‘He’s Like Family’: Rivalry Strengthens Strong Bond Between Former NFL Teammates

Chris Dishman called a handful of individuals shortly after Texas Southern’s vp of intercollegiate athletics Kevin Granger he informed him in January that he can be named the brand new head football coach of the Tigers.

Prairie View A&M football coach is on the short list of people that must be told immediately Bubba McDowellDishman’s former NFL teammate.

“He (McDowell) was very instrumental in me getting this job,” Dishman said. “We’re not blood brothers, but he’s like family.”

Once close teammates, they became enemies with the Southwestern Athletic Conference West at Texas Southern 27-9 After defeating Prairie View A&M on Saturday within the Labor Day Classic, Dishman picked up his first win as Tigers football coach — and his first against McDowell.

Texas Southern (1-0) broke a series of nine defeats to Prairie View A&M (0-1), bringing the Durley-Nicks Trophy to Houston for the primary time since 2014. Dishman became the second TSU head coach in 12 seasons to win the annual classic in his coaching debut.

He also won the old fraternal “hit the beach” contest, he said. The long-standing Oilers tradition was began by former Houston defensive coordinator and head coach Jerry Glanville, who awarded players green military helmets during practices for the perfect special play of the week during matches.

“One of my first touchdowns in the NFL was when Bubba blocked a kick and I picked it up and scored,” Dishman said. “I can keep my helmet here.”

Dishman, an elite cornerback, and McDowell, a pointy safety and excellent special teams player, were teammates from 1988 to 1994 on the previous Houston Oilers, a unit defined by its physicality. Houston chosen Dishman, a former Purdue star, within the fifth round. 1988 NFL Draft and McDowell, a Miami standout, within the third round 1989 NFL Draft.

Although neither Dishman, 59, nor McDowell, 57, wore the uniforms they wore together in Houston, their coaching philosophies of brotherhood and shared experiences, attention to detail and football sense were on full display Saturday.

“Coach McDowell told me there’s no rivalry until we win one game,” Dishman told reporters after the sport. “So we won one game, now the rivalry starts.”

Even after TSU clinched the victory over its division rival, Glanville called the meeting the true definition of brotherhood.

Dishman and McDowell’s friendship originally began over Glanville. When he watched film of then-Purdue linebacker Fred Strickland before the 1988 draft, he noticed “this cornerback who kept making plays,” he said.

After seeing quite a few flashes of Dishman’s ability on defense, Glanville had had enough.

“I turned off the film and said, ‘I don’t want a linebacker, I want a cornerback,'” he said.

The Oilers were also known for his or her kick blocking on special teams, and Glanville desired to bolster that effort. He selected McDowell.

“When I first met Bubba, he was a teenager,” Glanville said. “He was a young pup, but he was the best kick blocker in the country.”

Dishman agreed. “He could slide under big offensive linemen and make plays. I always wanted to line up next to him. He was such a terror on special teams, blocking kicks.”

Although McDowell fancied himself a special teams superpower, he also desired to be a starter on the Oilers’ defense. But before he got his likelihood, the 6-foot-1 safety, who played more zone under then-coach Jimmy Johnson on the University of Miami, needed to learn every thing he could about playing defense in Houston. Dishman became his teacher.

In 1989, McDowell fought for a starting spot. McDowell often sat over Dishman, who “crouched on almost every play” in Cover 2 defenses, he said.

“Cris would always tell me, ‘Make sure you’re deep,’ and he’d ask, ‘Are you supporting me?’” McDowell said.

While pure athletic ability helped McDowell execute plays based on advice he received from other veterans on the team, he quickly learned the importance of watching more footage of coverages and his opponents.

“I tried to do things my way,” McDowell said. “(Dishman) reminded me of three things: This isn’t Miami, the NFL will humiliate you and everyone is either at my level or better. How I decided to handle it was up to me.”

A young Nick Saban, who was the Oilers’ defensive backs coach within the Nineteen Nineties 1988 to 1989i felt the identical way.

“He (Saban) kept telling me that if I studied and watched more film, I could make a lot more plays and potentially get selected to the Pro Bowl,” McDowell said. “I took it with a grain of salt at first because I wasn’t used to it.”

Taking Saban’s advice and heeding the recommendation of veterans like defensive end Sean Jones, defensive back Richard Johnson and linebacker Robert Lyles, McDowell, despite never making the Pro Bowl in his seven-year NFL profession, became the Oilers’ starting defensive end.

“They (Dishman and McDowell) played so well, a lot of people thought I could be a coach,” Glanville said with amusing. “But they were more than just players. Now that they’re coaches, I’d bet all the money I’ve ever made that those two are changing players’ lives every day.”

While Dishman and McDowell became true stars on the Oilers’ defense, their success wasn’t just a mirrored image of their individual skills; it was a testament to their commitment to remaining students of the sport. Dishman recalled how he and McDowell spent a few years in San Diego training for upcoming seasons, hoping to get one step closer to winning the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Although Dishman and McDowell never won a Super Bowl, the Oilers’ postseason resurgence has been well-documented. They have played in five of Houston makes seven consecutive postseason appearances — 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993 — including two AFC Central division titles. However, their tenure also included “Return” within the 1993 postseason, when the Oilers surrendered a 35-3 result in the Buffalo Bills, leading to Houston pulling off the best comeback in NFL history.

While no football team is without flaws, Lyles knew each Dishman and McDowell can be special. Lyles, who played for Houston from 1984 to 1990 and was a captain, said each were “classic doers” and “real men” in life.

“When I came in, we were a couple years away from getting Houston back on track,” Lyles said. “Cris and Bubba took it to the next level and carried the torch. … They locked guys in there. They were teachable and passed on the lessons they learned from watching us to the younger players.”

Eddie GeorgeThe 1995 Heisman Trophy winner from Ohio State, chosen by the Oilers in the primary round of the 1996 draft, finished his first season because the NFL’s offensive rookie of the 12 months. George, now the Tennessee State football coach, said his success as a professional wouldn’t have been possible without veterans like Dishman.

“He’s one of my best friends,” George said. “He’d invite me to meet his buddies at this place in Houston and show me what to look out for, who to talk to, what to stay away from.”

Dishman, who has nearly 20 years of coaching experience, instills that very same sense of brotherhood in his players at Texas Southern.

“Besides being better players, we go to church every Sunday and have team dinners where we get to hang out with our teammates,” the senior linebacker from Texas Southern said. Javius ​​Williams, who finished second on the Tigers defense in tackles (six) and intercepted one pass in Saturday’s victory“They are mandatory. They have helped us build bonds that help us in the trenches.”

McDowell, who initially didn’t see himself as a coach because he didn’t consider he had the patience, is pursuing the identical team-building program at Prairie View A&M.

“Trying to pour into players like Nick Saban did with me, I know what he went through with me,” McDowell said. “That’s the job.”

The last time Texas Southern had a winning season was It was in 2000in the identical season as Dishman retired from the NFL. But after TSU beat Prairie View A&M, the SWAC last 12 months vice-championshipUnder Dishman, a brand new chapter could begin in Houston.

Dishman and McDowell said that regardless of what the long run holds, they may all the time be close.

“We both want to win,” Dishman said with amusing. “The team that wins the red-zone battle, converts the most third downs, wins special teams and stays calm when the pressure is on is going to win the game. … But through it all and in the future, he will always be my brother.”