March 24, 2024 • 33 mins
Stormy talks to Memphian and Coach Rodney Saulsberry about coaching, life, working with the Showboats and his new opportunity with the NFL and Tampa Bay.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - For Whitehaven Head Football Coach Rodney Saulsberry, he will get the chance of lifetime helping out this spring with the Memphis Showboats.The opportunity is through the UFL and the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches, and Saulsberry will work an intern type position with the team.The Whitehaven Head Coach has won several state championships in 19 years with the school, he says getting to work with a professional staff is really going to benefit his team come the fall.“You hope they understand the gravity of the opportunity to work at higher level and understand that it promotes them and gives them the opportunity to learn more,” Saulsberry said.
Since the USFL and XFL combined into the UFL there has been an emphasis on inclusion. They are working to break the barriers that have been in place in football, and Saulsberry said he feels like it is huge just to get your foot in the door.“If we can continue to get these opportunities, get in these environments, be able to meet and network with coaches at a different level, we will be able to show our self-worth and opportunities should be open to us and we could balance out the coaching ranks across the board,” Saulsberry said.Saulsberry said he is using this opportunity to make sure everything he is doing at the high school level is preparing his student athletes for not only football but for life.“You know the goal is to get confirmation that you are doing the right things for your kids, you want to make sure you are putting student athletes in the proper position to capitalize on their athletic abilities, our moto is we want to use football as a means to an end,” Saulsberry said.
Salsberry is already in Texas working with the team ahead of their first game and is excited for the season to come.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - For Whitehaven Head Football Coach Rodney Saulsberry, he will get the chance of lifetime helping out this spring with the Memphis Showboats.The opportunity is through the UFL and the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches, and Saulsberry will work an intern type position with the team.The Whitehaven Head Coach has won several state championships in 19 years with the school, he says getting to work with a professional staff is really going to benefit his team come the fall.“You hope they understand the gravity of the opportunity to work at higher level and understand that it promotes them and gives them the opportunity to learn more,” Saulsberry said.
Since the USFL and XFL combined into the UFL there has been an emphasis on inclusion. They are working to break the barriers that have been in place in football, and Saulsberry said he feels like it is huge just to get your foot in the door.“If we can continue to get these opportunities, get in these environments, be able to meet and network with coaches at a different level, we will be able to show our self-worth and opportunities should be open to us and we could balance out the coaching ranks across the board,” Saulsberry said.Saulsberry said he is using this opportunity to make sure everything he is doing at the high school level is preparing his student athletes for not only football but for life.“You know the goal is to get confirmation that you are doing the right things for your kids, you want to make sure you are putting student athletes in the proper position to capitalize on their athletic abilities, our moto is we want to use football as a means to an end,” Saulsberry said.
Salsberry is already in Texas working with the team ahead of their first game and is excited for the season to come.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Well, hello everyone, and welcometo another edition of the Pulse. Ladies
and gentlemen, you know we keepour fingertips on the pulse of our community.
I am Stormy and I want tosay thank you for joining me for
two days show. You know whybecause we got a special guest on the
show. I know I say thatevery week, but seriously, we have
another special guest on this show.I'm gonna let him introduce it. I
(00:23):
almost spoiled it, but I'm gonnalet you introduce yourself. Tell everybody who
you are and what it is thatyou do. Hello, everybody. I'm
Rodney Salisbury. I serve as thehit football coach and also a mathematics instructor
at white Haven High School. Andthe crowd is just going crazy. I
can hear him, can't you hearthem? Yeah, we can hear the
(00:43):
crowd. Coach Salisbury, how youdoing doing wonderful? It's been a minute
since I saw you, Yes,ma'am, but I've been seeing you on
TV and all over the place.You are a rock star. God has
been good. Oh he has beengood. He has been speaking of God.
I found out your father was thepastor at a church that my cousin
(01:07):
Bobby Harris has been attending. Yes, and he retired. Yeah, after
twenty nine years as a pastor.He's retiring and now where we've tired in
December thirty first. So he's earnedthis, he's earned his shield and he's
retiring from the from pastorship and nowhe'll just be able to relax and be
a parishioner for a while. We'llsend a shout out to your dad.
(01:30):
Oh well, shout out to doctorPastor Clenning Salisbury. I don't know if
you still call him pastor if he'sretired, but I will. But doctor
Salisbury Senior, Cleming Salisbury Senior.Yeah, Clinton Salisbury Clinton. Okay.
I've had the privilege of hearing himpreach. Yes, yes, I've had
it. He became a minister whenI was in the sixth grade, so
(01:56):
for a while to be able tolisten and have my father leave me spiritually.
So what was that like being ap K Because they say y'all terrible,
Well, I'll say that it hasits challenges with expectations, but I
think, well, there are noexpectations. You can't you can't reach higher
heights. So we take it withthe badge of honor being preacher's kids.
(02:16):
Yeah, and and really seeking andaiming to attain high heights and expectations.
And they set a great foundation forus and they let us know that we're
not gonna shield you or shelter youfrom the world. We're just going to
teach you how to operate in theworld. And I think it worked out
great. That's powerful. That's powerfulbecause I hear a lot of people saying
(02:38):
and what is that like, havingthe public opinion that PK's kids are terrible
or not terrible? But you know, I mean, that's that's the public
perception. And a lot of timespeople fall by trying to be so strict
and be so rigid with their childrenthat they don't a lot their children to
live. Yeah, and my fatherand mother did a great job. All
(03:00):
shout out to the first Lady ofruben El Salisbury. They did a great
job of allowing us to be kidsand knowing that mistakes are going to happen,
but just teaching us the right wayand allowing us to grow. And
it's unfortunately it's helped out for us. All my brothers and sisters are successful,
and how many are they? Ihave two older sisters and a older
(03:21):
brother. So four of us collectivelyand all of us very well, you're
the baby. Yeah, I'm thebaby of the bunch, the babies in
the house, y'all. Well,that's awesome. Great to hear and and
great to hear about your Uh,you changed my percepts because my children,
my grandchildren are preachers kids. Yes, and so when you think about it
(03:44):
and you got you know, whenyou're in the family, you start to
think, oh no, well notnot all of them, now all of
them. And I'm and I'm prayingfor them babies that you know, but
I do think as a parent period. Because Okay, you've been coaching football
for how long? I started coachingin nineteen ninety eight and the head coach
is two thousand and three, soit's a long time long. Yeah,
(04:08):
it's been a long time. Beenblessed twenty five years. Twenty five years.
Yeah. So you've seen a lotof young people, and we all
see the movies, you guys aboutcoaches and their athletes and all that kind
of stuff. So what is itlike being like are you kind of like
do you feel like a second fatherwhen it comes to the at times?
(04:30):
At times and we have to wearmany hats. Sometimes we're a guidance counselor,
and sometimes again serve as in aparental role, and sometimes you have
to be a leaning post. Youhave to be all those things for kids
because you don't know what gap you'refeeling. Yeah, and all the kids
are different, and you have tobe willing to fill that gap because it's
more. Coaching is more about therelationships than it is about the game.
(04:53):
That's what I thought. It's alsothe relationships are important. Yeah, it's
almost like being on the mission field. Yes, Yes, and it's a
mission because again, all kids aredifferent, All kids need different things,
and we try to tell them allthe time. Is being treated fairly doesn't
mean being treated equally. Yeah,because people need different things. So I'm
going to treat you fairly because thatdoesn't mean you're always going to be treated
(05:14):
equally because some people need more thanothers. Okay, I like that.
