There is a side of college football that fans rarely get to see.
Long before a player’s name appears on a roster or echoes through a stadium, coaches spend months getting to know him. They study film, make phone calls, visit schools and have countless conversations about not only the athlete, but the young man behind the highlights.
Being part of a coaching family has given me a glimpse into that process that most people never get to see. While I’m cooking dinner, folding laundry or simply going about my day, I often hear those conversations from the next room. I hear coaches discussing work ethic, grades, character and whether a young man will fit the culture they’re trying to build.
After a while, the names become familiar. I hear them over and over again as coaches talk through recruiting, and before I ever meet the players, I already have a sense of the kind of young men they hope to bring to Southwest.
Nolan Wells was one of those names.
Nolan was also part of a special group for the coaching staff. He was a member of the first recruiting class signed after Les George and his staff arrived at Southwest. Every coach remembers that first class. Those are the players who choose to believe in a new vision before there is a winning record to point to. They put their trust in a new coaching staff, and the coaches put their trust in them.
“The first thing that we noticed was his ability as a wide receiver,” George said. “We thought his talent and skill set would obviously help us from a football standpoint. But once we met Nolan and saw that he was a person of high character, was accountable, disciplined and a good teammate, we knew he would fit right into our program.”
As I listened to the coaches reflect on Nolan, a common thread emerged. No matter which memory they shared or what question I asked, they always came back to the same thing. Nolan was unselfish.
George recalled the first game of last season when Nolan didn’t see the field.
“Nolan didn’t get to play the first game, and we won,” George said. “He was just as excited as everybody else, maybe even more excited, that we had won the game.”
That attitude wasn’t limited to game day.
Wide receivers coach Earvin Moore described Nolan publicly as someone who was the same person no matter where he was or who he was around.
“Nolan was unselfish, funny and a great person to be around,” Moore said. “He was always the same person no matter where he was. His personality was the same no matter the environment.”
Moore also said Nolan never hesitated to help the players around him, even those competing for the same position.
“Nolan didn’t mind helping anyone in the position group, no matter if they played the same position,” Moore said. “He was a really unselfish player.”
George said Nolan approached the classroom with the same commitment he brought to football.
“He was a phenomenal student,” George said. “He took academics extremely seriously.”
While Nolan wasn’t the loudest voice on the team, George said he earned respect by the way he carried himself every day.
“He led mostly by example.”
Over the past week, I’ve spent time at practices and walkthroughs. The weight this team is carrying is impossible to ignore. There are quieter moments than usual, but there is also something just as noticeable. These young men are leaning on one another. Coaches are checking on players. Players are checking on each other. They are grieving together while continuing to move forward as a team.
For George, football has taken a back seat.
“Right now, football isn’t the priority,” he said. “Making sure these young men are okay and that they’re there for one another is what’s most important.”
George said Nolan’s impact is still visible in the receivers’ meeting room. His teammates have continued leaving his chair empty, holding that space for a friend who meant so much to them.
