Gold Rush

In 1969, a 22-year-old college student, nine credit hours shy of graduating, accepted an offer to become the head football coach at John Curtis Christian High School – the school his father, John Curtis Sr., had founded eight years earlier in River Ridge, La. It was a dream come true for the young coach, and he eagerly arrived that summer to meet with players and organize a weight program. The summer wound down, and on the first day of practice, he showed up with 35 carefully prepared notebooks, one for each of his players. Six players attended that first practice. Disappointed, the coach headed to his father’s office in search of advice. “Daddy, what do you think I should do,” the coach asked. “I only had six guys here today, the first day of practice.” Never looking up from what he was doing, Curtis Sr. told his son to get on the phone and make some calls. That was the