As guest of KU's Mangino, Rhea delivers heartfelt speech on football, life success
Written by Joe Rhea
Wednesday, 26 August 2009 00:00
Editor's note: In the Nov. 15, 2006, issue of The Sun, sports editor Mark Dewar profiled Joe Rhea.
Sept. 11, 2009, will mark the 25th anniversary of the day Rhea, then a talented Olathe youth athlete, broke his neck and suffered a spinal cord injury in a junior high football game.
JOE RHEA He was told to be prepared to be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
But in the years since, Rhea has made a strong recovery.
His spinal cord gave him the opportunity to work at a recovery, and he did.
After more than two years of physical therapy rebuilding his body, today this Raytown, Mo., resident is what the medical profession refers to as a "medical miracle."
He can golf, snow ski and play tennis while still suffering from partial paralysis in the upper extremities.
So many have been inspired by his story that he chose to become a professional speaker.
These days Rhea (www.joerhea.com) speaks more than 100 times a year to students and corporations.
He especially enjoys speaking with young and aspiring athletes.
On Aug. 13, Rhea received the opportunity to address the University of Kansas football team.
His account of that unique experience follows.
As I drove to Lawrence on the morning of Aug. 13, I could feel the excitement swell within me.
This will have been the second time that I have spoken to the University of Kansas football team.
I can remember the very first time that I spoke with Coach Mark Mangino.
It was his first year as KU's head coach. I had called his office and left a message with his secretary to have him call me.
You never know if a head coach, especially one in his first year, will give you a call back.
Then one Saturday night, the telephone rang. I turned down the television set and answered the phone with a "hello."
"Joe Rhea," the voice on the other end of the phone said. "This is Coach Mark Mangino of the Kansas football team."
In a split second, I jumped up from lying down on my couch and stood erect, as if I were standing at attention.
I could not believe that Coach Mangino was actually calling me.
Here is a man, a head coach who probably had a million things to do, yet he took the time to speak with me on the phone and listened to what I had to say.
We spoke for 40 minutes. He did not have to give me that kind of time, but he did.
I hung up the phone and thought to myself that if this man would give a complete stranger that much of his valuable time that he was really going to be the kind of coach who took the time to know his players.
Eight years later, his record speaks for itself.
So as I walked into the doors of the new Kansas football offices, Coach Mangino was there to greet me.
"It's great to see you again, Joe," he said as he shook my hand. "You ready to get after them?"
"Oh, yeah!"
As we walked into the conference room, the entire team was there already.
Senior quarterback Todd Reesing and senior wide receiver/quarterback Kerry Meier were in the front row, sitting right next to each other.
As Coach Mangino walked to the podium, I watched as his players followed his every move. Every single player was paying attention, ready to listen to what the head coach was about to say.
"Men, today we have a gentleman who truly understands what it means to go through adversity, to have overcome incredible odds," Mangino said.
"When you hear his story, you realize that what we do is really just a game. So please help me welcome, Joe Rhea."
Then they all clapped in unison, two claps.
My heart pounding, palms feeling the sweat within them, I began to speak.
As I told them my story, I could see them look at me, and I could feel their intensity.
They looked at me and understood what it meant to go through real adversity.
I told them that having the right attitude when faced with tough times will help get through it — that tough times do not build character, but rather, reveal it.
I told them that if they don’t believe that they can win against an opponent, they won't.
I told them many things, but most importantly, I told them that no matter what they did on the football field to give all that they had. So that when they look back many years later, they can remember about what was, and not ever have to think, "what if."
As a speaker, you can only hope that maybe something you said will get through, will help them be better, work harder, appreciate more.
I admitted to them that I was a Jayhawk, and talking to them was a real treat for me.
Now let’s watch and see how the season turns out.