August 27, 2001

Ed Emory: Richmond's fortune

Through A Glass Darkly, by John Myers, Internet Photojournalist

In the absence of a sports editor - our new man will be on the job by the time you read this - various members of the staff at The Richmond County Daily Journal in Rockingham, NC, where I work nights, have been pinch hitting for the various sports duties.

Ed Emory watches his running backs run a drill in practice at Richmond Senior High.

It fell my lot last week to interview Ed Emory, the new Richmond Senior High School head football coach, for the upcoming football tab, our annual special issue which previews the football season.

First, let me say I am well aware of the tremendously successful history of the Richmond Raiders football team and its fond place in the hearts of virtually every Richmond resident for their home team.

I was born and raised in Candor right up the road in Montgomery County, and my acquaintance with Richmond County dates back to rides across the county line to Norman to buy beer, which was illegal to sell in then-dry Montgomery. But enough said about that.

I lived and worked in neighboring Moore County for a decade during my career, and playing Richmond County was never fun in any sport. But playing Richmond in football was always not just hard but guaranteed to bring home nothing but bruises and another loss.

Back to Ed Emory. It says a whole lot about the prominence of the Richmond County football program that they could attract a man of his caliber to replace departing coach Daryl Barnes, whose 20-year stay at RSHS had a lot to do with making it the football power it is.

Here's a man with a resume in football that is seldom seen on the high school coaching level. After starting out at Wadesboro High in 1963, his coaching includes stops at such college football clubs as Wake Forest, Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech and head coach at East Carolina from 1979-85 where he challenged for a national title.

After that came a tour in the pro football ranks as offensive coordinator with the Memphis Showboats of the USFL, a league that was noted for its wild and crazy wide-open offensive outbursts. If you don't recall the USFL, there were few is any soccer-like scores.

Instead of 3-0 defensive struggles, not uncommon in the NFL, the USFL scores were often more like basketball games. Some may have ventured into triple digits, but I'd have to check statistics on that.

After that, Emory came back to high school ranks and became a principal, which is what he was doing at Anson when hired here.

Ed Emory exhorts his players during practice. "I'm a verbal coach," he explained.

In an interview that is chock full of great quotes (interviewing Emory is easy, just write quickly to keep up with the gems flowing from his lips) perhaps the best quote was his reason for leaving the ranks of principals, taking a $20,000 pay cut to be a coach again.

"I didn't want to die and have it put on my tombstone, Principal Emory. It's not about money," Emory said. Now there's a man who loves football. I love journalism, but if someone offered me a job in another field that included a $20,000 raise, I'd have to think hard about it, and if it wasn't shoveling manure, I'd probably take it.

And though I didn't ask him about his age, 61, Emory answered any concerns the football faithful may have about him on that score. "I'll never retire, I'll probably die on the field. I need the kids more than they need me. That's why I came back. I wanted a relationship with the guys," Emory said.

And it won't take but a few minutes of talking to Emory to reveal this is a man who really does believe in relationships, who loves to work with kids and really does have their best interests at heart.

In addition to his coaching job, Emory has three other duties at RSHS, heading up the peer mediation and dropout programs, both of which put him in the role of counselor and helper to the kids.

And he also heads the NCAA Clearinghouse, which basically makes sure the kids don't do anything that will harm their chances of making it to the next level athletically with college scholarships.

Emory described his combination of jobs thusly: "I'm coach, doctor, preacher, confidante, father, transportation, a little bit of everything to these kids. It's been a wonderful transition. When a man gets to do what he wants to do, it's a wonderful blessing."

And he really means it. While we were talking for the interview, Emory was interrupted twice, first by a student who was sick and wanted advice, which Emory readily gave him, then second by an athlete who needed some advice, which Emory also readily gave.

Then lastly, Emory waved at a lady walking by his office with her young daughter, a little darling about 4 or 5, who he flagged down and brought into his office to pin a couple of Raider pins on her.

I dare say Emory made a lifelong Raider fan of that little girl.

Here's a man who not only loves what he's doing, but has the track record to show he is very, very good at what he does: coach athletes to win, not only at games, but in the game of life as well.

I heard it said that with the prominence of the program, Richmond County could have hired virtually anyone they wanted to be the new football coach. I don't believe they could have done better than Emory. With 50 players gone from last year's team, and a new conference alignment that's perhaps the toughest in the state, it's not too hard to see why Barnes decided to move to the coast.

But I firmly believe Ed Emory will carry on the great traditions of Richmond football and carry it to even greater heights.

Emory sure aims high. "They've been playing football here at Richmond County for 100 years, but they only have five championships," Emory said.

That sounds like a man who will bring home the trophy again.