“Big Gravy get over here.” was the first thing I heard my new coach speak as I walk onto the football field. It was the summer going into my sophomore year in High school, as I was just informed by my head coach that I was moving up to play Varsity football instead of Junior Varsity. As I walk onto the field I see Joe Panos my new Varsity coach look me dead in the eyes and belch “Big Gravy get over here.” I Stand there stunned as I question who he is talking about. I ask “Who? Me?” As Joe looks at me he yells, “who else would I be looking at.” If only I realised that this would be the nickname that stuck with me for years to come.

Joe Panos is like looking at a man the size of a train, he is 6’3 and weighs in at 300 pounds. Joe also used to be a professional football player as a offensive lineman for the Philadelphia Eagles and then the Buffalo Bills with his career totaling seven seasons. After his football career Joe Panos wasn't even close to being done with football, after he retired he became an agent and advised players contracts. Joe then went on to Coaching his son's High School football team that I was just fortunate enough to be on.

Coach Panos was the most experienced hands on coach I have ever had.Coach Panos had seven years of experince playing in the NFL which he then passed down to every single althlete he came in contact with. Coach Panos even found a way to make running sprints more enjoyable by encouraging us and pushing everyone to their limits. There was not a single day that I didn’t want to be at football practice all because of Joe Panos.

There is no other coach in the world that comes to practice with a better attitude looking into the future. I have never had a coach so willing to share their experience, I remember looking forward to practice waiting for coach Panos to tell us another on of his stories about the opponents he faced in the heart of the battle. He was never the coach to just yell at you, he would make sure no matter what you messed up that he would make sure you got back in there and did it the right way. Those are the reasons why Joe Panos is not only an amazing coach but an amazing educator and I will always be thankful for the opportunity to be on such an amazing team with the best position coach.