Wisdom From the Big Chair

I’ve often talked about one of my all-time favorite coaches that i’ve had the good fortune to play for. He had great wisdom, and could teach the game. He also was fun to be around. I love him dearly to this day.

The man i’m referring to was my offensive line coach through most of my Steelers career, Ron Blackledge. Otherwise known as “Blackie” or the more often used “The Big Kahuna.”

The Kahuna was so named first for the hawaiian shirt he once wore to a gathering at his home which included some serious lawn bowling.

The Kahuna reference was also partly from the old Frankie Avalon/Annette Funicello beach movies where the king surfer on the beach was known as the big kahuna. This kahuna had a big chair that he sat in on the beach.

So often in our meeting room as we met as an offensive line, the Kahuna would sit in his big chair behind his desk and offer quips and sayings i remember to this day.

Once, when he was sharing his thoughts on what the mindset of an offensive lineman in a game needed to be like offered this;

An offensive lineman needs to be “Cool in the head, hot in the heart. Just like an assassin.”

Wisdom from the big chair of the Kahuna.