How Can I Get 1% Better Today?
THE ANSWER: Be More Like My Friend Kevin Worrell.
Twenty Five years ago, we hired Kevin at Kosciusko High School in Mississippi. I didn’t know him before that first day, but it didn’t take long to figure out exactly what we had. He quickly became my right-hand man — and honestly, one of the most important people I’ve ever coached alongside.
Kevin grew up in Fentress, Mississippi. If you’ve never heard of it, I’ll give you a pass. Fentress is a suburb of Ackerman, which has a population of about 1,500. So Fentress? That’s a stretch. Let’s just say he grew up with wide open space, hard work, and doing things the right way — and it shows in everything he does.
Kevin is what I call a foxhole guy. That’s the highest compliment I know how to give. He’s the man you want beside you when things get hard and the outcome is uncertain. If Kevin has a job on your team, you don’t have to think about that job again — it’s handled.
Here’s what always stood out about him:
Industrious. When everyone else sat down, Kevin went to work.
Tough. He may or may not have pulled a group at halftime to do tackling drills in the dark. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.
Disciplined. He won Teacher of the Year as a Biology teacher. That’s no accident. How you do anything is how you do everything — and Kevin lives that.
Committed. If he told you he’d take care of something, you could wipe it from your memory. Done.
Faith-driven. Kevin served others in his daily walk. He’d give you the shirt off his back and never mention it again.
Consistent. He showed up every single day — no exceptions, no excuses.
Big-hearted. He had a heart the size of the sun.
Here’s the story that says it all.
Friday nights are long days for a high school football coach. After a game, every instinct you have is to sit down, exhale, and let it go for a while. I remember coming in from a Friday night game and asking, “Where’s Coach Worrell?”
The answer was always the same: “He’s in the weight room — sweeping it out.”
Every Friday. Without being asked. Without an audience. Without a word about it.
After a few weeks, I stopped asking. I already knew where he was. Kevin saw something that needed to be done, and he did it. That’s who he is.
If this world had more Kevin Worrells in it, it would be a much better place. Kevin — you are a DUDE in every sense of the word. Thank you for being a foxhole guy for me and for everyone lucky enough to know you. I appreciate you more than you know.
Now get to work.
— Coach John Perry | Never Stop Getting Better