Limestone Head Coach Talks To Rotarians About Saints Football

If any of them had any eligibility remaining, some members of the Gaffney Rotary Club might have been inclined to sign up to play for the Saints after Limestone College head football coach Mike Furrey gave an impassioned speech during his visit on Tuesday, March 21.

Furrey is entering his second season at the helm of the young Limestone program, and his talk to the local Rotarians had much more to do with life lessons than gridiron X’s and O’s.

“God has given us all an opportunity to be great,” said Furrey, an 8-year NFL veteran who was the wide receivers coach at Marshall University for three years prior to being hired at Limestone last May. “We are made to be great in everything that we do. The only thing that holds us back from that is fear. Of course, the Bible tells us to fear no one but Him. We’re not structured to follow man. And we’re not structured to go around exemplifying ourselves and trying to gain attention from others.

“The one thing we have made clear to our football players is the fact that if you’re not here to be great, you’re probably not going to make it in our program,” he continued. “If you don’t have that desire and passion to be an ambassador for Limestone College and our program, and to follow the morals and values that we are trying to teach as coaches, then we will hope and pray that we planted a seed that will make you successful somewhere else.”

In Furrey’s first season at the helm, the NCAA Division II Saints went 5-6 overall in 2016, winning one more game than the program’s first two seasons combined. With a recent recruiting class of over 50 players, including several Division I transfers, Furrey feels his squad is on track to make even greater strides both on and off the football field.

“I have done a lot of pretty cool stuff,” Furrey said about his years as an NFL player with the Detroit Lions, St. Louis Rams, Cleveland Browns, and Washington Redskins. “The life that I am living right now at Limestone College in Gaffney is super exceeding anything that I ever imagined. I am having fun. When you’re coaching in Division I, some people might think that when you go down to Division II or another level that you’re degrading your livelihood or degrading your opportunities. From what God has done over the past several months, I can tell that we were always on the correct path. This was the right decision because it was His will.

“It was the greatest decision we ever made because we are members of the Gaffney community and a part of a college that believes in providing unbelievable experiences that can make an enormous difference in the lives of its student-athletes,” Furrey added. “I wanted this job because I was going to be able to work for a staff, from College President Walt Griffin, Athletics Director Mike Cerino, and on down, that wanted to make a huge impact in the lives of every student-athlete who comes through here. Our guys have gained a tremendous amount of experience, not just playing football, but by the Cherokee County community allowing us to go to the Boys & Girls Club, to go to the local elementary schools, and to work with Habitat for Humanity and other organizations. When I talk about being great, I am also talking about making other people great around you. That’s your job. That’s my job. Winning does not come easy, but I believe it does come when you do it right. The only rule we have on our football team is ‘do right.’” 

When asked what type of offense the Saints will utilize during the 2017 season, Furrey stressed that Limestone will be a run-first, pass-second squad.

“I want to run the football,” he explained. “We have three quarterbacks now who can run the spread offense, but our philosophy is that our opponents better come ready to stop us on the ground. I want to be a smash-mouth, tough football team. And if our opponents want to load the box to try and stop the run, we have some other options to get the ball downfield.”

Rotarian John Travers heaped praise on the 39-year-old coach who was born and raised in Ohio.

“I just met you this morning,” Travers said. “And I don’t know what your record will eventually be at Limestone. But I do know one thing, and that is that you are a winner.”

Prior to his three years as an assistant at Marshall, Furrey was the head coach at Kentucky Christian University. During his tenure with Marshall, Furrey helped guide the program to three straight bowl wins and the 2014 Conference USA Championship. At Kentucky Christian, he turned the program around as the team went from 0-11 in 2010 to 7-4 and a national Top-25 ranking in 2012.

Twice nominated for the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award while with the Detroit Lions, Furrey was a finalist for the prestigious award during the 2009 season as a member of the Cleveland Browns. The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award honors a player's volunteer and charitable work as well as his excellence on the field.

His best year as a professional came during the 2006 season with the Detroit Lions as he led the NFC with 98 receptions – a mark that set an NFL non-rookie record for most receptions in a season after having none the previous year. Furrey was named the Lions' Co-Offensive Player of the Year after posting 1,086 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

He was a three-time All-American while at the University of Northern Iowa after spending his freshman season as a walk-on at The Ohio State University. While with the Buckeyes, the team won the 1997 Rose Bowl with a thrilling 20-17 win over Arizona State. 

In 2007, he founded the Mike Furrey Foundation and has since raised more than $500,000 to help improve the lives of those who are hurting, hungry, hopeful and/or homeless.

Furrey graduated from UNI in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies. He and his wife, Koren, have three children. 

The Saints open the 2017 season on Saturday, Sept. 2, at East Tennessee State University. Limestone football’s season tickets and parking passes are expected to go on sale in July. The first home game of the year is on Saturday, Sept. 9, against Benedict College. More season ticket information will be released in the near future.

Accompanying photo: Mike Furrey (center) speaks with Rotarians Chuck Cunning (right) and Reverend Roy Mathis.