During his post-game press conference, Mark Pope was asked about a private, one-on-one conversation he was seen having with Otega Oweh, who has been struggling, during practice.
His answer turned into a fantastic, passionate rant about Tom Brady and Michael Vick, and it was a clear, pointed message for Oweh and the rest of the team about identity and being true to who you are.
“I want them to embrace who they are... They have very, very special unique quantifiable skill sets. And I want them to use them, I want them to celebrate them... I want them to love their game,” Pope said.
He then explained how even he, as a coach, can get distracted trying to be something he's not. That's when he dropped the perfect analogy, which felt aimed directly at a player like Oweh, who has struggled to find his role.
You're Tom Brady, don't try to be Michael Vick
“The anecdote I shared with the guys is like if Tom Brady was really upset that Michael Vick, people thought he was a better running quarterback. Tom Brady said, ‘you know what, I’m just going to run every time so I can prove that I am a great running quarterback.’ Nobody wants to see that, right?”
Tom Brady ran a 5.12 40 yard dash at age 46, which is impressive, but Michael Vick was running 4.33 when he broke in. So you can see, how Brady may struggle if he decides he is going to run it every time. He is losing his advantage as a player by being something he isn't.
This is Pope's entire philosophy in a nutshell. He is telling his players, and specifically Oweh, to stop worrying about their weaknesses and "grow your self," not lose it.
“Us understanding where we bring our special sauce to the team is really, really important... us knowing who we are and knowing what makes us special is really important.”
It was a brilliant piece of public coaching, a direct, supportive, and crystal-clear message to his star wing: be the best version of yourself, not a bad version of someone else. That is where the "special sauce" is made.
Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion