I missed this in the "news and notes" post this morning but I noticed a slightly hidden blurb by Kevin Haskin with CJOnline regarding a recent visit that Turner Gill made to the Topeka Rotary Club where he was asked to speak.
Besides the fact that this is a 180 degree turn in terms of public relations from our last head man, the consistency of Gill's message caught my eye.
Knowledge, hard work and attitude are traits Gill stresses. When numbers are assessed to the letters in those words, the sums equal 96, 98 and 100, respectively. Gill then assigns those numbers as the percentages players should devote to those particular qualities.
"I don't think it's a coincidence that you add up the letters in attitude and it equals 100," Gill said.
Without question everyone wants to win football games. That's the goal in the end. At the same time it's not a bad bonus to see leadership and values at the top. Gill has a vision of how he wants to run a program and how he wants to mold his players and it's an admirable vision.
Now, that obviously only goes so far. 3-9 seasons every year with embarrassing losses won't cut it and won't allow that vision to take hold. But Gill has a solid staff in place based on his ability to sell that vision. That staff has started recruiting their players based on that vision. If Gill can get the buy in internally with the players and that translates to a few more wins on Saturday, Gill will bring the values and the public relations piece that will put Kansas football in a much more stable position than has been the case at times in the past..