THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 17, 1994 TAG: 9408170527
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C01 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
A scouting report from Norcom's first day of football practice: improved strength and stamina, better physical condition and excellent speed.
And that's just the head coach.
``Did you see me running the sprints?'' Greyhounds' head coach Joe Langston said after leading the Greyhounds through a more than two-hour workout, the first of two on Norcom's opening day of practice Monday. ``I think I got about six in.''
Langston, in his 21st year at Norcom, favors a hands-on approach. Still, to see him bounding up and down Norcom's practice field Monday was significant.
At the beginning of this year it wasn't certain that Langston would be on the field at all.
It was a tough off-season for championship football coaches. Former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson got into a much-publicized spat with his owner and stepped down shortly after leading the team to its second straight Super Bowl title.
Florida State's Bobby Bowden was still basking in the glow of the Seminoles' first national college title when a variety of published reports began threatening to eat away at the integrity of his program.
But these problems paled in comparison to what happened to Langston, 52, who underwent three-and-a-half hour emergency surgery for a life-threatening stomach aneurysm in January, a little more than a month after leading the Greyhounds to the Division 5 state football title.
Langston had complained of stomach problems last August, and underwent a physical three months later. But he didn't realize the seriousness of his condition until it was almost too late, in part because the physical turned up nothing, but also, he said, because of a macho football mentality he had developed over the years.
``I thought I was supposed to be tough,'' he said. ``Now, I'm just thankful the Lord has blessed me to be able to overcome it. And I don't think He left me here not to continue to do things for someone else.''
As recently as June, Langston said publicly he was still undecided about whether he would return as Norcom's coach. But now that he's back at the helm of the Greyhounds, Langston says there was never really any doubt.
``Oh, no, I was going to be coaching, even if I had to coach a hospital team,'' he said.
The Greyhounds weren't surprised to see their coach up to his old tricks Monday, either.
``Even when he was sick, he was always talking to us,'' Norcom running back Rudy Howard said. ``He told us he'd be back, no matter what.''
At a glance, there is little difference between Langston pre- and post-illness, and he said he's never had to worry about trying to contain a Mike Ditka-style temper come game night.
``That's not me,'' he said. ``You might see me getting kind of tense (at practices) during the week. But on game night, hey, the hay's already in the barn. A whole lot of yelling and screaming isn't going to get it done.''
The changes in Langston since the illness are subtle - he says he eats better, is in better shape and will no longer wind down from a practice by lighting up a cigarette.
``No smoking for me anymore,'' Langston said.
Meanwhile, the words which come from his mouth sound like typical Langston - relating coaching to what he sees as its larger role in helping shape the community and, of course, talking Norcom football.
``I know we lost a lot from last year, but what a lot of people don't realize is that it's a much harder job to combine talent from different schools, getting them to work together and avoiding jealousies,'' Langston said. ``That was a major, major concern last year.''
But that's about all Langston wants to say about last year's team, a devastatingly effective group which shut out nine of its 14 opponents on its way to a perfect season. Langston has even given up wearing his 1993 state championship ring.
``That team got rings,'' he said. ``This team has rings to get.''
Then he pointed to a statement on the chalkboard in the school's weight room: ``At I.C. Norcom, success is not optional.''
``We struggled for a long time to get here,'' Langston said. ``I have no intention of letting it slip away.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff color photos by MOTOYA NAKAMURA
Norcom coach Joe Langston exhorts his defending champion Greyhounds,
above, and then leads them in a post-practice prayer after Monday's
workout. Langston had surgery for a stomach aneurysm in Januray.
Staff photo by MOTOYA NAKAMURA
Joe Langston, who has been a coach at I.C. Norcom for 21 years,
favors a hands-on approach.
by CNB