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The NFL world is mourning the loss of legendary coach, Don Shula. However, some choose to remember him for all his best moments and positive memories. NFL correspondent, Jeff Darlington fondly reminisced one particular story revolving around Shula. Back at St. Thomas Aquinas, the college often had more than a hundred players training, as there was no roster cap.

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However, one morning, a potential recruit happened to sleep in, and practically lowered his chances. However, he tried to be extremely daring and sneaked onto the field in the middle of practice. To really sell the stunt, the player cut through the woods near the practice area, over a fence and tried to squeeze into the huddle.

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Around this time, three offensive downs had taken place, and the player figured that Don Shula was none the wiser. Unfortunately for him, Shula smelt a rat and locked onto the straggler. After three more downs, the guilty man thought that he was home free, but Don Shula elected to strike.

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Don Shula busted the player

When he called out the player, he called out, “Hey you! I see you, I saw you and you’re cut, not get off this field right now!”. However, the smart alec tried one last trick and trudged towards the locker rooms. Sadly for the player, Shula wasn’t fooled, “No, no, no! You’re going back the way you came!”

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The now humiliated player was forced to climb back over the fence, back through the woods and back home. Suffice to say, he went with his tail between his legs. Of course, this just goes to show that Don Shula is a tough taskmaster and does not tolerate slackers. Sadly, nobody will ever know if that player ever got a second chance. If he did, he would ensure that he never overslept again

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Dhruv George

14,873 Articles

Dhruv George is EssentiallySports’ foremost authority on motorsport and a founding member of the outlet’s NASCAR desk. A Journalism graduate fluent in English and French, he brings over eight years of motorsports journalism experience covering everything from high-octane NASCAR battles to the finesse of Formula 1 and MotoGP. His extensive paddock access has earned him exclusive interviews with top names such as F1’s Pierre Gasly and Moto2’s Tony Arbolino, cementing his reputation as a trusted voice among racing fans. Known for his candid opinions, Dhruv isn’t afraid to tackle contentious officiating calls, most recently defending Joey Logano after the DYL penalty in Phoenix. Before focusing on NASCAR as a Senior Writer, Dhruv contributed extensively to EssentiallySports’ coverage of F1 and NASCAR, building a versatile and impactful sports portfolio.

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