[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 6] [Senate] [Pages 8980-8981] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]TRIBUTE TO HOWARD SCHNELLENBERGER Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise today to thank my good friend Howard Schnellenberger for making University of Louisville football the success that it is, and wish him the best in his latest endeavor to build a completely new football program at Florida Atlantic University. Howard was the Cardinal's football coach for nine years and, when he left, had re-created the program to be unlike any the University of Louisville had ever seen. Howard didn't just talk about what he wanted to accomplish at U of L, he delivered. He recruited better players, he initiated plans for a brand new state-of-the-art stadium, and most importantly he inspired a kind of spirit in the Cardinals' faculty, fans and players that they had never experienced before. It was this winning spirit that helped Howard lead Cardinals football to its present glory. Howard believed in his team and his school, and set no meager goals for them. He wanted nothing less than to transform them from a team that hadn't had a winning season in years, to a team that would be a legitimate bowl contender. While U of L may still have some progress to make, the Cards have played in, and won, several bowl games in recent years--and for that, Howard is largely responsible. I have no doubt that Howard will have as significant an effect on Florida Atlantic University as he had on U of L. Howard will have a chance to build this program from the ground-up--as of yet, FAU doesn't even have a team. As FAU's Director of Football Operations, Howard will hand-pick the staff and the players and mold the football program in the likeness of his previous success stories. With Howard's track record, FAU can expect an exciting program that will build steadily toward future success. Thank you, Howard, for your nine years of dedicated service to the University of Louisville, which resulted in a winning team and a top- quality program. Five years after your departure, your spirit continues to drive the Cardinals football program toward victory. Best wishes at Florida Atlantic University, and may God bless you and Beverlee in this exciting adventure. Mr. President, I ask to have printed in the Record a copy of a January 1999 article, ``The Louisville Prototype,'' which appeared in the FAU Sports Digest. The article follows. The Florida Atlantic Football Program Will Largely be Modeled After What Howard Schnellenberger Built at Louisville, a Program Which Might As Well Have Been Started From Scratch (By Ron Steiner) Louisville--At Miami, Coach Howard Schnellenberger revived a collegiate football program that was on the verge of extinction and won a national championship. Writers called that effort the ``Miracle of Miami.'' At Louisville, his hometown, Schnellenberger was the last hope for a program headed for the scrap heap. He built a team that went on to crush Alabama in the 20th Anniversary Fiesta Bowl, and that inspired construction of the school's first true on-campus stadium, a $68 million structure financed almost entirely by the fans. In Kentucky they call that effort ``The Miracle on Floyd St.'' For Howard Schnellenberger, today it is his blueprint. Now, the veteran coach is about to go for the hat trick by building a totally new collegiate football program at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton and much of what he does at FAU will be modeled after what was successful at Louisville, a program that might as well have been built from scratch. Based on Schnellenberger's track record, it's a safe bet that he has at least one more miracle tucked away some-where in the pocket of his blazer. Taking Miami to the title game and beating a legendary Nebraska team was improbable. But at least that school had played in big bowl games and had long-aspired to greatness. Tackling the job at Louisville, where basketball had been the only local sports language for decades? That was a massive undertaking the size of which even Schnellenberger had underestimated. After one of his first spring practices at Louisville, held long before the new freshmen could arrive, Schnellenberger called a staff member to his office. The coach was slumped in his chair. He looked tired, disturbed and suddenly very gray. ``Did you see that practice? Did you see that?'' he asked as if he were recounting a nightmare. ``What in the world have we gotten ourselves into here?'' There was no answer. No one, not even a veteran coach like Schnellenberger, could have known how hard it was going to be, or how much work there was to be done or even what unexpected obstacles, both seen and unseen, would be thrown into the path of progress. But he pressed on with the same confidence, singleness of purpose and unceasing energy that he's armed with at Florida Atlantic. At Louisville, it was a dream of Top-25 rankings, national television appearances, home sellouts, bowl bids and a new stadium, that kept the Cardinal football family going during the early years. Back in 1985, when the Cards opened their first season under Schnellenberger at West Virginia, the lineup was iffy to say the least. One starting defensive back was a freshman who had played quarterback in high school, and the other corner was a freshman who had played middle guard as a prep player. One of the starting defensive tackles was a freshman who had never lined up in a three-point stance in his life. The Louisville Cardinals were simply outmanned and that was the way things were going to be for