Thomas Hammock added a new phone contact Sunday.
The Northern Illinois coach received hundreds of text messages from well-wishers after his Huskies upset Notre Dame, 16-14, on Saturday.
Several Mid-American Conference coaches pinged him with kind words after the biggest upset in conference history. Tucked amid the texts was a message from a number Hammock didn’t recognize.
It was New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone, chiming in to say congratulations. Hammock, from Jersey City, New Jersey, is a lifelong Yankees fan.
“For Aaron Boone to send that message, trust me, I was like, ‘OK, this is awesome,’” Hammock told me Monday.
Hammock figures Northern Illinois alumnus Rick Cerrone shared his number with Boone. Cerrone, Baseball Digest’s editor in chief, previously worked for the Yankees.
The Yankees are the best team in the American League. If they win the World Series, might Hammock return the favor and text Boone a congrats?
“Hell yeah!” he exclaimed. “You know I saved that message. I saved that number. I hope that comes to fruition.”
I would say it will happen, with any luck, but Hammock and his Huskies proved last week they don’t need luck.
NIU Huskies embrace ‘don’t need luck’ mantra against Notre Dame
The Huskies erupted the first time Hammock used the line.
“We don’t need luck,” he said in a team meeting. His rally cry played off their opponent, the lucky leprechauns.
Hammock’s four-word sentence became NIU’s driving force. No need to be superheroes. Just play your best, and trust your best will be good enough. No luck necessary.
“It struck a chord with the whole team,” senior linebacker Jaden Dolphin said. “As the week went on, we continued to harp on it: We don’t need luck.”
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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/dont-luck-niu-mantra-led-181933002.html
Author : USA TODAY Sports
Publish date : 2024-09-10 18:19:33
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