Fansided

20 college football moments that deserve to be made into movies

By John Buhler

04 JAN 2006: Vince Young (10) of the University of Texas rushes for a big gain against the University of Southern California during the BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. Texas defeated USC 41-38 for the national title. Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
04 JAN 2006: Vince Young (10) of the University of Texas rushes for a big gain against the University of Southern California during the BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. Texas defeated USC 41-38 for the national title. Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images /
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MUNCIE, IN – NOVEMBER 01: Head coach PJ Fleck of the Western Michigan Broncos seen during the game against the Ball State Cardinals at Scheumann Stadium on November 1, 2016 in Muncie, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
MUNCIE, IN – NOVEMBER 01: Head coach PJ Fleck of the Western Michigan Broncos seen during the game against the Ball State Cardinals at Scheumann Stadium on November 1, 2016 in Muncie, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

4. Row the Damn Boat

P.J. Fleck will begin his first season as the head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Big Ten in 2017. He’s only 36 years old, but how did this unknown head coach get a Power 5 job that quickly? His 2016 Western Michigan Broncos rowed the damn boat to get that Group of 5 nod in the New Year’s Six last year. That’s how.

Fleck played wide receiver for the Northern Illinois Huskies in the early 200s before being a practice squad player for a couple of years for Mike Nolan’s San Francisco 49ers. He would begin his coaching career as a graduate assistant for Jim Tressel’s Ohio State Buckeyes in 2006.

Fleck would suffer the loss of a young son before becoming the head coach of the Western Michigan football team in 2012. His personal mantra of row the boat is about working hard every day despite not knowing what lies ahead of you in your life. Together, in that row boat, a team can achieve great things.

Western Michigan football rose to new heights in 2016. The Broncos went undefeated during the regular season with big non-conference wins over Illinois and Northwestern. With the help of All-American wide receiver Corey Davis, the Broncos would beat the Ohio Bobcats to win the MAC Championship to earn the Group of 5 bid to the New Year’s Six last year.

Though Fleck would lose his final game at Western Michigan to the Wisconsin Badgers in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, his message of row the boat taught us all valuable life lessons in a shockingly unforgettable year in Broncos football. It’ll be interesting to see how he does in Minneapolis for the Golden Gophers.

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