I like that. It sounds,you know, just hearing it at first,
it sounds like, oh, thatdon't sound right, but it is,
yes, the way you explain it. Yeah, it is so being
the coach over at Whitehaven High School, Yes, for that long, what's
been I guess some of your successstories that you know some of the kids
(05:38):
that have gone off to play ballin other places. Oh yeah, that's
the greatest accomplishment is seeing young menget an opportunity to use football as a
vehicle to change their lives and changethe trajectory of their families. So we've
had young men I think now it'sway over two hundred that i've as the
head coach, where over two hundredkids that have gone on to play college
(06:00):
football. As my tenure as thehead coach, but I just continue the
legacy that was laid out before meagain, Coach Colin stan Collins, who
is my head coach at why HavenHigh School. He started their foundation in
nineteen seventy nine of using football asa means to an end to for the
education opportunities. So that's one thinghe instilled in us. So we were
a part of that legacy. Whenhe handed the torch off to doctor Vincent
(06:24):
Hunter, who is currently now theprincipal at the Cheah, shout off the
doctor Hunter. And then you obviouslyknow the next head coach that followed doctor
Hunter was Maurice Harris, who waswith yours. Yeah, and Maurice and
I were classmates together at white Havenand I was able to coach with him,
work with him, and then Itook over the reins when he moved
on to the collegiate game. Sowe just continue to the legacy, stand
(06:46):
on the shoulders of giants, andjust keep building the legacy of white Haven.
It's a great school, great community, historical community, and we're just
trying to keep pushing out these guysthat are going to do successful things.
And now I'm just excited because Ihave a lot of young men who are
being very successful now, have produceda lot of coaches. The guys that
are coaching. Wow. Geene Robinsonwho's at Germantown High Schools, Yeah,
(07:08):
I know Gene Robinson. He wasone of the I interviewed him maybe a
few years back, and he wasone of the youngest coaches at that time
when he first became a coach.Yeah. Derek Bobo, who's the head
coach at Merrose High School, Wow, played for me as well. Adam
Collins who's the head coach at JohnP. Freeman, t Niro Tillman who's
head coach at White Station. ClaytonBullard who's the head coach at haven View,
(07:31):
and then there's several other guys thatare assistant coaches, but all those
guys that are coaching locally. Andthen as my first year as a head
coach, I actually had a pleasureof coaching Jerry Mack. He was on
the team as a senior that yearand he actually just got hired with the
Jacksonville Jaguars. Wow. So mean, so now he's an NFL coach.
So we have several college coaches,college coaches, I mean we have in
(07:56):
all different capacities, have an associateto f sociate alytic letting directors who've played
for me, Larry Maples at MiddleTennessee, John Kelly who's at Vanderbilt,
have a head strength Coachternarious Rights atIllinois. Against several that are playing football
that have played at different levels.And we have kids from coach to coach,
kids that sign with UCLA, NorthCarolina, Colorado, Alabama, Michigan.
(08:18):
I mean, just schools all theway around. So we're just excited
just to be able to spread WhiteHaven all the way across the country.
Y'all should see the smile on hisface. You're like a proud papa.
Yes, And again that's the goalis to get these kids to use football
to change their life, get theeducation funded, then come back and be
productive citizens in society, to beable to give back, reach back,
(08:41):
give back and help others attain thesame thing. Because our boys need us
and our city needs us. Sowe're really excited about trying to play our
part to pull those kids out.Okay, I'm storming you guys. For
those of you that are just joiningthe show, it's coach Rodney Salisbury on
the show today. Thank you forcoming white Haven High School. How many
(09:01):
times have y'all been champions? We'vewon two state championships. We've played in
four championship games, so we havetwo goal balls and two civil balls.
Those civil balls, there's still quality, but we love those goals ones.
I know you do. Yeah,we have two of the state championships,
so we're really proud to bring thatchampionships to Memphis and to what have Okay,
now back to you. You've donesome work with some of the professional
(09:28):
teams, and tell me a littlebit about that and then we'll get back
to Memphis. Because I just heardyou and Mike have a little banter outside.
Yes, I did not know aboutthe whole Eagles. Is that what
he said? It was the TampaBay Buccaneers. Yeah, okay, Yah,
just blessed to be a finalist forthe Coaches Academy for the NFL.
Be working with the Tampa Bay Buccaneerslater a little bit later this spring.
(09:52):
So great opportunity that they said itwas fifteen hundred applications and they selected twenty
five applicants that we're going to bea part of the Coaches Academy. So
getting just a blessed opportunity to beable to work with coach Todd Bowles and
that organization and go in and seehow the NFL works and learn from the
best so we can bring it backand be able to really attain the highest
(10:15):
level. Because we want kids tohave big dreams and big goals and it's
great to get that experienced hands onso we can show them what it takes
to get to that next level andbe able to coach on that level and
work with those people. I'm reallyexcited about that opportunity. Well I know
you are, So is this maybea move that you might be considering wherever
God, wherever God leads us,that's what will be. But right now,
(10:37):
again. We're having is my homeagain? It's no, there's no
place like home. So that's whereI am and that's where my you know,
you be where you live, whereyour feet are, and you do
your work where your feet or planet. But whatever God has for me,
we're willing to walk. We're willingto walk into it. Okay, Okay,
that's exciting, Yes, very exciting. Okay, Buccaneers. Yes,
(10:58):
spring, Yes, ma'am, itis the spring. Yeahs, it'll be
late a little later this spring,and okay, okay, okay, in
May. But you're also doing somestuff here at home with the show boats.
Yes. The XFL, the USFLand the XFL merged to create the
UFL, the new United Football Leagueand the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches
(11:22):
started by Mike Loxley, who's thehead coach at Maryland. They had a
minority Fellowship with high school coaches thatthey created to work with the UFL and
each team within the market. Therewere eight teams in the market, eight
different markets, and they selected ahigh school coach to work hand in hand
with the UFL team and those currentmarkets. And I was blessed to get
the opportunity to work with the Memphisshow Boats, and I'm excited about the
(11:45):
opportunity. Ify had a chance togo to training camp work two weeks ago
and we'll be working with the showBoats for all of their home games this
season. So excited. Wow,opportunity as well. Wow is that in
an interim capacity or how does thatout of that? I'm not sure how
it goes moving forward, but Iknow I'll be working with them this season
and we're excited to see where thatgoes on where that goes, but right
(12:07):
now, I'll be working with themfor this season, the inaugural season of
the XFL. We're really excited againprofessional football at all levels and just seeing
the excitement to giving kids of opportunitiesto just live their dream. Yeah.
I love going to the show Boatsgames. Yes, Yeah, it was
exciting last year yea, because itwas pretty exciting. I love going and
(12:28):
you guys, if you've never gone, you might want to go and experience
it for yourself because it is reallyan experience and the good part about it
is there right here in Memphis,yes, so you don't have to travel
far. So if you never goneto a professional football game, this is
it a great opportunity. Locally.We're really hoping that everybody comes out to
(12:50):
support them, because again, theseare this is professional football. Have a
chance to go to training camp andseeing these guys and the names that you
recognize, guys that have played highlove collegiate football, head coaches that have
worked in high level collegiate football,and also NFL coaches. So having those
guys there again, I was,I was kind of all struck. I
got a chance to work with Wewill be working with Carnell Lake, a
(13:13):
legendary of Pittsburgh, Stiller and I'ma Pittsburgh still a fan. He serves
as a defensive Coordinatorburgh stillers. Iseverybody from white Haven Pittsburgh still a fan?
Not everybody, just it's just afew of us. Yeah, those
Harris boys were still as fans,so you know we have Yeah, so
we talked a lot about that,So we bleed that black and gold.
Okay, So how happy are youthat Russell Wilson is going to them to
(13:37):
play with exciting opportunity for him toget opportunity to resurrect his career. He's
actually had a successful season last year, but somehow people forget that. But
just having a chance to kind ofresurrect his persona kind of they're looking,
you know, so great, It'smean low risk for us, great possibility
of success because again he is asuccessful quarterback and didn't get it something too.
