Congressman turns coach to help son's football team
TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- There's no executive treatment, just<br>teen-age sweat as U.S. Rep. Steve Largent is back on the football<br>field to share Hall-of-Fame moves with his son's high school team.<br>
Thursday, August 26th 1999, 12:00 am
By: News On 6
TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- There's no executive treatment, just teen-age sweat as U.S. Rep. Steve Largent is back on the football field to share Hall-of-Fame moves with his son's high school team.
Largent, R-Okla., said the hot, shirt-drenching days coaching at Metro Christian Academy are the perfect way to spend a congressional vacation.
Wearing a blue visor and red athletic shorts, he watched Wednesday as the freshman squad scrimmaged against the Patriots' arch rival, Holland Hall. He watched the other side as if they were a young pack of Democrats.
"Hey, that side is yours to cover, OK?" Largent yelled to one of his players.
"There you go, there you go," he said, nodding, as Metro Christian advanced on the next play.
Largent kept a special eye on his son, Kelly, as he played receiver -- just like dad.
"This is my chance to get into his world, so we can share the same language over the dinner table," Largent said. "But Kelly is like any teen-ager. He gets embarrassed when his parents are around."
But Largent isn't any parent.
He has been running plays with the varsity team and sharing tips that helped him get selected to the Pro Bowl seven times and set NFL receiving records. And it was just across town Largent started at the University of Tulsa and went on to play 14 seasons professionally with the Seattle Seahawks.
Metro Christian head coach Shawn Booth said he was kind of intimidated at first coaching with Largent.
"When he called me I was kinda shocked, then I started thinking, how many kids across the nation could have a Hall of Famer receiver on their coaching staff?" Booth said. "Now he's just Coach Largent."
Almost never missing a practice, Largent said the game his pretty much the same as when he played -- still blocking and tackling.
And he can still keep up with the high schoolers on the field.
But, Largent said, it is his role that has changed.
"I'm a cheerleader now," he said.
Get The Daily Update!
Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News on 6 delivered right to your inbox!