Gophers' PJ Fleck has players wear 75-pound backpacks in nod to September 11 firefighters

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BleedGopher

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Per Joe:

On the night before the 22nd anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, Minnesota Golden Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck had players wear 75-pound backpacks in a nod to the firefighters who put their lives on the line to save people trapped in the burning World Trade Center towers.

"This is not life and death. This is football. They had to give the command to actually go up in the buildings with 75-pounds apiece on their back going up 90 floors. So we kind of did an example of us, just kind of had a backpack of what 75 pounds feels like," Fleck said Monday. "Carry that 90 floors up knowing that's probably the last time you're going to see your family, the last time you're going to your kids, last time you're going to hug your wife. That was the last time that morning to a lot of people and their families."

Fleck had the team watch a segment honoring NYFD that aired on 60 Minutes Sunday evening.

"I wanted to make sure I shared that with them because you're constantly giving perspective as a leader, not to say you have it better than someone else. I don't believe that because I think everybody's own issues are their own issues and no issues are bigger than somebody else's issues. I'm a firm believer in that with mental health," Fleck said. "But we play a game and we get a little tired here and there."

Fleck asked players what floor they stay on in the Gophers' field house and asked if they take the stairs or elevator.

"OK, here's 75 pounds on your back," said Fleck, then imaging what it would be like to climb stairs 90 floors while knowing "you're never going to come back home."

"Would you do it?" asked Fleck.

"They all did it for the people that told them to go do it. They did it for those families. They didn't do it in fear of it. And that's leadership at its finest. And that's hard to swallow because there were so many people – 2,997 people – killed that day. Just a really powerful day for us to remember how grateful we should be for all the things that we do have. We're not perfect. The country's not perfect, but we do have a lot to be grateful for."


Go Gophers!!
 

Good on PJ. For many of us born after the Vietnam War, this was one of the most, if not the most, defining day of our lives. Yet, while I was keenly aware of such events as the Vietnam War, Pearl Harbor, and other era defining events, I find that younger generations are barely cognizant of 9/11 and its aftermath. Include my 15 and 13 year olds in that class. I have my suspicions why (which I'll spare this forum) but the history books make scant mention of it and teachers don't cover it. Only a handful of PJ's squad would have been born by 9/11 and certainly none even recognize the effect it had on our everyday lives and it is good that it should remain part of our collective memories.
 


GophersInIowa said:
It's crazy to think about that most players on the team weren't even born when this happened.
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I'm sure CrAB was in middle school... I kid, I kid.

It sure does feel like yesterday. I am 39 and was a senior in high school on 9/11. I can't remember flying in the old days and what it was like. Definitely one of the only true "where were you moments" of my lifetime.
 

I was living in Maple Grove and commuted to Bloomington. It was the eeriest drive ever. Nobody was interested in getting to work in a hurry!
 


Swede said:
Good on PJ. For many of us born after the Vietnam War, this was one of the most, if not the most, defining day of our lives. Yet, while I was keenly aware of such events as the Vietnam War, Pearl Harbor, and other era defining events, I find that younger generations are barely cognizant of 9/11 and its aftermath. Include my 15 and 13 year olds in that class. I have my suspicions why (which I'll spare this forum) but the history books make scant mention of it and teachers don't cover it. Only a handful of PJ's squad would have been born by 9/11 and certainly none even recognize the effect it had on our everyday lives and it is good that it should remain part of our collective memories.
Click to expand...
I do wonder how much of that is that curriculum hasn't caught up with the fact that the kids now in school were born afterward, and don't have a memory of it.

Like, when I was in school, it would be kinda redundant to cover it, because we all lived through it and it's aftermath. But that changed about a decade ago, and it can take a while for something like that to catch up.

Not to mention, a lot of schools still use outdated history books, but have to "teach to the book". I was in high school 2010-2014 and our world history textbook was from the mid 90s, because of that, our class only covered history up to that point.
 

MNfootballfan said:
It sure does feel like yesterday. I am 39 and was a senior in high school on 9/11. I can't remember flying in the old days and what it was like. Definitely one of the only true "where were you moments" of my lifetime.
Click to expand...
I had Sportscenter on and my mom called and asked if I heard the news and I thought she was talking about Michael Jordan coming back to play in the NBA.
 

Taji34 said:
I was in high school 2010-2014 and our world history textbook was from the mid 90s, because of that, our class only covered history up to that point.
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What school did you go to lol? I don't ever remember a history class even getting into the 20th century haha.
 

Taji34 said:
I do wonder how much of that is that curriculum hasn't caught up with the fact that the kids now in school were born afterward, and don't have a memory of it.

Like, when I was in school, it would be kinda redundant to cover it, because we all lived through it and it's aftermath. But that changed about a decade ago, and it can take a while for something like that to catch up.

Not to mention, a lot of schools still use outdated history books, but have to "teach to the book". I was in high school 2010-2014 and our world history textbook was from the mid 90s, because of that, our class only covered history up to that point.
Click to expand...
Hey, at least your history books told you there were 50 states and not 48...
 



GopherTheJugular said:
What school did you go to lol? I don't ever remember a history class even getting into the 20th century haha.
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St. Paul Central, lol. We got to WWII at a normal pace, and then I think from then to the "end" of the textbook was covered in like a few weeks? I don't remember, and that teacher was awful anyway.
 

