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What still drives a coach who has already reached the mountaintop?

On Episode 5 of For Love of the Game, we sit down with Southside High School Head Football Coach Jess Curtis—a coach who helped turn his hometown of Many into a championship program, reaching six state championship games and winning three state titles.

But this conversation goes far beyond the trophies.

Coach Curtis takes us back to where his love of football began: throwing the ball in the yard with his dad and brothers, growing up in a football family, and dreaming about what Many football could one day become. He remembers the people who believed in him before the championships ever came—the coaches and administrators who gave him an opportunity, the staff members who stood beside him, the players who bought into the vision, and a community that made Friday nights something special.

He also shares one of the most important lessons behind his success: great programs aren't built by one person. They're built by empowering good people, developing relationships, creating belief, and getting everyone pulling in the same direction.

Now, after reaching the mountaintop at Many, Curtis has found a new mountain to climb.

At Southside High School in Youngsville, he inherited a program with a strong foundation, embraced a staff he believes in, and has helped lead the Sharks to back-to-back quarterfinal appearances. But he's not interested in stopping there.

The goal is clear: build a championship culture at Southside and see just how high this program can climb.

This is a conversation about gratitude, belief, leadership, relationships, second chapters—and the fire that keeps burning even after you've already experienced the view from the top.

Episode 5: Beyond the Mountaintop — Jess Curtis.

This is For Love of the Game.

This is For Love of the Game with Coach Jess Curtis.

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In Episode 4 of For Love of the Game-FLG the Podcast, we sit down with Delcambre High School Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Mr. Cory Brodie for a conversation that is especially near and dear to us. This isn't just a story about coaching football. It's about building a program, investing in young people, and carrying the pride of a community every time you take the field.

Friday night gets the spotlight. The lights come on, the stands fill up, and the scoreboard eventually tells everyone who won.

But in a small town, football has never been just about the scoreboard.

The real story is written long before kickoff — in the weight room, the film room, the offseason, the difficult conversations, and the countless hours of work when nobody is watching.

And when the school, the field, and the community are part of the place you call home, that story means just a little bit more.

Growing up in a coaching family, Cory learned early that being a coach extends far beyond X's and O's. He shares the mentors, lessons, and opportunities that shaped his career, along with what he's learned about earning trust, finding your place on a staff, staying a student of the game, and never being afraid to go find a better answer.

Then we get into what really builds a football program — the grind between Friday nights.

Cory takes us behind the scenes of Delcambre football: offseason training, weight-room expectations, developing depth, multi-sport athletes, overcoming injuries, and preparing the next player to step up when his number is called.

We also talk about what makes small-town football so special — generations of families in the stands, former players watching the next group wear the same colors, kids dreaming about their own Friday nights, and a community that doesn't simply watch its football team. It becomes part of it.

Cory shares the responsibility of leading that kind of program, balancing life as a head coach and athletic director, chasing playoff goals, and making sure his players understand that representing Delcambre means something.

But beneath everything is something even bigger than football — family, faith, relationships, leadership, and helping young men become the people they'll be long after they play their final down.

And yes, we even revisit a memorable trick play that had just about everybody wondering what they had witnessed.

For those of us who call Delcambre home, this one means a little more.

This is our community.
This is our program.
This is our home.
This is Delcambre football.
And this is For Love of the Game.

🎙️ For Love of the Game
Exploring the ecosystem of sport from all angles.

If you enjoy the conversation, be sure to like, subscribe, and share the episode and follow along as we continue sitting down with the coaches, athletes, officials, and leaders who make the world of sports so special.

Also thanking our sponsors:

Ump-Attire.com

Inzina Law Injury Attorneys

Feldman Orthodontics

Extreme AC

Dr. Seth Rosenzweig of Louisiana Orthopedic Specialists-LOS

Thank you to our videographer AB Films!!

Available on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Podcast Index, Castbox, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podcast Addict, Deezer, Listen Notes, Podchaser, Player FM, Castro, Goodpods, and TrueFans.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Mr. Greg Gautreaux is native of Lafayette, LA, retired 20-year NFL Super Bowl football official, retired 40-year public servant of Lafayette Parks and Recreation, and Lafayette Area Football Officials Coordinator of Officials. In our debut episode of "For Love of the Game", we're joined by a mentor who has shaped the sports officiating landscape in Lafayette, LA and beyond. Having officiated high school football under his leadership for two decades, it was an honor to sit down and uncover the "why" behind his career. We discuss: the role of his Catholic faith, the family foundation that kept him grounded, the mentors who helped elevate his offication career to the pinnacle of the sports world, and his dedication and love of the game through officiation excellence. Mr. Greg was the inspiration for the original "For Love of the Game" logo- serving football focused projects such as our current Louisiana Coaches project. Join us as we begin to release full episodes on August 1st!

Special Thank you to Inzina Law Injury Attorneys for allowing us to film our Pilot Episode in their magnificent office!!!

🎙️ For Love of the Game
Exploring the ecosystem of sport from all angles.

If you enjoy the conversation, be sure to like, subscribe, and share the episode and follow along as we continue sitting down with the coaches, athletes, officials, and leaders who make the world of sports so special.

Also thanking our sponsors:

Ump-Attire.com

Gameday Men's Health

Inzina Law Injury Attorneys

Feldman Orthodontics

Extreme AC

Thank you to our videographer AB Films!!

Available on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Podcast Index, Castbox, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podcast Addict, Deezer, Listen Notes, Podchaser, Player FM, Castro, Goodpods, and TrueFans.

Support the show