Damon West

The problem is it's been 20 years since I took a snap.

College coaches don't know me.

I don't know any of them.

January 11th, 2017.

I've been out of prison 14 months at this point.

A buddy of mine in Houston, which is 90 miles from Beaumont, where I live, he calls me up.

He works for the media.

He said, hey, Damon, get to Houston right now.

It's the Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Award.

They're going to name the best college football coach in America.

He said the eight best coaches in the country in this room right now.

I've got an extra press pass.

I'll sneak you in.

Mick, man, I drove the 90 miles from Vermont to Houston.

Yeah, man, I got there, brother.

And he sneaks me in the back door of the Toyota Center, hands me a press pass, and so I'm in the room.

And all these coaches there, USC, Wisconsin, Penn State, P.J.

Fleck, they're all there.

So I run to these coaches, and I shake their hands, and I give them my pitch of why they should bring me in to talk to their team.

And every single coach I met that night, Mick, slammed the door in my face.