In early 2025, we received word that Coach Bill McCartney had passed away. We knew Bill and his son, Tom, that coached at Fairview High School in Boulder, Colorado where our daughters attended. He was a wonderful dad, grandfather, friend and a man of football. The fiery head coach of the University of Colorado, he built a program that went from underdog to top dog, achieving college football's ultimate prize: a national championship in 1990. His name became synonymous with gridiron greatness. But there’s a significant chapter of McCartney's life that few know—a chapter not about Xs and Os, but about hearts and souls.
Let me take you back to the late 1980s. McCartney was at the height of his career, leading the Buffaloes to national prominence. Across state lines, in Nebraska, there was Ricky Simmons—a once-promising wide receiver for the Cornhuskers. Simmons had all the talent in the world, but his life took a tragic turn. After his football career ended, he spiraled into drug addiction, eventually finding himself behind bars for drug distribution. It would’ve been easy for most to write Simmons off as just another cautionary tale. But not Bill McCartney. When he heard about Simmons’ struggles, McCartney didn’t shake his head in judgment or walk away. He leaned in.
The decorated coach, known for his fiery sideline demeanor, quietly began visiting Simmons in prison. He wasn’t there to talk football. He wasn’t there to lecture. McCartney came as a man of faith, offering something Simmons had long since stopped expecting from the world: compassion. Ricky Simmons later admitted he was stunned. Why would a man like McCartney, a national figure, care about someone like him—someone who’d seemingly wasted every opportunity? But McCartney wasn’t interested in Simmons’ past. He was invested in his future.
McCartney spoke about forgiveness, redemption, and the God of second chances. He wasn’t preaching at Simmons—he was walking alongside him. And step by step, those prison visits began to change Simmons’ outlook. When Simmons was released, he didn’t just turn his life around—he became a motivational speaker, using his story to help others escape the grip of addiction. But this story doesn’t stop there. McCartney’s compassion for Ricky Simmons wasn’t an isolated act. It was part of a larger mission that would soon take shape.
On the field, McCartney was known for uniting players from every background—Black, white, rich, poor, urban, rural—calling team meetings to tackle hard conversations about race and unity. In 1990, shortly after his championship season, McCartney founded Promise Keepers, a men’s ministry dedicated to fostering faith, accountability, and reconciliation across racial and cultural lines. Its heartbeat? The same belief that drove him to Simmons’ prison cell: the idea that every man matters and that unity is a calling higher than competition. Bill McCartney’s career may have been defined by the scoreboard, but his legacy? That was written in places far from stadium lights—in prisons, in locker rooms, and in the lives of people like Ricky Simmons. So, the next time you hear his name, don’t just think of championships or the roar of the crowd. Think of the quiet moments of compassion, the belief in second chances, and the power of reconciliation. Here’s to Coach Mac- a significant difference maker!
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/legends-extraordinary-lives--5351541/support.
Let me take you back to the late 1980s. McCartney was at the height of his career, leading the Buffaloes to national prominence. Across state lines, in Nebraska, there was Ricky Simmons—a once-promising wide receiver for the Cornhuskers. Simmons had all the talent in the world, but his life took a tragic turn. After his football career ended, he spiraled into drug addiction, eventually finding himself behind bars for drug distribution. It would’ve been easy for most to write Simmons off as just another cautionary tale. But not Bill McCartney. When he heard about Simmons’ struggles, McCartney didn’t shake his head in judgment or walk away. He leaned in.
The decorated coach, known for his fiery sideline demeanor, quietly began visiting Simmons in prison. He wasn’t there to talk football. He wasn’t there to lecture. McCartney came as a man of faith, offering something Simmons had long since stopped expecting from the world: compassion. Ricky Simmons later admitted he was stunned. Why would a man like McCartney, a national figure, care about someone like him—someone who’d seemingly wasted every opportunity? But McCartney wasn’t interested in Simmons’ past. He was invested in his future.
McCartney spoke about forgiveness, redemption, and the God of second chances. He wasn’t preaching at Simmons—he was walking alongside him. And step by step, those prison visits began to change Simmons’ outlook. When Simmons was released, he didn’t just turn his life around—he became a motivational speaker, using his story to help others escape the grip of addiction. But this story doesn’t stop there. McCartney’s compassion for Ricky Simmons wasn’t an isolated act. It was part of a larger mission that would soon take shape.
On the field, McCartney was known for uniting players from every background—Black, white, rich, poor, urban, rural—calling team meetings to tackle hard conversations about race and unity. In 1990, shortly after his championship season, McCartney founded Promise Keepers, a men’s ministry dedicated to fostering faith, accountability, and reconciliation across racial and cultural lines. Its heartbeat? The same belief that drove him to Simmons’ prison cell: the idea that every man matters and that unity is a calling higher than competition. Bill McCartney’s career may have been defined by the scoreboard, but his legacy? That was written in places far from stadium lights—in prisons, in locker rooms, and in the lives of people like Ricky Simmons. So, the next time you hear his name, don’t just think of championships or the roar of the crowd. Think of the quiet moments of compassion, the belief in second chances, and the power of reconciliation. Here’s to Coach Mac- a significant difference maker!