(14:01):
And then I heard the press herelately and I'm like, what,
what, what's going on now?Well, you know, in all walks
of life, our expectations are alittle higher. Yeah, absolutely for us,
So we have to make sure wewalk into that. And then also
the Stellers have an opportunity to tradefor Justin Fields, another young African American
quarterback to be there, and withthat potential and the upside that he has,
(14:24):
so really excited about having that quarterbackroom the way it looks with Russell
Wilson and Justin Field's there, alongwith Mike Tomlin being the head coach.
We're really excited about the trajectory thatwe have as a Stealers nation. I'm
excited about the Cowboys. I hadto throw that in since you were I
(14:46):
mean, you're really excited about ButI know the Stiller Nation, y'all are
amazing people, and I know they'rehappy to have you be a huge fan
like that. Always been that waysince you were kids. Yes, yes,
First, ironically, the first gamethat I watched was a super Bowl
in seventy eight when the Pittsburgh Steelersbeat the Dallas Cowboys and the Super Bowl
(15:09):
that was the first game to saythat, So, I mean I had
to throw it in there, justa little bit salt. So I've been
a fan ever since then. Andthat's that's that's been Lexis. So it's
been a long time. Yeah,I've enjoyed I've enjoyed my time being a
Stealers fan. Yeah, I'm beena Cowboy fan ever since then too.
I was strong. My brother wasa Stealer fan and I was a Cowboy
(15:30):
fan. So back in the daywhen they were dead, back in the
day, it was it was exciting. My brother and I have that same
dichotomy go down. He's a Cowboyfan, Stillers fan, but it's okay.
My sisters are still as fans,so we kind of win them over.
Oh, bless their hearts. Yes, show for you. If you
were to get a position to godo anything with the Steelers, oh that
(15:52):
would be a dream come true.I know, a dream come true.
Again, I've had the pleasure ofgoing up and spending some time in Pittsburgh
with the team. One of mycohorts in coaching, Blake Butler, his
father was a defensive coordinator for Pittsburghstiller Is. They both played at University
of Memphis. By the way,they were on the staff there, so
I had a chance to go upand go to practice and things of that
(16:14):
nature. Mike Tomlin, who actuallywas a graduate assistant at the University of
Memphis for a year. I hada chance to meet him then and then
to see him now as to hitfootball coach, and just so that experience
there and know a couple of guysthat are on the staff now are Brady
Brown, Isaac Williams or that alsoon the staff currently for the Stellers.
So that would be a dream cometrue to work in any capacity in the
(16:36):
Stillers organization. Okay, let meask you this. So, as a
young person that hopefully is listening tothe show right now that's considering going the
direction that you are in, thatmaybe has a passion to be a coach,
what would be your advice for them? Well, one thing is study,
study the game. Anything that youwant to pursue, you have to
(17:00):
look and see what's out there onhow do you get involved, and a
lot of cases, a lot ofsuccessful coaches weren't high quality football players.
Obviously, playing the game does help, you know, Playing the game does
give you a little greater insight intowhat you can do. But playing the
game does not make you a bettercoach, you know, but it does
just afford to some better opportunities.So I say, study the game,
(17:22):
you know, watch film, doall those things, watch drills. Everything
is out there in the open booknow for young people. I mean,
the internet is wide open. Youcan study, you can learn. Don't
play the video games just for fun. Play the video games and learn how
the game works, because the videogames have advanced so much. So if
if you're a young person that wantsto be a coach, that wants to
be a scout, just go outand do the work. Go out and
(17:45):
study the game. What qualities dopeople have that become great football players?
And learn how to study, topep people, to put people in their
best positions. So that's our jobis kind of show people that so many
ways you can be involved in thegame of football athletics in general, and
all of it doesn't preclude playing.You don't have to be on the field
playing to be involved and have acareer in athletics. How much football do
(18:08):
you watch? It ends up beingquite a bit. Again, I'm a
football fan. I'm a sports fan, so I watch a lot of sports,
but football. Having so many youngmen that are playing college football,
I want to make sure I watchthem play. I try to go to
as many games as possible to supportthem. I had the pleasure of my
son playing for me then going onto play college football. Got a chance
(18:30):
to see him play. Now he'sactually coaching at Tulane University, so to
have him follow the footsteps and takingmaking a career out of coaching. So
just going to games, I endup watching a lot of football. You're
not old enough to have a sonas a coach? What the world?
I take that as a blessing.We stay young, but yeah, we
(18:52):
we got children. All my kidsare grown. Now. Wow, we're
excited about that. Yeah, okay, that's pretty exciting. And so what
about the analyst part of it?Because I see a lot of analysts that
are becoming popular and many of themnever played. Yes, do you feel
what do you feel about about,you know, having them having conversations about
(19:18):
the game that they never played andcan you be a great analyst and never
play the game. Well, historyhas shown that you can be a great
analyst or color person and having playedthe game, because we have some great
ones that are out there that doanalysis, but always would rather lean on
those that have the experience. Ithink that brings more value to it because
(19:38):
they've played the positions, they've beenon the field. So I'm really excited
to see how that's trending to whereso many former players now are getting those
analyst roles. Yeah, those colorcommentary roles. How they can go in
and analyze the game because they havea unique perspective of it, and I
think we really should lean on theirknowledge because they have that experience. So
(20:00):
Cam Newton may have caught some flakfrom some of the things he said,
but who else can talk about thethings he talks about. He played the
position at the highest level. Heis the most valuable player in NFL,
so he can he has the abilityto really discern what's good, what's not
good, what's quality was not qualitybecause he played the position at the highest
level. Shannon, Yeah, soI say they've earned the right to have
(20:22):
be able to be a critic andalso to give praise because they know what
it takes to get to them.That's what I think too, because I've
heard the comments sometimes from you know, analysts who are very popular but never
played the game, and how youknow, folks like Steven A or Shannon
would would sometimes say to them,you didn't play, so you don't you
(20:45):
can't give you know what I'm saying. In some of the conferences, it's
good to know stats and all ofthat, but for me, I like
hearing from I'm gonna tell you what'shappened. I'm not a big sports fan,
but just watching people like them talkabout it makes brings me into sports.
(21:07):
Dion Sanders people has brought me intoyou know, the the black coaches
and analysts have brought me into thegame that I was I was never really
a part of, and it's mademe more curious. It's it's made me
want to watch more. You knowwhat I'm saying to me, because when
you feel well, it resonates alittle bit more with you. With people
(21:32):
that are engaging, their personalities aremore engaging, and they can speak from
familiarity that you're used to. Theycan use a language that you used to
hear that's why Stuart Scott became sucha great sports and the host. Again,
rest in peace, my alpha brotherof mine. But again he's he
was such a nuance on television becausehe used the language that we're used to
(21:53):
hearing in our neighborhoods, used theirjargon that wasn't quote unquote what you shit
say on television. But they hadattractive viewers and that made the game resonate
in those highlights, pop things ofthat nature, soul and now that's pretty
much standard standard practice now even withthe Caucasian analysts. Yes, I mean
(22:15):
there, you know, the culture, the culture takes over. They just
have to be careful with some ofthose phrases because sometimes they don't know what
you're talking about. Uh, youknow, when it comes to some of
those phrases have to become context.Yes, yes, and yeah. We've
heard some of the yeah. Well, at least I've seen some of those
in the in the media's eye.They've they've caught a lot of attention and
(22:38):
sometimes flak as well. But Iam talking to coach Rodney Saulisbury. You
guys, white Haven High School,I'm Stormy. Thank you for joining us
for the Pulse. Now you sentme something. Did we did we talk
about this amazing thing that you sentme in a in a text message.
