a football helmet and play football at a young age with dreams of playing under the bright lights of some college or even professional stadiums. Baumhower was just not one of those kids.

“I heard that girls loved football.” Baumhower said. “I started playing for all the wrong reasons and I had to learn the right reasons when I got good leadership."

That good leadership comes from some very good head coaches. In college Baumhower played under the legendary. Paul W. “Bear” Bryant and in the NFL he played under Miami Dolphin great Don Shula.

“I played for Coach Bryant and Coach Shula.” Baumhower said. “I was really blessed with great leadership. Good high school coaches and good men.”

One example of that leadership came in a form that only the great Bryant could deliver. That moment was also the time the light tuned on and Baumhower knew that football was what he wanted to do.

After his freshman year as mainly a starting offensive lineman Baumhower made the switch and was named a starter on the defensive line after a good showing during spring practice.

When the fall practices came around Baumhower was moved way down in the depth chart to last string. After three or four days of practice he decided to quit.

“I had a great spring and I made my way up to first string during spring ball.” Baumhower said. “I came back to camp and I wasn’t in great shape and I was moved way down the list. I figured I didn’t need this I was first string.”

During an early practice session Coach Bryant got word and summoned both Baumhower and his dad to his office. When the two of them arrived at Bryant’s office Baumhower was confronted by Coach Bryant.

“He asked me ‘What are you doing here? I don’t talk to quitters. He made me look at a mirror right off the bat and he asked me a real simple question, ‘What did you do to get better in between spring ball until now?’ I couldn’t answer the question.”

Coach Bryant would later go down the depth chart and name what everyone in front of him did during the off season to do get better.

“In that meeting he pointed out to me that I don’t think you’re a quitter. I think you’re just frustrated but I don’t think you know what it means to be a winner,” Baumhower said. “That’s when the light turned on. That’s when I wanted to be the best that I could be. At the end of that meeting he had me begging to come back.”

From there Baumhower went on to be selected by the Miami and Dolphins where he would be part of the vaunted Dolphin defense known as the Killer B’s.

Football has changed since Baumhower’s playing days

Since the end of Baumhowers career until now the game has changed at a very dramatic rate. From exposure to work ethic things seem different in today’s style of football especially at the high school and college level.

“It’s the exposure, the media exposure. Whether or not it’s related to social media, TV, cable, or DIRECTV, all of those things have taken the sport to where now they have nationally broadcast high school games. It’s crazy.”

It’s not just the exposure that has changed the sport but also the preparation for the season by practices and stronger and better work out routines.

“All of those things have changed a lot,” Baumhower said. “As far as people doing everything they can to enhance their opportunity by making sure they’re as fast and strong as they can be. The big difference I see, is training camp used to be what you used to get into shape. There is an old saying ‘failing to prepare is preparation for failure.’”

The recruitment process for high school players has also dramatically changed since Baumhower left high school and played for the Tide.

“A lot of high school players choose their college based on what they think will best prepare them to get drafted,” Baumhower said. “I didn’t even think that way in college as late as my junior year. Not many of us were thinking pro very early.”

More importantly than being exposed to the media or being highly recruited, athletes get much more out of playing football or any other sport for that matter than the attention or the glamour. They receive value in their personal and athletic development.

“For me it’s one of the best foundations somebody can get to prepare them for life.” Baumhower said. “You learn teamwork, discipline, and sacrifice; and to do anything special the vast majority of the time you’re going to have to make sacrifices.”

The risk-reward angle is also something that cannot be measured on how much it affects young athletes in life.

“When you invest all that time and preparation for sports and then you see it pays dividends I think that goes a long way for people being able to develop a vision for themselves where they start believing that hard work does pay off.”

All of Baumhowers success came because of good hard work and some wonderful leadership by some great high school, college, and professional coaches.

“Self-discipline, hard work, and preparation give you the opportunities. It doesn’t guarantee you anything,” Baumhower said, “but at least it gives you the opportunity.”