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/legends-extraordinary-lives--5351541/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Hey, welcome back to Success to Significance. I'm Rick Tokeenny.
This program is brought to you by Return Valets, along
with gracefully yours greeting cards. Today we're going to talk
about the significance of a difference maker. It's coach Bill McCartney,
head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes and the founder of
Promise Keepers. In early twenty twenty five, we receive word
(00:32):
that coach McCartney had passed away. We knew Bill and
his son Tom, that coached at Fairvue High School in Boulder, Colorado,
where our two daughters attended. He was a wonderful dad, grandfather, friend,
and man of football. I remember seeing him at the
Panera in Colorado, teaching young men and guiding them in
(00:57):
their studies. He was a fiery head coach at University
of Colorado. He built a program that went from underdog
to top dog, achieving college football's ultimate prize, a national
championship in nineteen ninety. His name became synonymous with gridiron greatness.
But there's more of a significant chapter of Bill's life
(01:19):
that few know, and it's a chapter that goes way
beyond x's and o's. But it's about hearts and souls.
Let me take you back to the late nineteen eighties.
Bill was at the height of his career, leading the
Buffaloes to the national prominence. Across state lines in Nebraska
there was Ricky Simmons, a once promising wide receiver for
the Nebraska cornhus Huskers. Simmons had all the talent in
(01:44):
the world, but his life took a tragic turn after
his football career ended. He spiraled into drug addiction, eventually
finding himself behind bars for the distribution of drugs. It
would have been easy for most people to write Simmons
off as just another cautionary tale, but not Bill McCartney.
(02:06):
When he heard about simmons struggles, Bill didn't shake his
head in judgment or walk away. He, matter of fact,
he leaned in. The decorated coach known for his fiery
sideline demeanor, quietly began visiting Simmons in prison. He wasn't
there to talk foot ball, he wasn't there to lecture.
McCartney came as a man of faith, just offering something
(02:28):
Simmons had long since stopped expecting from the world, and
that's compassion. Ricky Simmons later admitted that he was stunned.
Why would a man like McCartney, a national figure, care
about someone like me, someone who seemingly wasted every opportunity.
But McCartney wasn't interested in simmons past. He was interested
(02:50):
only in his future. McCartney spoke about forgiveness, redemption, and
the god of second chances. Bill wasn't preaching at Simmons,
he was walking alongside him, and step by step, those
prison visits began to change simmons outlook. When Simmons was released,
he didn't just turn his life around. He became a
(03:12):
motivational speaker, using his story to help others escape the
grip of addiction. He moved from significance to significance, to
significance to making other people think about significance. This story
doesn't stop there. McCartney's compassion for Ricky Simmons wasn't an
isolated act. It was part of a larger mission. It
(03:33):
would soon take shape, you know. On the field, McCartney
was known for uniting players from every background, black, white, rich, poor,
urban and from the country, calling team meetings to tackle
hard conversations about race and unity. In nineteen ninety, shortly
after the championship season. Bill founded Promise Keepers, a men's
(03:56):
ministry dedicated to fostering faith, accountability, and reconciliation across racial
and cultural lines. It's heartbeat, the very same belief that
drove him to Simmons prison cell, the idea that every
man matters and that unity is a calling higher than competition.
(04:18):
Bill McCartney's career may have been defined by the scoreboard,
but his legacy that was written in places far from
stadium lines, in prisons, in locker rooms, and in the
lives of people like Ricky Simmons. So the next time
you hear his name Bill McCartney, don't just think about
championships or the roar of the crowd. Think of the
(04:41):
quiet moments of compassion, the belief and second chances, the
power of reconciliation. Here's the you, coach mac you were
a significant difference maker. We hope you enjoyed today's show.
We wish you success, but on your own unique way
to significance.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Hi, this is Carla from Gracefully Yours greeting cards. We
heard Texas Aggies, but Base are publishing headquarters in Austin, Texas.
I want to let you in on a little secret
about greeting cards and the people that write them. We
really have a sense of humor and we love to
encourage others. We talk like we write, with a few
(05:32):
words that matter the most, and we try to avoid cliches.
You will enjoy sending these popular cards that feature eagles
and hummingbirds from Alabama's Larry Martin along with some of
the prettiest flowers. Each unique card says something witty and inspiring.
What's different about us It's our incredible artists combined with
(05:56):
the passion. Translation. Here's an example of how the passion inspires.
You have supercharged my life so that I can soar
again like a flying eagle in the sky from Psalm
one oh three. We publish greeting cards in convenient twelve packs.
