What started as just a thought has turned into a reality for Winona Christian’s Junior Graham with his second annual Football and Fellowship clinic.
Graham will host the clinic for the second straight year this Friday and feature a host football coaches from around the state, highlighted by Mississippi legends Bobby Hall and John Bond.
The clinic was born as a COVID idea but Graham said it goes much farther than that.
“As much as coaching is getting better, the fellowship is getting much worse,” Graham said. “I can remember when my best friends were not just my coaches on my staff but my fellow peers. I can’t say that now. I don’t know if its pressure to win or what. Coaches aren’t as close as they once were. We don’t have as many clinics as we used to have. We used to have a lot of small clinics and then they turned into a money-making business and that cut a lot of folks out.”
Graham said when the Mississippi Association of Coaches cancelled their clinic, he took the idea to his board.
“It was kind of a COVID thing last year,” Graham said. “I wanted our football coaches to go to a clinic when they cancelled the state clinic. I had already been thinking about doing this so I just did it. Our board gave me permission to use our facility and opened it up to public and private. I wanted to let people know that we are not all bad on either side and that’s the way we are viewed. When you get down to it, we are football coaches.”
Last year, Graham said around 80 coaches showed up, even with the pandemic in full swing. He expects a larger crowd this year.
“It was better than I ever dreamed it would be,” Graham said. “We had some good speakers. Last year, I had ties with all of those guys and knew I could get them at the last minute. This year’s group of speakers is a bigger variety and we are coming from the Delta to the metro area. I eventually want to reach out to some coaches in southern Mississippi. They want to talk football and this is a no-frill event. No door prizes, it’s 100 percent football and a good meal.”
The clinic will open at 8 a.m. as Graham makes introductions and will “coach speak” will start at 8:15 with Carroll Academy coach Bo Milton. He will be followed by Jim Wood, Henry Johnson and the morning session will finish with legendary Mississippi High School coach Bobby Hall, father of Southern Miss head football coach Will Hall.
An addition to last year’s clinic, lunch will be provided, sponsored by Farm Bureau agent Joey Johnson, local farmer Walker Oliver and local businessman Ricky Rawles. Lunch will be from 11:30 to 12:50.
The afternoon session will start with Indianola Academy coach Tommy Nester and be followed by Matt McCrory, former Mississippi State quarterback John Bond and finish with Graham.
“We had 80 something people last year and I think we will surpass that this year,” Graham said. “With Bobby and John’s entertainment value, I think we will draw a good crowd. I think we have a solid lineup.”
