mdpoke
09-19-2010, 06:16 PM
Rusty Hilger (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Rusty+Hilger&CATEGORY=PERSON) was born and raised in Oklahoma City (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Oklahoma+City&CATEGORY=CITY). He attended Southeast High School (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Southeast+High+School&CATEGORY=ORGANIZATION) and played quarterback at Oklahoma State University (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Oklahoma+State+University&CATEGORY=ORGANIZATION) before being drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Oakland+Raiders&CATEGORY=ORGANIZATION) in 1985. He spent eight years in the NFL (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=National+Football+League&CATEGORY=ORGANIZATION) with the Raiders, Detroit Lions (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Detroit+Lions&CATEGORY=ORGANIZATION), Indianapolis Colts (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Indianapolis+Colts&CATEGORY=ORGANIZATION) and Seattle Seahawks (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Seattle+Seahawks&CATEGORY=ORGANIZATION). He runs Rusty Hilger's Oklahoma (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Oklahoma&CATEGORY=STATE) Roofing in Oklahoma City.
I wasn't fast, I wasn't big, I wasn't strong, I was the furthest thing from an athlete than most people could understand. Even coming out of college, no one around me, including my coaching staff, would have considered I would have had any kind of career in the game.
I didn't have the confidence I could (play in the NFL). Even though, one of the things I live by today which I heard as a kid — which I thought was incredible — was, "There by the grace of God go I” and "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Even though I had those thoughts in my head, I didn't have those thoughts in my heart.
I'm not going to say I was a good player, but I know I never quit. When I got into the NFL, I asked, "Why me? How did I make it when nobody said I would?” When I got to the pros I was perceived as an overachiever, and that's what my coaching staff had labeled me to pro scouts.
I wasn't a blue chip recruit, I was the last scholarship given at Oklahoma State. And they didn't want to do that, the two kids they wanted went to other schools.
If you're a blue chip player, life is good. When you're the last man on the totem pole, things are tough. There's no slack given, no magic carpet ride. Every day is a struggle.
The biggest thing the NFL taught me is don't quit. If you have the most important thing, the desire, you can achieve what your mind thinks. If you can't think it, you can't achieve it. I really believed I could do it by the time I got to that level.
I have the highest regard for Al Davis (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Al+Davis&CATEGORY=PERSON). I could never answer a question he asked because he never asked it in a way that you could have a successful answer. I know he is the ultimate coach because of his mindset. He put so much pressure on all of his coaches and players to succeed, so much so that most who get to that age don't want to go work there. He puts pressure on you to continue to work when you're tired. When you have nothing else, he's going to put the pressure on you to keep going. He's not a guy who a top-level guy with an ego would want to go work for.
OSU was the most fun and most enjoyable time of my life. The OSU family was bigger than life, and we were able to get OSU to a position they hadn't achieved in years. It was the best of times and the worst of times. I had a few operations that were setbacks and a coaching staff that was trying to replace me all of the time. But in hindsight the OSU family is as tight to me today as any family I've ever had.
In 1988 with the Detroit Lions, I met Mouse Davis (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Mouse+Davis&CATEGORY=PERSON) and June Jones (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=June+Jones&CATEGORY=PERSON) and the run-and-shoot offense. After 22 years, a version of the run-and-shoot offense showed up in Stillwater (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Stillwater+%28Oklahoma%29&CATEGORY=CITY). I realized in 1988, that it was the most fantastic equalizer I had ever seen, and why wasn't everybody doing something close to it? These two were two of the greatest coaches I've ever worked with.
Coaches allow players to win or lose championships. I played on a Raider team that had Howie Long (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Howie+Long&CATEGORY=PERSON), Jim Plunkett (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Jim+Plunkett&CATEGORY=PERSON), Mike Haynes (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Mike+Haynes&CATEGORY=PERSON), Marcus Allen (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Marcus+Allen&CATEGORY=PERSON) (all Hall of Fame (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Pro+Football+Hall+of+Fame&CATEGORY=ORGANIZATION) players) we had a great team but we didn't win a championship. It wasn't because we didn't have a good coach, we didn't have the right system.
As I look back on my career I would only ask: Give me the chance to win it or lose it. Give me the chance on the field, don't tie my hands and ask me to succeed. Let the players play, give them the tools to allow them to be successful.
Former OSU quarterback
Age: 48
Hometown: Oklahoma City
I wasn't fast, I wasn't big, I wasn't strong, I was the furthest thing from an athlete than most people could understand. Even coming out of college, no one around me, including my coaching staff, would have considered I would have had any kind of career in the game.
I didn't have the confidence I could (play in the NFL). Even though, one of the things I live by today which I heard as a kid — which I thought was incredible — was, "There by the grace of God go I” and "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Even though I had those thoughts in my head, I didn't have those thoughts in my heart.
I'm not going to say I was a good player, but I know I never quit. When I got into the NFL, I asked, "Why me? How did I make it when nobody said I would?” When I got to the pros I was perceived as an overachiever, and that's what my coaching staff had labeled me to pro scouts.
I wasn't a blue chip recruit, I was the last scholarship given at Oklahoma State. And they didn't want to do that, the two kids they wanted went to other schools.
If you're a blue chip player, life is good. When you're the last man on the totem pole, things are tough. There's no slack given, no magic carpet ride. Every day is a struggle.
The biggest thing the NFL taught me is don't quit. If you have the most important thing, the desire, you can achieve what your mind thinks. If you can't think it, you can't achieve it. I really believed I could do it by the time I got to that level.
I have the highest regard for Al Davis (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Al+Davis&CATEGORY=PERSON). I could never answer a question he asked because he never asked it in a way that you could have a successful answer. I know he is the ultimate coach because of his mindset. He put so much pressure on all of his coaches and players to succeed, so much so that most who get to that age don't want to go work there. He puts pressure on you to continue to work when you're tired. When you have nothing else, he's going to put the pressure on you to keep going. He's not a guy who a top-level guy with an ego would want to go work for.
OSU was the most fun and most enjoyable time of my life. The OSU family was bigger than life, and we were able to get OSU to a position they hadn't achieved in years. It was the best of times and the worst of times. I had a few operations that were setbacks and a coaching staff that was trying to replace me all of the time. But in hindsight the OSU family is as tight to me today as any family I've ever had.
In 1988 with the Detroit Lions, I met Mouse Davis (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Mouse+Davis&CATEGORY=PERSON) and June Jones (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=June+Jones&CATEGORY=PERSON) and the run-and-shoot offense. After 22 years, a version of the run-and-shoot offense showed up in Stillwater (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Stillwater+%28Oklahoma%29&CATEGORY=CITY). I realized in 1988, that it was the most fantastic equalizer I had ever seen, and why wasn't everybody doing something close to it? These two were two of the greatest coaches I've ever worked with.
Coaches allow players to win or lose championships. I played on a Raider team that had Howie Long (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Howie+Long&CATEGORY=PERSON), Jim Plunkett (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Jim+Plunkett&CATEGORY=PERSON), Mike Haynes (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Mike+Haynes&CATEGORY=PERSON), Marcus Allen (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Marcus+Allen&CATEGORY=PERSON) (all Hall of Fame (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Pro+Football+Hall+of+Fame&CATEGORY=ORGANIZATION) players) we had a great team but we didn't win a championship. It wasn't because we didn't have a good coach, we didn't have the right system.
As I look back on my career I would only ask: Give me the chance to win it or lose it. Give me the chance on the field, don't tie my hands and ask me to succeed. Let the players play, give them the tools to allow them to be successful.
Former OSU quarterback
Age: 48
Hometown: Oklahoma City