a while. Today, thanks largely to Schnellenberger's efforts, the Cards are fresh off their third bowl game in the '90s, and their facilities draw raves from the likes of award-winning quarterback Cade McNown. In town recently to receive the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as the nation's top senior quarterback, McNown raved about the new stadium and football complex. ``I only wish we had facilities like these at UCLA,'' McNown said. It wasn't that way when Schnellenberger toiled to jump- start the program. Back then, summer preseason practice sessions were held on the school's suburban campus where grass fields were watered by garden hoses and makeshift, homemade sprinklers. There weren't many players on the team to start with and when some got a close look at the new way of doing things, there were fewer. During the season, seven huge linemen would meet with their assistant coaches in tiny 10-foot offices built for one. Back then, closets were cleaned out and transformed into offices. Walls were knocked down. Pictures and inspirational signs were nailed up. They cried out: ``Be Positive or Be Gone'' and ``It takes everyone to be No. 1'' and ``What have you done today to help Louisville win tomorrow?'' Back then, there were three phone lines for a 40-person staff. Coaches making recruiting calls and other staff members handling regular business would wait for a free line, like [[Page 8981]] contestants on a game show. When one of the three lights on the phone set would go dark, they would battle to see who could punch it up first. And back in '85, the foundation for a Top 25 contender was quietly being built in a small brick building on the property of the Kentucky Fairgrounds, among mules and jacks and the largest bulls you've ever seen. The University of Louisville was trying to recruit its stars of the future in the middle of mobile home shows, gun shows, flea markets, ice shows, and appropriately, the circus. As hard as it is to believe since Florida Atlantic doesn't even have a team yet, Schnellenberger will be dealing with a better hand in his role as Director of Football Operations. He'll oversee the construction of on-campus facilities and develop a program with a tremendous population base for recruiting, a great climate and instant visibility in a football-crazy state. There will be tough sledding, nonetheless. But they will be experiences with a blend of familiarity. It goes with the territory of building something that will last. At Louisville, there were plenty of times he would wonder. At times, he would go out on game day knowing as an expert that the other team would have to fumble four times and throw four interceptions if his team was to have a chance to even keep the score close. But the next day he would always return to his office before dawn, whistling, and with a new idea, something that needed fixing, a new phone call to make, something-- anything--that would bring progress that day. He hid his doubts very well. He had to. If the head coach didn't believe, then who else would? Back then, like now, there was something else, too. There was something very special that few modern-day teams ever experience. Adventure. There was a clear-cut goal of building a program that would some day challenge the nation's best and compete for a national title one day. And there was something new every day. There was a pioneer spirit that caught on. Recruiting was based on that premise: ``Sure, you can go to the established programs and be just another one of a long list of players at that school. Or you can come with us and make a major difference. You can come with us and help create something. It won't be easy. In fact, we guarantee it will probably be the hardest thing you will ever do. But you will be part of something truly special. Something important. Something lasting.'' Back in the early days at Louisville, and it will likely be the same if he chooses to coach at Florida Atlantic, there was little early prestige. But inside themselves, the players and fans who became close to the program began to share a new spirit. The early years were crazy for those close to the Cards. They were frustrating and fulfilling all at the same time, tiring and exhilarating all at once. Breaking down historic walls of resistance and preconceptions took time. Building up the program took strength. Together, new players, students, alumni, fans, staff and friends of the program, all who suffered and yet enjoyed those formative years, were drawn together at Louisville in a state known for basketball, in a stadium built for baseball, to create something new and special for collegiate football. Back then, they shared a dream. And they still do. For example, NFL All Pro defensive tackle Ted Washington of the Buffalo Bills, a Tampa native, recently recalled his playing days at Louisville under Schnellenberger. ``It seemed like every day we would hear the coach say his favorite saying--`To Believe is to be Strong.' At the time I guess I didn't understand what it meant,'' Washington said. ``But I do now, and a day doesn't go by that I don't use the phrase myself in football, in charity work and in working in the community.'' Washington is just one of three NFL stars who played at Louisville who have been selected to this year's Pro Bowl. New Orleans defensive end Joe Johnson and the Atlantic Falcons' defensive back Ray Buchanan were Schnellenberger recruits who bought into the dream of building a tough- minded, top-quality program. Perhaps the most dramatic example of the Schnellenberger magic is the sparkling new stadium that stands on the