I'm trying to faniel text uh AndI saw some think it was about the
(22:59):
temp obey opportunity to NFL Coaches Academy. I believe, yeah, that was
it. We did National Coaching Academy, and that's what I thought. You
were one of the finalists. Butyou're going, yes, ma'am, you
go plan you on you on aplane. You're getting on a on a
plane and you're headed in that direction. Yes, ma'am. Okay, okay,
because you yeah, that's what.Yes, Okay, Now I'm catching
(23:22):
the cause. See, I don'tknow a lot about sports like most people
do. We're gonna teach you.We're gonna teach me. So for people
like me, what would you say, you know, we just want to
know a little bit more about thegame. What would you say is what
we should do to want to beobservant, observant and listen, you know,
so when you're listening, like usas coaches, sometimes we could turn
(23:45):
the television off and watch the gamebecause we were used to watching the games.
We don't have we don't need thesound and the color commentary. But
as a fan that you're trying tolearn, it would be great to listen
to the analysts. One of theunique things that they do on ESPN now
they'll have like Paydon Manning and Elion a different channel analyzing the game,
so they're going to talk differently.So that's sometimes you can learn a little
(24:07):
bit more insight because they can talka little bit more about the game,
not just for television because some peopledon't need to hear all those different and
they play disease intricacies of the games. So you can watch those different little
podcasts where people are analyzing the gamethat play the game. That can give
you a little more insight. Sothat's what I will say. You can
learn the game so when you're inthe rooms, you'll know what things to
(24:30):
say, things not to say.I think I do a little bit and
I really think this last season,and I attribute some of my knowledge to
social media and some of it tobeing around people who talk about the game
and games a little bit more thanI'm used to. You know what I'm
saying. Oh, definitely, Ithink that's a great way for women that
(24:55):
I'm gonna tell you something about whenDion Sanders went down to Colorado. Yeah,
I mean, I know a lotof people see you can say what
you said, I want to say, but he brought he brought a lot
of interest to brought lights there backto you know football and college football as
that for those of us that neverwatched, Oh, definitely, definitely.
And that's marketing is a big thinga bit, and he understands marketing and
(25:22):
understands how to get exposure for theyoung men that play for him, exposure
for his family, exposure for himself. All those things work because it's it's
a game that marketing is a bigpiece and the larger your market share,
the more valuable you can become becausethat's what name, image and likeness is
supposed to be about marketing. Sohe's utilizing it the right way and he's
(25:45):
taking advantage of it. And again, obviously it's it's tough a lot of
times to see a strong black manthat speaks very boldly out and that's going
to catch some flack a lot oftimes because most of us have to be
a little reserved in our commentary.But he has the ability that we can
say we don't when he wants.But he's already paid a lot of dues
(26:08):
as it relates to his career andwhat he's done. I mean, so
it's like they can't hurt him.Yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna do what
I wanted to do. You wantto get to that point where you said,
do what you want to do andsay what you want to say,
you have you always want to Youalways want to have that opportunity. And
I feel that we've earned the rightto where we can say things. But
again, obviously I work for I'ma state employee, so you have some
(26:30):
limitations and things that we can't say. But you definitely want to have that
freedom to be able to voice youropinion freely, especially when it comes to
the game. Almost definitely. Yeah, Coach Rosny Rodney Salisbury, Ladies and
gentlemen on the show with me today, white Haven High School coach and just
doing amazing things. You got thisyour finalist to go ahead to uh uh
the Buccaneers to do some things withthem and then show boats and uh.
(26:56):
You know every time we turn around, we hear about you in the news.
Well we just how proud your dadis? Good? How proud is
your dad? I think my parentsare very happy. Yeah, my parents
are very happy with the attention uhthat comes because it's always been quality.
Again, as as a as ason, you always want to bring a
positive light home. So it's beengreat to see them be able to you
(27:17):
know, get you know, everybodycalling them. I just talked to my
mom today, like everybody's calling meand saying, you know, saying all
these things. It's always good tomake them light up and especially you know,
get making them proud. So youalways want to make your parents proud.
Yeah, that's awesome. Your siblingsfeel the same way. Do you
get calls from them all the timeas well? Oh, definitely. My
brother called yesterday, you know,we talked in depth. Actually, unfortunately
(27:41):
we had a definite family so mysister, one of my sisters had just
came home, came home to kindof help with their mother and sister be
home next week and dealing with thatlost my godmother passed away. So it's
it's always good. And again obviouslymy wife Alicia and my kids, they're
able to, uh just be proud. So you want to just do things
to make your family and make yourfamily name or resonate in the community.
(28:03):
We'll tell you that White Haven communityloves you and outside part of it,
I mean outside of the school,the people at the school, that community
loves you. Well. One ofthe monikers that I came up with and
coaching was respect to Haven. Itwas some of the things that we came
up came up with. It waslike one of those things you want to
(28:25):
earn and respect coming up with thatmoniker. Respect to Haven is now it
is branched and now it's become itsown, its own entity. Jason Shariff
or he's the executive director of Respectto Haven Community Development Organization. I serve
as the vice president of that organizationand just being able to just say our
community needs needs us and we wantto really uplift the community and get every
(28:48):
way we can socially, economically,civically. So we want to really bring
up our community even more than itis because we want to restore and revitalize
what hey even to where it shouldalways be. It's always it's still a
great community, always will be agreat community, but we want it to
be the beacon of light that shinesin the city of Memphis. Well,
(29:10):
what is it that you don't do? I mean, it's like you do
a lot of stuff, and I'mso glad you came on the show to
share this. I mean you,you've got a lot of positive things happening
in this city. And I cantell you a humble man too, yes,
ma'am, just that God tells usto be humble as we walk in
just to do our part. Andthat's what we're just trying to be engaged
(29:33):
because nobody's coming to save us.We have to save ourselves. We have
to make sure they we're engaged inthe community. If we want to see
things done, we got to getin a fight. That's part of being
a teacher. You out there inthe midst with the children. You have
to show them the way because everybodywants to they'd rather see a sermon and
hear a sermon so that people wantto see what you're doing. Just see
what you're saying. Yeah, hearwhat you're saying. Oh you a p
(29:55):
K A p K. Yes,sir, Yes, ma'am. I'm Stormy.
It is the Pulse And thank youguys for listening today. I hope
you enjoyed the show. I've enjoyedtalking to Coach Rodney Salisbury. You are
a treasure, a Memphis treasure.You really are and no, thank you,
thank you for what you have done. Let me give you some flowers.
(30:15):
I wish I brought some physical flowers, but let me give you some
flowers. Thank you for what youhave done in this community. For the
lives that you've touched, Yes,and that you've helped go the right direction.
I can tell that they probably arewell way more than you could ever
imagine. Yes, because those livesthat you've touched touch other lives. Yes,
(30:40):
we want to multiply it. Yeah. Yeah, and respect the haven
too, Yes, I love iteven fail. All right, all right,
now, all right, it's thepulse. We keep our fingertips on
the pulse of our community. Again, I am Stormy Coach Rodney Salisbury.
Any parting words before you go,We'll just say that again, our community
needs us. We really want tohave young men. Our community can only
(31:04):
go as far as our young mengo. We need young men to be
able to hold up our community.And these lovely young women that we are
grooming all around, they need husbands, they need fathers, and the young
men have to step up to theplate. So I really want to be
on the mission to help produce thosea part of the progroup I'm a part
(31:25):
of is. We want to produce, provide, and protect again. We
want to produce young men that canbe fathers, that can be spiritual leaders
in their home, be pastors oftheir own home, and produce more and
more of them, prepare them properlyso they can be leaders within the community.
