The college football world was hit by one of the worst news stories as it lost the legendary college football head coach, Lou Holtz. A certified sideline icon, Holtz left an everlasting imprint on Notre Dame football. Holtz also won hearts as an ESPN analyst. But not many knew that the 89-year-old was a magician known for his newspaper trick. 

Lou Holtz’s famous newspaper magic trick and its meaning 

Back in 2019, Holtz was invited to address the Texas Longhorns football team. He took the stage, holding a newspaper in his hand. Holtz first started by ripping off the pages one by one while keeping his commentary on to entertain the audience.

“Just like any other newspaper, you have the front page for people who want to read the news,” Holtz kept on making fun of the different sections. “You have the comic for people who can’t read. And you have the editorial page for people who can’t think.”

He proceeded to rip the newspaper into straight strips right in front of the audience while gathering the shredded strips in his fist. And at the end, Holtz beautifully brought together the crumpled pieces, and when he showed it to the audience, the newspaper was perfectly intact. Interestingly, Hotlz turned his newspaper trick to motivate others.

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Why did Lou Holtz use the newspaper trick in his motivational speeches? 

Holtz held the head coaching throne in Notre Dame for ten long years from 1986 to 1996. Before that, he had head coaching stints at NC State, New York Jets, and Arkansas, and finally wrapped up his head coaching journey with South Carolina in 2004. So, having decades of head coaching experience, Holtz must have come across many adversities that shaped him. Being the creative mind he had, he turned his experience to guide the young players. That’s when he thought of seeking the help of the newspaper trick. 

“But you can’t let people tear you up,” said Holtz while showing the newspaper trick in the Texas camp. “You can’t let people destroy you. You can’t let people say you aren’t going to be great. Don’t ever let anybody tell you you can’t do something.”

Putting the tattered pieces in place showed that when you stay positive and fix your mindset, you can turn rock bottom into a reset button. Not just the newspaper, Holtz came up with the most important advice in the simplest way. 

“Don’t complicate it,” advised the legend at the Players’ Dinner for the 2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Saucon Valley Country Club. “Do you realize there are only five colors in a rainbow? That’s all, five. Think what Michelangelo did with those five colors. There are only seven musical notes. Seven! Look at what Beethoven did with those seven musical notes. So I try to keep life simple.”

Not just motivating others, he lived by his words himself. Holtz spent his morning playing golf, then spent time with his children and family, and bonded over family meetings at 9 p.m.  

How does Lou Holtz’s newspaper trick work? 

Apparently, Hotlz’s newspaper trick might seem as if he possessed some supernatural powers, but that’s not the case. Exact mechanics vary by performer, but the core idea remains the same. The audience believes you are destroying a newspaper completely, but in reality, part of it remains intact and hidden.

Most versions rely on strategic folding and sometimes a duplicate or specially arranged section. These folds allow certain layers to be torn while others stay untouched. Since newspapers are thin, one can control which sections are actually being ripped. What makes it more convincing is the sound of the tear. 

The more convincing the destruction appears, the stronger the final reveal will be. After tearing, the pieces are gathered together, and while the audience sees them as loose scraps, it’s time for the restoration. Slowly, the crumpled pieces are unfolded, and the newspaper appears fully restored. The magic works because the audience never tracked the structure of the folds closely.

The fact that Lou Holtz used a simple magic trick to fire up his players says everything about the man. He was that carefree head coach. But when it came to achievements, he was all brilliance.