Entering this football season only six coaches in Shelby County history had won 200 career games. This year, a seventh was added — Memphis University School’s Bobby Alston. And while success on the field is nice, his former players say Alston’s impact goes beyond wins and losses.
Ask those who know him, Alston is a man of few words.
"[He] doesn't say much, but when he spoke — kind of powerful," said DeAndre Jones, MUS Class of 2008.
Ask Alston himself and he'll tell you the same.
"I’m not a 'rah, rah' kind of guy," Alston said.
Alston’s signature stoic look has been a staple at Memphis University School since 1977. He’s been the head football coach since 1998 and delivered four state championships. Coaching may be Xs and Os, but it’s not a science.
"You have to figure out as a coach, I think, how the puzzle pieces best fit together," Alston said "That there's a little bit of an art to that and a lot of luck. But once the game starts, the kids are the ones that make the plays."
Jones made a lot of those plays. He was a part of championship teams in 2004 and 2005 before playing collegiately at Vanderbilt.
"You know that when you step foot on that field, you want to give it your all and not just for [Alston], but for your brothers on the field with you as well," Jones said. "[Alston] instills that into you from day one."
Scott Vogel learned under Alston as a player and a coach before becoming a coach himself at Evangelical Christian School, where he also serves as Chief Operating Officer.
"I really learned from Coach Alston, you never really know it all," Vogel said. "You're always learning, you're always growing — he instilled that in all of us. To be able to learn as a coach, a young coach under him, and the way he spring-boarded my desire to want to get into the profession and be around kids, I can never thank him enough for that."
In 24 years, you rack up a lot of wins. On homecoming night in front of countless MUS alumni, Alston won game number 200.
The team gave him a Gatorade bath. The school ushered out a banner signed by the players to commemorate the moment. Alston said a few words then, as always.
More than anything, he's glad all the attention can be on winning games.
"A very sticky Gatorade bath," Alston said. "I'm kind of glad it's all over with. We just get back to playing football and the focus be on the boys — not on me."
The man of few words won’t waste words on himself, but his players will.
"He's been that rock at the school that we've known for 30-something years," Vogel said. "200 wins — that isn't even a measure [of] all the lives he's impacted."
Two hundred wins puts Alston in rare air, not just in Shelby County, but at MUS itself.
Jake Rudolph won over 300 games on the gridiron at MUS. Jerry Peters won over 1,000 in basketball. Alston’s not worried about matching up to those two. He just wants to win number 201.
"They think inspire those of us who came after them to try to continue that legacy, and, if at the end of it all, someone says, 'Well, at least Alston didn't screw it up.' I'll take that," Alston said.
Avery Braxton
Sports Reporter/Multi-Skilled Journalist