Again, So getting those results andthen protect our community again Again,
nobody's coming to save us. Wehave to make sure that we're doing all
(31:47):
the things to protect our community sowe can stand up strong and be and
have our rightful place in society andjust bring up I love it, love
it, love it, love itall right for people that want to reach
out to you, I know,respect that Haven is on Instagram. But
for people that want to reach outto you, what will you say?
How could they do? On Facebook? Again, it's just my name,
(32:08):
Rodney Salisbury Senior. Again, Ihave a junior sol Rodney Salisbury Senior on
Facebook and it's actually Salisbury Senior onTwitter or x so whatever you call it.
Now and again we have White HavenTiger is the team team tag on
Twitter. So again we're those onall those spaces. Again, I'll try
(32:29):
to stay off the Instagram, sorespect. The Haven CDC is on Twitter,
on Facebook, and on Instagram.Yeah, so on all those places.
So if you want to get intouch with me or just see what
the things that are going on inthe Whitea community, look at why Haven
Tiger Football, Salisbury Senior and againwe just hope to keep shining a positive
light on the White Heaven community.All right, thanks again for being a
(32:51):
part of the show, for comingon the show today. It's a privilege.
Thank you, Thank you so muchfor having me. All Right,
I'm Stormy. It is the pulseand we keep our finger tips on the
pulse of our community. We'll seeyou next week, same time, same
station. God bless you have agreat week.
Well, hello everyone, and welcometo another edition of the Pulse. Ladies
and gentlemen, you know we keepour fingertips on the pulse of our community.
I am Stormy and I want tosay thank you for joining me for
two days show. You know whybecause we got a special guest on the
show. I know I say thatevery week, but seriously, we have
another special guest on this show.I'm gonna let him introduce it. I
(00:23):
almost spoiled it, but I'm gonnalet you introduce yourself. Tell everybody who
you are and what it is thatyou do. Hello, everybody. I'm
Rodney Salisbury. I serve as thehit football coach and also a mathematics instructor
at white Haven High School. Andthe crowd is just going crazy. I
can hear him, can't you hearthem? Yeah, we can hear the
(00:43):
crowd. Coach Salisbury, how youdoing doing wonderful? It's been a minute
since I saw you, Yes,ma'am, but I've been seeing you on
TV and all over the place.You are a rock star. God has
been good. Oh he has beengood. He has been speaking of God.
I found out your father was thepastor at a church that my cousin
(01:07):
Bobby Harris has been attending. Yes, and he retired. Yeah, after
twenty nine years as a pastor.He's retiring and now where we've tired in
December thirty first. So he's earnedthis, he's earned his shield and he's
retiring from the from pastorship and nowhe'll just be able to relax and be
a parishioner for a while. We'llsend a shout out to your dad.
(01:30):
Oh well, shout out to doctorPastor Clenning Salisbury. I don't know if
you still call him pastor if he'sretired, but I will. But doctor
Salisbury Senior, Cleming Salisbury Senior.Yeah, Clinton Salisbury Clinton. Okay.
I've had the privilege of hearing himpreach. Yes, yes, I've had
it. He became a minister whenI was in the sixth grade, so
(01:56):
for a while to be able tolisten and have my father leave me spiritually.
So what was that like being ap K Because they say y'all terrible,
Well, I'll say that it hasits challenges with expectations, but I
think, well, there are noexpectations. You can't you can't reach higher
heights. So we take it withthe badge of honor being preacher's kids.
(02:16):
Yeah, and and really seeking andaiming to attain high heights and expectations.
And they set a great foundation forus and they let us know that we're
not gonna shield you or shelter youfrom the world. We're just going to
teach you how to operate in theworld. And I think it worked out
great. That's powerful. That's powerfulbecause I hear a lot of people saying
(02:38):
and what is that like, havingthe public opinion that PK's kids are terrible
or not terrible? But you know, I mean, that's that's the public
perception. And a lot of timespeople fall by trying to be so strict
and be so rigid with their childrenthat they don't a lot their children to
live. Yeah, and my fatherand mother did a great job. All
(03:00):
shout out to the first Lady ofruben El Salisbury. They did a great
job of allowing us to be kidsand knowing that mistakes are going to happen,
but just teaching us the right wayand allowing us to grow. And
it's unfortunately it's helped out for us. All my brothers and sisters are successful,
and how many are they? Ihave two older sisters and a older
(03:21):
brother. So four of us collectivelyand all of us very well, you're
the baby. Yeah, I'm thebaby of the bunch, the babies in
the house, y'all. Well,that's awesome. Great to hear and and
great to hear about your Uh,you changed my percepts because my children,
my grandchildren are preachers kids. Yes, and so when you think about it
(03:44):
and you got you know, whenyou're in the family, you start to
think, oh no, well notnot all of them, now all of
them. And I'm and I'm prayingfor them babies that you know, but
I do think as a parent period. Because Okay, you've been coaching football
for how long? I started coachingin nineteen ninety eight and the head coach
is two thousand and three, soit's a long time long. Yeah,
(04:08):
it's been a long time. Beenblessed twenty five years. Twenty five years.
Yeah. So you've seen a lotof young people, and we all
see the movies, you guys aboutcoaches and their athletes and all that kind
of stuff. So what is itlike being like are you kind of like
do you feel like a second fatherwhen it comes to the at times?
(04:30):
At times and we have to wearmany hats. Sometimes we're a guidance counselor,
and sometimes again serve as in aparental role, and sometimes you have
to be a leaning post. Youhave to be all those things for kids
because you don't know what gap you'refeeling. Yeah, and all the kids
are different, and you have tobe willing to fill that gap because it's
more. Coaching is more about therelationships than it is about the game.
(04:53):
That's what I thought. It's alsothe relationships are important. Yeah, it's
almost like being on the mission field. Yes, Yes, and it's a
mission because again, all kids aredifferent, All kids need different things,
and we try to tell them allthe time. Is being treated fairly doesn't
mean being treated equally. Yeah,because people need different things. So I'm
going to treat you fairly because thatdoesn't mean you're always going to be treated
(05:14):
equally because some people need more thanothers. Okay, I like that.
I like that. It sounds,you know, just hearing it at first,
it sounds like, oh, thatdon't sound right, but it is,
yes, the way you explain it. Yeah, it is so being
the coach over at Whitehaven High School, Yes, for that long, what's
been I guess some of your successstories that you know some of the kids
(05:38):
that have gone off to play ballin other places. Oh yeah, that's
the greatest accomplishment is seeing young menget an opportunity to use football as a
vehicle to change their lives and changethe trajectory of their families. So we've
had young men I think now it'sway over two hundred that i've as the
head coach, where over two hundredkids that have gone on to play college
(06:00):
football. As my tenure as thehead coach, but I just continue the
legacy that was laid out before meagain, Coach Colin stan Collins, who
is my head coach at why HavenHigh School. He started their foundation in
nineteen seventy nine of using football asa means to an end to for the
education opportunities. So that's one thinghe instilled in us. So we were
a part of that legacy. Whenhe handed the torch off to doctor Vincent
(06:24):
Hunter, who is currently now theprincipal at the Cheah, shout off the
doctor Hunter. And then you obviouslyknow the next head coach that followed doctor
Hunter was Maurice Harris, who waswith yours. Yeah, and Maurice and
I were classmates together at white Havenand I was able to coach with him,
work with him, and then Itook over the reins when he moved
on to the collegiate game. Sowe just continue to the legacy, stand
(06:46):
on the shoulders of giants, andjust keep building the legacy of white Haven.
It's a great school, great community, historical community, and we're just
trying to keep pushing out these guysthat are going to do successful things.
