University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Favre Offers Motivation to the Southern Miss Baseball Team
5/20/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 20, 2010
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - When Southern Miss head coach Scott Berry called a team meeting this morning at the Rogers, Thames and Welch Baseball Center only a handful of people knew what the first year coach had planned. He had arranged for former Southern Miss standout Brett Favre to speak to his team as they prepared for the stretch run of the 2010 season.
But even Berry did not know that the legendary QB would make a bet with the team. Favre made a deal with the Southern Miss baseball program. "If you guys go back to the College World series this year, I will come back and play. How about that?"
"You go back, I go back" the future NFL Hall of Famer said.
"This morning was very special. For Brett to take time out of his day and come speak to our guys about his own experience in athletics is pretty amazing," Berry said. "Anytime someone who has as much success in athletics as he has had speaks to you about what they have learned through their years of experience it's special."
Favre shared a few memories from last season when the Golden Eagles made their magical run to the College World Series with the team this morning as well.
''I was a kid again when ya'll played Texas in the College World Series,'' Favre told the Golden Eagles. ''The team physician with the Vikings was at my house when I was deciding on (shoulder) surgery. He walked in with my agent, Bus (Cook), and he spoke to me. I put my arm out and said you have to wait because Southern Miss is playing in the College World Series.''
The No. 29 Golden Eagles (30-20) were one of the hottest teams in the nation just a week ago riding a 12 game wining streak including three consecutive C-USA series sweeps over East Carolina, Tulane and Houston.
After dropping two-of three games at No. 21 Rice last weekend the Golden Eagles find themselves second place in the C-USA standings headed into the final week of the regular season.
"He (Favre) told us that he has had a lot of ups and downs in his career and it similar to what we are going through right now," All-American pitcher Todd McInnis said. "He gave us some encouraging words and told us to have fun and never get to high or to low."
With a three game series at home vs. Memphis this weekend and a spot in the C-USA Tournament already secured, the Eagles know they have only have six games left to impress the NCAA selection committee if they hope to make their eighth consecutive NCAA Regional.
No. 4 also knows that Southern Miss has a lot to play for in the upcoming games.
''Yes, time is running out but you can get hot again and who knows. Promise me one thing, you will not leave Southern Miss and ask ''what if''? Don't look back 10 years now and wondering what if."
Southern Miss opens its three game set with Memphis tonight at Pete Taylor Park, first pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
-southernmiss.com-