It's like having a card shop in your own home,
(06:18):
so every time you need a card, you have them handy.
So visit gracefully dash yours dot com to buy greeting
cards where art and message connect to your heart.
Hey, welcome back to Success to Significance. I'm Rick Tokeenny.
This program is brought to you by Return Valets, along
with gracefully yours greeting cards. Today we're going to talk
about the significance of a difference maker. It's coach Bill McCartney,
head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes and the founder of
Promise Keepers. In early twenty twenty five, we receive word
(00:32):
that coach McCartney had passed away. We knew Bill and
his son Tom, that coached at Fairvue High School in Boulder, Colorado,
where our two daughters attended. He was a wonderful dad, grandfather, friend,
and man of football. I remember seeing him at the
Panera in Colorado, teaching young men and guiding them in
(00:57):
their studies. He was a fiery head coach at University
of Colorado. He built a program that went from underdog
to top dog, achieving college football's ultimate prize, a national
championship in nineteen ninety. His name became synonymous with gridiron greatness.
But there's more of a significant chapter of Bill's life
(01:19):
that few know, and it's a chapter that goes way
beyond x's and o's. But it's about hearts and souls.
Let me take you back to the late nineteen eighties.
Bill was at the height of his career, leading the
Buffaloes to the national prominence. Across state lines in Nebraska
there was Ricky Simmons, a once promising wide receiver for
the Nebraska cornhus Huskers. Simmons had all the talent in
(01:44):
the world, but his life took a tragic turn after
his football career ended. He spiraled into drug addiction, eventually
finding himself behind bars for the distribution of drugs. It
would have been easy for most people to write Simmons
off as just another cautionary tale, but not Bill McCartney.
(02:06):
When he heard about simmons struggles, Bill didn't shake his
head in judgment or walk away. He, matter of fact,
he leaned in. The decorated coach known for his fiery
sideline demeanor, quietly began visiting Simmons in prison. He wasn't
there to talk foot ball, he wasn't there to lecture.
McCartney came as a man of faith, just offering something
(02:28):
Simmons had long since stopped expecting from the world, and
that's compassion. Ricky Simmons later admitted that he was stunned.
Why would a man like McCartney, a national figure, care
about someone like me, someone who seemingly wasted every opportunity.
But McCartney wasn't interested in simmons past. He was interested
(02:50):
only in his future. McCartney spoke about forgiveness, redemption, and
the god of second chances. Bill wasn't preaching at Simmons,
he was walking alongside him, and step by step, those
prison visits began to change simmons outlook. When Simmons was released,
he didn't just turn his life around. He became a
(03:12):
motivational speaker, using his story to help others escape the
grip of addiction. He moved from significance to significance, to
significance to making other people think about significance. This story
doesn't stop there. McCartney's compassion for Ricky Simmons wasn't an
isolated act. It was part of a larger mission. It
(03:33):
would soon take shape, you know. On the field, McCartney
was known for uniting players from every background, black, white, rich, poor,
urban and from the country, calling team meetings to tackle
hard conversations about race and unity. In nineteen ninety, shortly
after the championship season. Bill founded Promise Keepers, a men's
(03:56):
ministry dedicated to fostering faith, accountability, and reconciliation across racial
and cultural lines. It's heartbeat, the very same belief that
drove him to Simmons prison cell, the idea that every
man matters and that unity is a calling higher than competition.
(04:18):
Bill McCartney's career may have been defined by the scoreboard,
but his legacy that was written in places far from
stadium lines, in prisons, in locker rooms, and in the
lives of people like Ricky Simmons. So the next time
you hear his name Bill McCartney, don't just think about
championships or the roar of the crowd. Think of the
(04:41):
quiet moments of compassion, the belief and second chances, the
power of reconciliation. Here's the you, coach mac you were
a significant difference maker. We hope you enjoyed today's show.
We wish you success, but on your own unique way
to significance.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Hi, this is Carla from Gracefully Yours greeting cards. We
heard Texas Aggies, but Base are publishing headquarters in Austin, Texas.
I want to let you in on a little secret
about greeting cards and the people that write them. We
really have a sense of humor and we love to
encourage others. We talk like we write, with a few
(05:32):
words that matter the most, and we try to avoid cliches.
You will enjoy sending these popular cards that feature eagles
and hummingbirds from Alabama's Larry Martin along with some of
the prettiest flowers. Each unique card says something witty and inspiring.
What's different about us It's our incredible artists combined with
(05:56):
the passion. Translation. Here's an example of how the passion inspires.
You have supercharged my life so that I can soar
again like a flying eagle in the sky from Psalm
one oh three. We publish greeting cards in convenient twelve packs.
It's like having a card shop in your own home,
(06:18):
so every time you need a card, you have them handy.
So visit gracefully dash yours dot com to buy greeting
cards where art and message connect to your heart.
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