And now I'm just excited because Ihave a lot of young men who are
being very successful now, have produceda lot of coaches. The guys that
are coaching. Wow. Geene Robinsonwho's at Germantown High Schools, Yeah,
(07:08):
I know Gene Robinson. He wasone of the I interviewed him maybe a
few years back, and he wasone of the youngest coaches at that time
when he first became a coach.Yeah. Derek Bobo, who's the head
coach at Merrose High School, Wow, played for me as well. Adam
Collins who's the head coach at JohnP. Freeman, t Niro Tillman who's
head coach at White Station. ClaytonBullard who's the head coach at haven View,
(07:31):
and then there's several other guys thatare assistant coaches, but all those
guys that are coaching locally. Andthen as my first year as a head
coach, I actually had a pleasureof coaching Jerry Mack. He was on
the team as a senior that yearand he actually just got hired with the
Jacksonville Jaguars. Wow. So mean, so now he's an NFL coach.
So we have several college coaches,college coaches, I mean we have in
(07:56):
all different capacities, have an associateto f sociate alytic letting directors who've played
for me, Larry Maples at MiddleTennessee, John Kelly who's at Vanderbilt,
have a head strength Coachternarious Rights atIllinois. Against several that are playing football
that have played at different levels.And we have kids from coach to coach,
kids that sign with UCLA, NorthCarolina, Colorado, Alabama, Michigan.
(08:18):
I mean, just schools all theway around. So we're just excited
just to be able to spread WhiteHaven all the way across the country.
Y'all should see the smile on hisface. You're like a proud papa.
Yes, And again that's the goalis to get these kids to use football
to change their life, get theeducation funded, then come back and be
productive citizens in society, to beable to give back, reach back,
(08:41):
give back and help others attain thesame thing. Because our boys need us
and our city needs us. Sowe're really excited about trying to play our
part to pull those kids out.Okay, I'm storming you guys. For
those of you that are just joiningthe show, it's coach Rodney Salisbury on
the show today. Thank you forcoming white Haven High School. How many
(09:01):
times have y'all been champions? We'vewon two state championships. We've played in
four championship games, so we havetwo goal balls and two civil balls.
Those civil balls, there's still quality, but we love those goals ones.
I know you do. Yeah,we have two of the state championships,
so we're really proud to bring thatchampionships to Memphis and to what have Okay,
now back to you. You've donesome work with some of the professional
(09:28):
teams, and tell me a littlebit about that and then we'll get back
to Memphis. Because I just heardyou and Mike have a little banter outside.
Yes, I did not know aboutthe whole Eagles. Is that what
he said? It was the TampaBay Buccaneers. Yeah, okay, Yah,
just blessed to be a finalist forthe Coaches Academy for the NFL.
Be working with the Tampa Bay Buccaneerslater a little bit later this spring.
(09:52):
So great opportunity that they said itwas fifteen hundred applications and they selected twenty
five applicants that we're going to bea part of the Coaches Academy. So
getting just a blessed opportunity to beable to work with coach Todd Bowles and
that organization and go in and seehow the NFL works and learn from the
best so we can bring it backand be able to really attain the highest
(10:15):
level. Because we want kids tohave big dreams and big goals and it's
great to get that experienced hands onso we can show them what it takes
to get to that next level andbe able to coach on that level and
work with those people. I'm reallyexcited about that opportunity. Well I know
you are, So is this maybea move that you might be considering wherever
God, wherever God leads us,that's what will be. But right now,
(10:37):
again. We're having is my homeagain? It's no, there's no
place like home. So that's whereI am and that's where my you know,
you be where you live, whereyour feet are, and you do
your work where your feet or planet. But whatever God has for me,
we're willing to walk. We're willingto walk into it. Okay, Okay,
that's exciting, Yes, very exciting. Okay, Buccaneers. Yes,
(10:58):
spring, Yes, ma'am, itis the spring. Yeahs, it'll be
late a little later this spring,and okay, okay, okay, in
May. But you're also doing somestuff here at home with the show boats.
Yes. The XFL, the USFLand the XFL merged to create the
UFL, the new United Football Leagueand the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches
(11:22):
started by Mike Loxley, who's thehead coach at Maryland. They had a
minority Fellowship with high school coaches thatthey created to work with the UFL and
each team within the market. Therewere eight teams in the market, eight
different markets, and they selected ahigh school coach to work hand in hand
with the UFL team and those currentmarkets. And I was blessed to get
the opportunity to work with the Memphisshow Boats, and I'm excited about the
(11:45):
opportunity. Ify had a chance togo to training camp work two weeks ago
and we'll be working with the showBoats for all of their home games this
season. So excited. Wow,opportunity as well. Wow is that in
an interim capacity or how does thatout of that? I'm not sure how
it goes moving forward, but Iknow I'll be working with them this season
and we're excited to see where thatgoes on where that goes, but right
(12:07):
now, I'll be working with themfor this season, the inaugural season of
the XFL. We're really excited againprofessional football at all levels and just seeing
the excitement to giving kids of opportunitiesto just live their dream. Yeah.
I love going to the show Boatsgames. Yes, Yeah, it was
exciting last year yea, because itwas pretty exciting. I love going and
(12:28):
you guys, if you've never gone, you might want to go and experience
it for yourself because it is reallyan experience and the good part about it
is there right here in Memphis,yes, so you don't have to travel
far. So if you never goneto a professional football game, this is
it a great opportunity. Locally.We're really hoping that everybody comes out to
(12:50):
support them, because again, theseare this is professional football. Have a
chance to go to training camp andseeing these guys and the names that you
recognize, guys that have played highlove collegiate football, head coaches that have
worked in high level collegiate football,and also NFL coaches. So having those
guys there again, I was,I was kind of all struck. I
got a chance to work with Wewill be working with Carnell Lake, a
(13:13):
legendary of Pittsburgh, Stiller and I'ma Pittsburgh still a fan. He serves
as a defensive Coordinatorburgh stillers. Iseverybody from white Haven Pittsburgh still a fan?
Not everybody, just it's just afew of us. Yeah, those
Harris boys were still as fans,so you know we have Yeah, so
we talked a lot about that,So we bleed that black and gold.
Okay, So how happy are youthat Russell Wilson is going to them to
(13:37):
play with exciting opportunity for him toget opportunity to resurrect his career. He's
actually had a successful season last year, but somehow people forget that. But
just having a chance to kind ofresurrect his persona kind of they're looking,
you know, so great, It'smean low risk for us, great possibility
of success because again he is asuccessful quarterback and didn't get it something too.
(14:01):
And then I heard the press herelately and I'm like, what,
what, what's going on now?Well, you know, in all walks
of life, our expectations are alittle higher. Yeah, absolutely for us,
So we have to make sure wewalk into that. And then also
the Stellers have an opportunity to tradefor Justin Fields, another young African American
quarterback to be there, and withthat potential and the upside that he has,
(14:24):
so really excited about having that quarterbackroom the way it looks with Russell
Wilson and Justin Field's there, alongwith Mike Tomlin being the head coach.
We're really excited about the trajectory thatwe have as a Stealers nation. I'm
excited about the Cowboys. I hadto throw that in since you were I
(14:46):
mean, you're really excited about ButI know the Stiller Nation, y'all are
amazing people, and I know they'rehappy to have you be a huge fan
like that. Always been that waysince you were kids. Yes, yes,
First, ironically, the first gamethat I watched was a super Bowl
in seventy eight when the Pittsburgh Steelersbeat the Dallas Cowboys and the Super Bowl
(15:09):
that was the first game to saythat, So, I mean I had
to throw it in there, justa little bit salt. So I've been
a fan ever since then. Andthat's that's that's been Lexis. So it's
been a long time. Yeah,I've enjoyed I've enjoyed my time being a
Stealers fan. Yeah, I'm beena Cowboy fan ever since then too.
