Before all the bureaucratic handshaking and parting of ways, the financial buyout and official announcement of the departure of Virginia football coach Al Groh, there was a moment. In 20 years of playing, watching and following sports, it was a moment that most acutely tapped into my sports psyche.
For the first nine minutes of his final postgame press conference, Groh discussed a couple critical plays that transformed what was a one-point game at halftime into a 42-13 loss to No. 14 Virginia Tech.
Senior quarterback Jameel Sewell's fumble off an errant option pitch to senior tailback Mikell Simpson that quickly led to a Hokie touchdown and eight-point lead. The fourth-and-7 situation from the Tech 45-yard line early in the fourth quarter in which Groh elected to punt, hoping his defense would get the ball back. The 15-yard personal foul that rendered the shift in field position irrelevant.
He lauded his players, particularly Sewell, who rushed for a career-high 104 yards despite a nagging shoulder injury. He wished he could have given the seniors a better farewell.
Then he addressed the elephant in the room. The moment arrived.
"Here's what I got for you," Groh said when asked if this was the last time he'd address the media as Virginia's coach. He began to read a poem, "The Guy in the Glass." Here are a few excerpts:
"When you get what you want in your struggle for self / And the world makes you King for a day, / then go to the mirror and look at yourself, / And see what that guy has to say.
He's the fellow to please - nevermind all the rest, / For he's with you clear up to the end. / And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test / If the guy in the glass is your friend.
You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years / And get pats on the back as you pass. / But your final reward will be heartache and tears / If you've cheated the guy in the glass."
Never thought I'd bear witness to a motivational speech from a guy who has coached in two Super Bowls.
Was the poem startling in its beautiful metaphors or sharp wit? Did it rival Yeats? Did it lead me to a stunning realization that my entire life is a lie? Was Groh even the original writer?
No. But I applaud the man for speaking from the heart, in a place where he's most vulnerable: surrounded by the media.
Sure, Groh received 'pats on the back' as the recipient of the 2002 and 2007 ACC Coach of the Year awards. But he also dealt with mounting negativity associated with three losing seasons in the last four years - the 'Groh Must Go!' chants that circulated on Grounds and disappointed alumni's similar sentiments. His speech suggests a man who has managed to shield himself from external pressure - both negative and positive - and focus on the task at hand. He had a sign on his desk that said, "Just coach the team" - and he did exactly that.
As it turns out, Groh read aloud the same words of wisdom to his team in an emotional locker room only minutes after the game had ended.
For the seniors who stepped out onto the field for the last time, Groh's words rang true.
"It's just something he's been contemplating about," fullback Rashawn Jackson said. "Coach Groh is a very educated man, he's very smart, he's very emotional. I think that poem really described it all - described his spirit, described how he felt. It really takes a big man to stand in front of a team and read something like that, and it was really moving for my teammates and I. Hopefully, hopefully I'll see him again."
For senior captain Aaron Clark, the speech was not simply a moment of self-reflection for Groh, but also advice for the entire team.
"Those are some real words," Clark said. "If you can't deal with yourself in a mirror, I don't know how you deal with your life. That's [advice for] everybody in the organization at this point."
Though Clark said Groh did not disclose to the team his future with the program, the message was evident to senior defensive end Nate Collins.
"It's a sad time," Collins said. "It's sad to see him go like this. Me and the seniors talked this week, we just trying to get this win, do everything we can to get this win for him ... It's just tough. I hope the best for coach Groh, I love coach Groh like he's a father."
Though Rashawn Jackson is Mel Kiper's No. 1 ranked fullback for the upcoming NFL Draft and may have plenty of football left in his career, his college coach's speech left a lasting impression on him. He even took a look in the mirror for himself.
"I liked what I saw, despite that I missed one cut that really - you know, I don't wanna use profanity," Jackson said, with a slight grin on his face. "But I played my heart out and my teammates appreciated that effort, and I appreciated their effort."
As Jackson - and the rest of the team - moves forward, he is sure to remember his final season with Groh.
"You can't stop progression, you have to move on," he said. "Things happen, it's how you respond. I'm planning on whatever my next step is gonna be from here is responding to what happened tonight. So we might have lost tonight, but I'm definitely not defeated."
For Sewell, who did not take a snap last year because of academic ineligibility, defeat was bearable knowing that he experienced it with the teammates he came back to play with for one final season.
The poem "was very relevant," Sewell said. "Just being able to look at that mirror and know that you weren't disappointed in what was lookin' you back in your face. I'm not disappointed, I don't regret anything. I felt like I gave it my all
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