southernmost edge of the campus of the University of Louisville. At first, the idea of building a proud football program at Louisville and then the absolute best stadium in the state was mocked by some local writers who called it simply a pipe dream. After all, the future of Cardinal football was a fragile thing in the late 1980s. Again, there had been talk of de-emphasizing the sport, possibly dropping back to Division I-AA or disbanding completely. But then came Schnellenberger. And then came winning seasons, bowl victories and sellout crowds. If ever Louisville was going to fulfill its football destiny, if ever there was going to be a time to give the program a solid foundation for the future, the time had come. Schnellenberger's quiet belief was that once U of L and the Greater Louisville community committed to building a new stadium, and once that stadium was completed, there would be no turning back. Football would suddenly become more important than ever before, and have every possible chance to succeed as never before. From that point on, he reasoned, there would be a financial imperative to aim high and provide fans with quality schedules and competitive teams. Recruiting of coaches and players would be enhanced immediately and for decades to come. And finally, the Louisville football program and its deserving fans would have a first-class home to call their own. Today the stadium that Schnellenberger and his early recruits could only dream about is a reality. It is considered the finest, most fan-friendly college stadium in America today. It has a state-of-the-art playing surface, 42,000 chairback seats, a video replay board, corporate suites and a magnificent club level, all of which might make some NFL teams envious. But there's something much more important about the stadium in Louisville they call Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. It's a testimony to the Schnellenberger way of doing things. It's all about vision, hard work, persistence, dreaming and determination. Unlike many of the state of Kentucky's sports facilities, and many others around the nation, Louisville's new stadium is not a gift from the government. Instead it is certainly one of the most remarkable collegiate projects ever built--by and for the people. Schnellenberger had begun lobbying for a new stadium on Dec. 1, 1984, the day he took over the Cardinal program. But it took years to wade through administrative bureaucracies and to build a football team that would energize the community. As the program improved, fan interest grew. New attendance records were set. Top teams like Texas, Texas A&M, Florida, Florida State, Arizona State and Tennessee were scheduled. Winning seasons turned into near-perfect seasons. And then came decision time. When it became clear that a new stadium at Louisville would have to be built with private funds, skeptics chuckled. After all, no modern-day university had ever achieved such a feat. But on June 2, 1993, the overall plan for fans to fund the new stadium was in place. But no one knew for sure how the fans would react. That warm evening the U of L Athletic Department conducted its most amazing day of fund-raising ever. A kickoff party designed primarily as an information session, turned into a bonanza. Fans began writing checks. Big checks. And it was all the staff could do to keep up with the outpouring of support. On that pivotal day, Cardinal loyalists pledge more than $1 million. And suddenly, the effort had the momentum it needed. ``What happened that day and throughout the stadium campaign, was unprecedented in college sports,'' said Dean Billick, now athletic director at Lamar University in Texas who served as a consultant to the stadium drive for four months. ``The passion the U of L fans had for their program and for that project was remarkable. People were taking out second mortgages on their homes to be able to buy lifetime seats. Some people were making commitments that were probably beyond what they could afford. But their commitment to making the stadium happen is something I will never forget. After years of discussions and studies, the Louisville fans finally got their chance at bat, and they stepped up to the plate and hit a home run. It was simply amazing to see.'' In only four months, thousands of Louisville fans came together to commit nearly $15 million to the stadium project. They gave it life. Corporate and political leaders, knowing a winner when they saw one, jumped to the head of the victory parade and began to support the project. Others like Papa John's Pizza founder John Schnatter, saw it as a way for a hometown boy to give back to his community, and he pitched in $5 million. But without the fans some of whom pledged as little as $25 per year, and some who donated up to $25,000 per seat, Louisville's dream would never have happened. Their passion for both the project and the program was founded in being part of the dream from the very beginning. They had been there for those first practices and first games under their new coach. They had shared the tough times and later celebrated the good times together. And they had dared to dream together. As Louisville fans prepared for their bowl trip this year, local country singer Mickey Clark recorded a song to commemorate the Cardinals' successful season. The title? The Dream Lives On. It sure does. And that should be good news for Florida Atlantic fans who are about to embark on a dream of their own. They'll be doing so alongside that fellow named Schnellenberger, who might just make this new story he's working on the best one yet. ____________________