I was strong. My brother wasa Stealer fan and I was a Cowboy
(15:30):
fan. So back in the daywhen they were dead, back in the
day, it was it was exciting. My brother and I have that same
dichotomy go down. He's a Cowboyfan, Stillers fan, but it's okay.
My sisters are still as fans,so we kind of win them over.
Oh, bless their hearts. Yes, show for you. If you
were to get a position to godo anything with the Steelers, oh that
(15:52):
would be a dream come true.I know, a dream come true.
Again, I've had the pleasure ofgoing up and spending some time in Pittsburgh
with the team. One of mycohorts in coaching, Blake Butler, his
father was a defensive coordinator for Pittsburghstiller Is. They both played at University
of Memphis. By the way,they were on the staff there, so
I had a chance to go upand go to practice and things of that
(16:14):
nature. Mike Tomlin, who actuallywas a graduate assistant at the University of
Memphis for a year. I hada chance to meet him then and then
to see him now as to hitfootball coach, and just so that experience
there and know a couple of guysthat are on the staff now are Brady
Brown, Isaac Williams or that alsoon the staff currently for the Stellers.
So that would be a dream cometrue to work in any capacity in the
(16:36):
Stillers organization. Okay, let meask you this. So, as a
young person that hopefully is listening tothe show right now that's considering going the
direction that you are in, thatmaybe has a passion to be a coach,
what would be your advice for them? Well, one thing is study,
study the game. Anything that youwant to pursue, you have to
(17:00):
look and see what's out there onhow do you get involved, and a
lot of cases, a lot ofsuccessful coaches weren't high quality football players.
Obviously, playing the game does help, you know, Playing the game does
give you a little greater insight intowhat you can do. But playing the
game does not make you a bettercoach, you know, but it does
just afford to some better opportunities.So I say, study the game,
(17:22):
you know, watch film, doall those things, watch drills. Everything
is out there in the open booknow for young people. I mean,
the internet is wide open. Youcan study, you can learn. Don't
play the video games just for fun. Play the video games and learn how
the game works, because the videogames have advanced so much. So if
if you're a young person that wantsto be a coach, that wants to
be a scout, just go outand do the work. Go out and
(17:45):
study the game. What qualities dopeople have that become great football players?
And learn how to study, topep people, to put people in their
best positions. So that's our jobis kind of show people that so many
ways you can be involved in thegame of football athletics in general, and
all of it doesn't preclude playing.You don't have to be on the field
playing to be involved and have acareer in athletics. How much football do
(18:08):
you watch? It ends up beingquite a bit. Again, I'm a
football fan. I'm a sports fan, so I watch a lot of sports,
but football. Having so many youngmen that are playing college football,
I want to make sure I watchthem play. I try to go to
as many games as possible to supportthem. I had the pleasure of my
son playing for me then going onto play college football. Got a chance
(18:30):
to see him play. Now he'sactually coaching at Tulane University, so to
have him follow the footsteps and takingmaking a career out of coaching. So
just going to games, I endup watching a lot of football. You're
not old enough to have a sonas a coach? What the world?
I take that as a blessing.We stay young, but yeah, we
(18:52):
we got children. All my kidsare grown. Now. Wow, we're
excited about that. Yeah, okay, that's pretty exciting. And so what
about the analyst part of it?Because I see a lot of analysts that
are becoming popular and many of themnever played. Yes, do you feel
what do you feel about about,you know, having them having conversations about
(19:18):
the game that they never played andcan you be a great analyst and never
play the game. Well, historyhas shown that you can be a great
analyst or color person and having playedthe game, because we have some great
ones that are out there that doanalysis, but always would rather lean on
those that have the experience. Ithink that brings more value to it because
(19:38):
they've played the positions, they've beenon the field. So I'm really excited
to see how that's trending to whereso many former players now are getting those
analyst roles. Yeah, those colorcommentary roles. How they can go in
and analyze the game because they havea unique perspective of it, and I
think we really should lean on theirknowledge because they have that experience. So
(20:00):
Cam Newton may have caught some flakfrom some of the things he said,
but who else can talk about thethings he talks about. He played the
position at the highest level. Heis the most valuable player in NFL,
so he can he has the abilityto really discern what's good, what's not
good, what's quality was not qualitybecause he played the position at the highest
level. Shannon, Yeah, soI say they've earned the right to have
(20:22):
be able to be a critic andalso to give praise because they know what
it takes to get to them.That's what I think too, because I've
heard the comments sometimes from you know, analysts who are very popular but never
played the game, and how youknow, folks like Steven A or Shannon
would would sometimes say to them,you didn't play, so you don't you
(20:45):
can't give you know what I'm saying. In some of the conferences, it's
good to know stats and all ofthat, but for me, I like
hearing from I'm gonna tell you what'shappened. I'm not a big sports fan,
but just watching people like them talkabout it makes brings me into sports.
(21:07):
Dion Sanders people has brought me intoyou know, the the black coaches
and analysts have brought me into thegame that I was I was never really
a part of, and it's mademe more curious. It's it's made me
want to watch more. You knowwhat I'm saying to me, because when
you feel well, it resonates alittle bit more with you. With people
(21:32):
that are engaging, their personalities aremore engaging, and they can speak from
familiarity that you're used to. Theycan use a language that you used to
hear that's why Stuart Scott became sucha great sports and the host. Again,
rest in peace, my alpha brotherof mine. But again he's he
was such a nuance on television becausehe used the language that we're used to
(21:53):
hearing in our neighborhoods, used theirjargon that wasn't quote unquote what you shit
say on television. But they hadattractive viewers and that made the game resonate
in those highlights, pop things ofthat nature, soul and now that's pretty
much standard standard practice now even withthe Caucasian analysts. Yes, I mean
(22:15):
there, you know, the culture, the culture takes over. They just
have to be careful with some ofthose phrases because sometimes they don't know what
you're talking about. Uh, youknow, when it comes to some of
those phrases have to become context.Yes, yes, and yeah. We've
heard some of the yeah. Well, at least I've seen some of those
in the in the media's eye.They've they've caught a lot of attention and
(22:38):
sometimes flak as well. But Iam talking to coach Rodney Saulisbury. You
guys, white Haven High School,I'm Stormy. Thank you for joining us
for the Pulse. Now you sentme something. Did we did we talk
about this amazing thing that you sentme in a in a text message.
I'm trying to faniel text uh AndI saw some think it was about the
(22:59):
temp obey opportunity to NFL Coaches Academy. I believe, yeah, that was
it. We did National Coaching Academy, and that's what I thought. You
were one of the finalists. Butyou're going, yes, ma'am, you
go plan you on you on aplane. You're getting on a on a
plane and you're headed in that direction. Yes, ma'am. Okay, okay,
because you yeah, that's what.Yes, Okay, Now I'm catching
(23:22):
the cause. See, I don'tknow a lot about sports like most people
do. We're gonna teach you.We're gonna teach me. So for people
like me, what would you say, you know, we just want to
know a little bit more about thegame. What would you say is what
we should do to want to beobservant, observant and listen, you know,
so when you're listening, like usas coaches, sometimes we could turn
(23:45):
the television off and watch the gamebecause we were used to watching the games.
