The Brain of Chaffey Football
By:Charles Okpala
Robert Hadaway. Photo by Kyle Smith.
Finally finding them time to interview the head coordinator of the Chaffey College football team Robert Hadaway, It was very apparent that he was excited about this interview, but busy, as he had a meeting rather soon, and this was the only time that he could see me. This is a testament to how busy this man is, having to juggle such an intense schedule while also focusing on making sure the team is in tip top performance.
Hadaway said he thinks of the team for this coming season and he went into great detail about the legacy that the team of last season established for this season. He spoke of how last season they set a standard as this underground team that came from nowhere but became kings. He continued:
“We didn’t ask to stand on the shoulder of giants, but our feet are already planted here.”
Hadaway went to explain how everyone is gunning for Chaffey Panthers, for being the big dogs on the block. He spoke with a sense of pride being the team that everyone wanted to rip off their pedestal. Currently they are 4-0, meaning they are undefeated after four hard fought games. He tells me he was at this school for over ten years and he was many players become all stars from the hard work they put into being Chaffey football players.
At this point, it was clear that the love this man has for football explained how he could dedicate himself so much to Chaffey College for every 10 years, teaching and coaching for this establishment. He puts his heart and soul into the game, leaving late at night, just to wake up and start this process all over again. This dedication was another source of conversation as he elaborated why he loved this game so much.
Hadaway spoke of how stuck he would have felt if he had become a construction worker, no merit to his hard work just a paycheck to get him by. He decided that life was not for him, and chose a path that led him to playing football. He was not the biggest nor the strongest player, but he was the most diligent.
His IQ on the football field made him a huge factor on his victories growing up as a football player. This mentality of understanding your assignments on the football field was something that came from his upbringing as a player and has led to many victories for his team. He is a man that teaches what he preaches, which is a quality of an upstanding adult.