by Fred Seely
Editorial Director
Jaguars Coach Jack Del Rio got out of the stadium and into the business community Monday to speak to the Rotary Club of Jacksonville at the Omni.
Business was secondary, as it turned out; he gave a booster club-like speech and got a booster club-like reception.
“You’re an easy group,” Del Rio said with a laugh after 20 minutes of questions and answers that were more about football than business.
Del Rio spent 15 minutes talking about his work since he was announced as the team’s coach on Jan. 17 and went through the usual Xs and Os of coaching. He spoke of the team’s “solid core of players,” its “overall lack of speed” and problems with the depth, particularly at the high-profile positions of quarterback and running back.
When the questions came from the audience of 200 or so, they were on disparate topics.
Such as:
“You’re bringing in the West Coast Offense. Can’t we have a name of our own?”
So, the “First Coast Offense” may have made its debut Monday as a phrase, but not as a reality.
“When we score a touchdown, we’ll think about names,” said Del Rio.
And, you may hear a more traditional National Anthem at this year’s Jaguar games after a member asked “Can we hear the Star Spangled Banner without the ‘woo-woo-woo’?”
Del Rio: “I understand there’s a move underway toward more traditional ways of singing the anthem. That’s good by me, but that’s one area that a head coach doesn’t have to handle.”
And on defenders getting beaten on long pass plays.
“That’s the way it is in football today,” said Del Rio, who then pointed to the table in front of him where the tallest Rotarian and a former basketball All-American, 7-foot-2 Artis Gilmore, was sitting. “Someone dunked one on Artis at one time, too.”
Most of the session was a pep talk as Del Rio predicted Jacksonville would lure top players such as the recent free agent signings of Hugh Douglas from Philadelphia and Mike Peterson from Indianapolis.
“One, you have a great city,” said the coach. “Two, you have an ownership” — and he pointed to co-owners Wayne and Delores Weaver, who were sitting at the head table — “who have a commitment to quality, and who have shown it in the facilities they provide.
“And three, I’ve always treated men with respect and have taken notice of the way men should treat each other. We will work together to build a championship.”