We don't have we don't need thesound and the color commentary. But
as a fan that you're trying tolearn, it would be great to listen
to the analysts. One of theunique things that they do on ESPN now
they'll have like Paydon Manning and Elion a different channel analyzing the game,
so they're going to talk differently.So that's sometimes you can learn a little
(24:07):
bit more insight because they can talka little bit more about the game,
not just for television because some peopledon't need to hear all those different and
they play disease intricacies of the games. So you can watch those different little
podcasts where people are analyzing the gamethat play the game. That can give
you a little more insight. Sothat's what I will say. You can
learn the game so when you're inthe rooms, you'll know what things to
(24:30):
say, things not to say.I think I do a little bit and
I really think this last season,and I attribute some of my knowledge to
social media and some of it tobeing around people who talk about the game
and games a little bit more thanI'm used to. You know what I'm
saying. Oh, definitely, Ithink that's a great way for women that
(24:55):
I'm gonna tell you something about whenDion Sanders went down to Colorado. Yeah,
I mean, I know a lotof people see you can say what
you said, I want to say, but he brought he brought a lot
of interest to brought lights there backto you know football and college football as
that for those of us that neverwatched, Oh, definitely, definitely.
And that's marketing is a big thinga bit, and he understands marketing and
(25:22):
understands how to get exposure for theyoung men that play for him, exposure
for his family, exposure for himself. All those things work because it's it's
a game that marketing is a bigpiece and the larger your market share,
the more valuable you can become becausethat's what name, image and likeness is
supposed to be about marketing. Sohe's utilizing it the right way and he's
(25:45):
taking advantage of it. And again, obviously it's it's tough a lot of
times to see a strong black manthat speaks very boldly out and that's going
to catch some flack a lot oftimes because most of us have to be
a little reserved in our commentary.But he has the ability that we can
say we don't when he wants.But he's already paid a lot of dues
(26:08):
as it relates to his career andwhat he's done. I mean, so
it's like they can't hurt him.Yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna do what
I wanted to do. You wantto get to that point where you said,
do what you want to do andsay what you want to say,
you have you always want to Youalways want to have that opportunity. And
I feel that we've earned the rightto where we can say things. But
again, obviously I work for I'ma state employee, so you have some
(26:30):
limitations and things that we can't say. But you definitely want to have that
freedom to be able to voice youropinion freely, especially when it comes to
the game. Almost definitely. Yeah, Coach Rosny Rodney Salisbury, Ladies and
gentlemen on the show with me today, white Haven High School coach and just
doing amazing things. You got thisyour finalist to go ahead to uh uh
the Buccaneers to do some things withthem and then show boats and uh.
(26:56):
You know every time we turn around, we hear about you in the news.
Well we just how proud your dadis? Good? How proud is
your dad? I think my parentsare very happy. Yeah, my parents
are very happy with the attention uhthat comes because it's always been quality.
Again, as as a as ason, you always want to bring a
positive light home. So it's beengreat to see them be able to you
(27:17):
know, get you know, everybodycalling them. I just talked to my
mom today, like everybody's calling meand saying, you know, saying all
these things. It's always good tomake them light up and especially you know,
get making them proud. So youalways want to make your parents proud.
Yeah, that's awesome. Your siblingsfeel the same way. Do you
get calls from them all the timeas well? Oh, definitely. My
brother called yesterday, you know,we talked in depth. Actually, unfortunately
(27:41):
we had a definite family so mysister, one of my sisters had just
came home, came home to kindof help with their mother and sister be
home next week and dealing with thatlost my godmother passed away. So it's
it's always good. And again obviouslymy wife Alicia and my kids, they're
able to, uh just be proud. So you want to just do things
to make your family and make yourfamily name or resonate in the community.
(28:03):
We'll tell you that White Haven communityloves you and outside part of it,
I mean outside of the school,the people at the school, that community
loves you. Well. One ofthe monikers that I came up with and
coaching was respect to Haven. Itwas some of the things that we came
up came up with. It waslike one of those things you want to
(28:25):
earn and respect coming up with thatmoniker. Respect to Haven is now it
is branched and now it's become itsown, its own entity. Jason Shariff
or he's the executive director of Respectto Haven Community Development Organization. I serve
as the vice president of that organizationand just being able to just say our
community needs needs us and we wantto really uplift the community and get every
(28:48):
way we can socially, economically,civically. So we want to really bring
up our community even more than itis because we want to restore and revitalize
what hey even to where it shouldalways be. It's always it's still a
great community, always will be agreat community, but we want it to
be the beacon of light that shinesin the city of Memphis. Well,
(29:10):
what is it that you don't do? I mean, it's like you do
a lot of stuff, and I'mso glad you came on the show to
share this. I mean you,you've got a lot of positive things happening
in this city. And I cantell you a humble man too, yes,
ma'am, just that God tells usto be humble as we walk in
just to do our part. Andthat's what we're just trying to be engaged
(29:33):
because nobody's coming to save us.We have to save ourselves. We have
to make sure they we're engaged inthe community. If we want to see
things done, we got to getin a fight. That's part of being
a teacher. You out there inthe midst with the children. You have
to show them the way because everybodywants to they'd rather see a sermon and
hear a sermon so that people wantto see what you're doing. Just see
what you're saying. Yeah, hearwhat you're saying. Oh you a p
(29:55):
K A p K. Yes,sir, Yes, ma'am. I'm Stormy.
It is the Pulse And thank youguys for listening today. I hope
you enjoyed the show. I've enjoyedtalking to Coach Rodney Salisbury. You are
a treasure, a Memphis treasure.You really are and no, thank you,
thank you for what you have done. Let me give you some flowers.
(30:15):
I wish I brought some physical flowers, but let me give you some
flowers. Thank you for what youhave done in this community. For the
lives that you've touched, Yes,and that you've helped go the right direction.
I can tell that they probably arewell way more than you could ever
imagine. Yes, because those livesthat you've touched touch other lives. Yes,
(30:40):
we want to multiply it. Yeah. Yeah, and respect the haven
too, Yes, I love iteven fail. All right, all right,
now, all right, it's thepulse. We keep our fingertips on
the pulse of our community. Again, I am Stormy Coach Rodney Salisbury.
Any parting words before you go,We'll just say that again, our community
needs us. We really want tohave young men. Our community can only
(31:04):
go as far as our young mengo. We need young men to be
able to hold up our community.And these lovely young women that we are
grooming all around, they need husbands, they need fathers, and the young
men have to step up to theplate. So I really want to be
on the mission to help produce thosea part of the progroup I'm a part
(31:25):
of is. We want to produce, provide, and protect again. We
want to produce young men that canbe fathers, that can be spiritual leaders
in their home, be pastors oftheir own home, and produce more and
more of them, prepare them properlyso they can be leaders within the community.
Again, So getting those results andthen protect our community again Again,
nobody's coming to save us. Wehave to make sure that we're doing all
(31:47):
the things to protect our community sowe can stand up strong and be and
have our rightful place in society andjust bring up I love it, love
it, love it, love itall right for people that want to reach
out to you, I know,respect that Haven is on Instagram. But
for people that want to reach outto you, what will you say?
How could they do? On Facebook? Again, it's just my name,
(32:08):
Rodney Salisbury Senior. Again, Ihave a junior sol Rodney Salisbury Senior on
Facebook and it's actually Salisbury Senior onTwitter or x so whatever you call it.
Now and again we have White HavenTiger is the team team tag on
Twitter. So again we're those onall those spaces. Again, I'll try
(32:29):
to stay off the Instagram, sorespect. The Haven CDC is on Twitter,
on Facebook, and on Instagram.Yeah, so on all those places.
So if you want to get intouch with me or just see what
the things that are going on inthe Whitea community, look at why Haven
Tiger Football, Salisbury Senior and againwe just hope to keep shining a positive
light on the White Heaven community.All right, thanks again for being a
(32:51):
part of the show, for comingon the show today. It's a privilege.
Thank you, Thank you so muchfor having me. All Right,
I'm Stormy. It is the pulseand we keep our finger tips on the
pulse of our community. We'll seeyou next week, same time, same
station. God bless you have agreat week.
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