Browns Film Breakdown Blue Wire

Jake and Andrew,
I’ve been a huge Browns fan all my life and an avid listener to this Podcast. Thanks for putting it together as I learn a lot from each and every episode. Great job Jake & Andrew!
I am just following up with your request for more information about how the Kirtland Hornet Football team has become so successful.
My wife and I have lived in Kirtland since 2000 and have two children who have and are currently going to Kirtland High School. My daughter graduated in 2021 and my son is going into his Sophmore year and plays on the Hornet football team. The Hornets football team never had success until Tiger Leverde arrived in 2004 which is when he began to transform the football program. Prior to Tiger, Kirtland would lose good players to neighboring schools such as Lake Catholic who had very good football programs.
Tiger’s approach to creating a successful program was to change the culture by rebuilding the program from the ground up. As he developed the high school team, he was also focused on building the Kirtland Youth Football program as those kids are the future of the high school program. Tiger would meet with all the youth football coaches before the youth season opened to provide guidance on how to coach the kids. He also taught the youth coaches the core plays the high school team runs in order for the youth coaches to teach the boys. As a result, the boys are very familiar with Tiger’s system by the time they reach middle and high school. Tiger also creates a program that is respectful and where the kids can have fun. If you listen to any interview with Tiger, you will hear him talk about how the youth football coaches need to focus on teaching the fundamentals of football while making it fun for the kids. Winning is great but not the focus for the youth football teams. It’s all about getting the kids excited about playing the game and how it is played. Tiger also talks about how the Seniors need to mentor and help the underclassmen develop especially the freshmen boys who are the future of the program. Hazing or bullying is not tolerated. He knows the importance of family along with the kid’s studies and makes sure the boys are home in time for dinner with family while also having time for homework. He doesn’t swear nor does he allow any of his coaches to swear during practices or games.
I mentioned how Tiger has changed the culture of the football program in Kirtland, but another critical component of his success is his knowledge of the game. Tiger is incredibly smart and knows the game inside and out. I coached my son in the youth program and had the opportunity to have Tiger’s youngest son on the team. Tiger would often be on the sidelines helping me and the other coaches out during practices or games. On every play Tiger would see everything that was going on during the play and talk to us coaches about strategies to take advantage of how the other team was playing us. Tiger often stops down to the sidelines for the other Kirtland youth football games as well as middle school, freshman and JV games. It’s always amazing the positive impact he has when he is on the sidelines of those games. The Kirtland teams would be struggling and when Tiger gets involved things turn around and the team starts playing much better.
The program that Tiger has built has really had a positive influence on all the young men that have gone through his program. The commitment we see each and everyday from the players on the team is amazing. The weight room is open just about every day for voluntary workouts where almost every player participates. Even the day after the last game of the season, there is a high number of players in the weight room committed to getting stronger and better at the game of football. All their efforts have paid off as they continue to win 7 on 7 competitions, Lineman challenges and of course State Football Championships. Not bad for a high school football team from the small town of Kirtland.
Another interesting note is that Girls High School Flag Football began in 2021. Of course, Tiger coached the Kirtland Hornets girls’ team. They won the championship that year and then won it again the following year then again, this past spring. So, they have won three championships out of the four seasons. What is really cool about this story is that Tiger has four children. Two girls and two boys. He has won State football championships with both boys and Girl’s Flag Football Championships with both girls. My daughter played on the team that won the first two championships. She loved playing for Tiger and along side his daughters and the rest of her teammates. She mentions how Tiger taught them how to play the game and would tell the girls to just go out and have fun, which they certainly do as you see the girls laughing and having a good time in every picture you see of them.
My kids have grown up in a town where it has become expected for the Hornet’s to go to the championship game every year. That is all my kids have seen that the football team is always successful. I tell my kids all the time, how this is not the norm at other schools and they should feel lucky to be a part of this city, school and team.
Thanks again Jake and Andrew for doing what you do. I will certainly be listening to all your future episodes on the Browns. Go Hornets and Go Browns!!

John

Fantastic podcast with great hosts that care about the integrity of their work.

Some of the best breakdown and coverage of the browns in Cleveland. Only negative are the ads. Their frequent and long.