LAURINBURG — Mack is back, but Dave Doeren hasn’t gone anywhere — and he doesn’t plan to.
Doeren, North Carolina State’s head football coach, made that clear on Thursday night while taking a good-natured jab at North Carolina and coach Mack Brown, who will begin his second stint with the Tar Heels this fall.
Doeren spoke inside a packed Highlands building at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes fundraiser banquet, which generated more than $10,000 for the student ministry group. Doeren, who is preparing for his seventh season with the Wolfpack, wasn’t just there to talk about football.
Instead, the Kansas native spoke to the crowd of athletes, parents, coaches and supporters about persevering through adversity both on and off of the field.
Doeren spoke of his personal experiences: “My players will ask me, ‘Coach, why did this happen to me? Why do bad things happen to me? Why did God do this to me?’ God only puts obstacles in your life that you can handle.”
Doeren’s 10-minute speech was preceded by a presentation from Jadon Olson, a boy who suffered a serious brain injury in September when a tree fell on him in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence.
Olson, a Scotland Christian Academy senior at the time of the incident, underwent a series of operations that involved the removal of a section of his skull. He couldn’t move the right side of his body for a while after the surgeries.
On Thursday night, Olson held a microphone with his right hand and walked with a normal gait around the stage. A large scar near the side of his head provided the only significant evidence of his injury.
Like Doeren, Olson talked about perseverance. He said he wouldn’t have been able to get through his hardships without the support of the community.
“Y’all saved my life, along with God,” Olson said while holding back tears.
Both speeches were filled with anecdotes, pieces of scripture and words of motivation. Those messages were preceded by a buffet of traditional barbecue food, which included chicken, beans, macaroni and cheese and coleslaw.
Behind the scenes, members of Carver Middle School’s Blue Blazers mentorship club handled a variety of tasks ranging from greeting guests at the door to re-stocking food and drinks.
The Blue Blazers, a group of eighth-graders who have passed a selective process for admission into the club, take part in various service projects and educational events throughout the community. James McLean, Blue Blazers advisor and dean of students at Carver, said the banquet gave the students a good opportunity to have face-to-face interactions with many adults.
The area director of Scotland County’s FCA group gave credit to the Blue Blazers, as well as several donors and helpers who make the non-profit organization’s activities possible. Paul Lemmond, better known as “Preacher Paul” by many, spoke about the FCA’s history in Scotland County.
The nationwide organization aims to provide opportunities for student-athletes to grow their faith in both social and educational settings. The organization hosts camps and meetings, and it also distributes personalized bibles for the athletes to read and study with their peers.
Funds raised at Thursday night’s banquet will help help send local students to FCA events, and the money will also help members reach out to the local community. Last year, for example, the FCA hosted Darryl Strawberry, an accomplished Major League Baseball alumnus. In front of a crowd at Pate Stadium, Strawberry delivered a motivational speech shortly after Hurricane Florence devastated the region.
In the earliest days of Scotland County’s FCA chapter, around 14 years ago, the organization was able to secure 200 bibles for distribution to Scotland High’s football team and cheerleaders. To this day, the ministry has provided around 13,000 bibles for local athletes and coaches.
“We’ve had over 8,000 commitments to the Lord,” Lemmond said.
The student ministry plans to keep expanding its outreach. Jadon Olson intends to cherish every day of the life that he almost lost five months ago. Dave Doeren plans on continuing to develop his football players as both athletes and young men.
The first part might be a little tougher this year.
“We start spring practice next Saturday,” Doeren said. “I’ve got a lot of work to do. We have a young football team this year.”