Taji34 said:
I do wonder how much of that is that curriculum hasn't caught up with the fact that the kids now in school were born afterward, and don't have a memory of it.

Like, when I was in school, it would be kinda redundant to cover it, because we all lived through it and it's aftermath. But that changed about a decade ago, and it can take a while for something like that to catch up.

Not to mention, a lot of schools still use outdated history books, but have to "teach to the book". I was in high school 2010-2014 and our world history textbook was from the mid 90s, because of that, our class only covered history up to that point.
Click to expand...
I think the bigger problem would be the scholarship has not had proper time to step back and evaluate.

Good history takes time. And you wouldn’t want noise/bias creeping into the work.
 


Swede said:
Good on PJ. For many of us born after the Vietnam War, this was one of the most, if not the most, defining day of our lives. Yet, while I was keenly aware of such events as the Vietnam War, Pearl Harbor, and other era defining events, I find that younger generations are barely cognizant of 9/11 and its aftermath. Include my 15 and 13 year olds in that class. I have my suspicions why (which I'll spare this forum) but the history books make scant mention of it and teachers don't cover it. Only a handful of PJ's squad would have been born by 9/11 and certainly none even recognize the effect it had on our everyday lives and it is good that it should remain part of our collective memories.
Click to expand...
Just asked my high school age son and he said they talked about it today in his social studies class.
 



Taji34 said:
I do wonder how much of that is that curriculum hasn't caught up with the fact that the kids now in school were born afterward, and don't have a memory of it.

Like, when I was in school, it would be kinda redundant to cover it, because we all lived through it and it's aftermath. But that changed about a decade ago, and it can take a while for something like that to catch up.

Not to mention, a lot of schools still use outdated history books, but have to "teach to the book". I was in high school 2010-2014 and our world history textbook was from the mid 90s, because of that, our class only covered history up to that point.
Click to expand...
When I was 15, the Vietnam War was over for 21 years. It was in the history books. 9/11 was 22 years ago.
 

Taji34 said:
I do wonder how much of that is that curriculum hasn't caught up with the fact that the kids now in school were born afterward, and don't have a memory of it.

Like, when I was in school, it would be kinda redundant to cover it, because we all lived through it and it's aftermath. But that changed about a decade ago, and it can take a while for something like that to catch up.

Not to mention, a lot of schools still use outdated history books, but have to "teach to the book". I was in high school 2010-2014 and our world history textbook was from the mid 90s, because of that, our class only covered history up to that point.
Click to expand...

You’re giving too much credence to text books when every piece of information ever recorded is available with a few clicks on a computer. Any teacher worth their weight in lunch room Mac and cheese can access lesson plans and information regarding 9/11
 

UpAndUnder43 said:
You’re giving too much credence to text books when every piece of information ever recorded is available with a few clicks on a computer. Any teacher worth their weight in lunch room Mac and cheese can access lesson plans and information regarding 9/11
Click to expand...
I mean, I agree, in this day and age any good teacher will use everything available to them to teach.

The same was mostly true when I was in high school, and the younger teachers certainly took advantage of the internet and technology effectively. The older teachers on the other hand, mostly taught solely from the textbook.
 

Taji34 said:
I mean, I agree, in this day and age any good teacher will use everything available to them to teach.

The same was mostly true when I was in high school, and the younger teachers certainly took advantage of the internet and technology effectively. The older teachers on the other hand, mostly taught solely from the textbook.
Click to expand...

Internet existed but not in the capacity it does now when I was still book learning.
 


BleedGopher said:
Per Joe:

On the night before the 22nd anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, Minnesota Golden Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck had players wear 75-pound backpacks in a nod to the firefighters who put their lives on the line to save people trapped in the burning World Trade Center towers.

"This is not life and death. This is football. They had to give the command to actually go up in the buildings with 75-pounds apiece on their back going up 90 floors. So we kind of did an example of us, just kind of had a backpack of what 75 pounds feels like," Fleck said Monday. "Carry that 90 floors up knowing that's probably the last time you're going to see your family, the last time you're going to your kids, last time you're going to hug your wife. That was the last time that morning to a lot of people and their families."

Fleck had the team watch a segment honoring NYFD that aired on 60 Minutes Sunday evening.

"I wanted to make sure I shared that with them because you're constantly giving perspective as a leader, not to say you have it better than someone else. I don't believe that because I think everybody's own issues are their own issues and no issues are bigger than somebody else's issues. I'm a firm believer in that with mental health," Fleck said. "But we play a game and we get a little tired here and there."

Fleck asked players what floor they stay on in the Gophers' field house and asked if they take the stairs or elevator.

"OK, here's 75 pounds on your back," said Fleck, then imaging what it would be like to climb stairs 90 floors while knowing "you're never going to come back home."

"Would you do it?" asked Fleck.

"They all did it for the people that told them to go do it. They did it for those families. They didn't do it in fear of it. And that's leadership at its finest. And that's hard to swallow because there were so many people – 2,997 people – killed that day. Just a really powerful day for us to remember how grateful we should be for all the things that we do have. We're not perfect. The country's not perfect, but we do have a lot to be grateful for."


Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

Here is Ben Utecht & Dan Nystrom singing the National Anthem before the first game post-9/11. (This is the infamous end zone paint Purdue game)

 

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