ATLANTA – Carlos Locklyn sent out the first text message, maybe 18 months ago, and watched a coaching brotherhood grow organically.
Ohio State’s first-year running backs coach and a former federal prison guard whose personal journey is a fascinating climb, Locklyn sends daily devotional texts to current and former players, friends, mentors and people touching his life.
He also sends these inspirational missives to a group of running backs coaches throughout college football. They call themselves the “Running Backs Coaches and Believers.”
The label on their group text message even bears the name.
Monday night inside Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, two members of the group and two of college football’s best running backs coaches take centerstage: Locklyn and Notre Dame’s Deland McCullough.
“There’s quite a few of us in this group,” says Locklyn, a former Memphis-area high school coach who cracked into the collegiate ranks in 2017 when he volunteered to assist the Memphis Tigers program in the weight room. “Believers who coach running backs. We just kind of celebrate one another and minister to one another. It’s a good group.
“Just having that brotherhood, especially in this coaching profession; having those relationships. That’s what I like about the coaching profession, it’s a fraternity. Having that fellowship and having people to talk to, that’s what I like.”
The College Football Playoff Championship capping the sport’s first-ever 12-team field is barely 48 hours from kickoff, and both Locklyn and McCullough are participating in the obligatory media day duties inside the Georgia World Congress Center.
Their text exchange from the 'Believers' on this day is particularly timely.
“Grace is when God gives us good things that we don’t deserve. Mercy is when God spares us from the things we deserve. Blessings are when God is generous with both.
“If you aren’t grateful for what you already have, what makes you think you would be happy with more? Truly, we can never run out of reasons to thank God. There’s always something to be grateful for.”
Locklyn concludes the message with his signature hashtag: #KeepDaFaith.
McCullough shares that this message already is included in his forthcoming book, an inspirational tome that dives into McCullough’s infant-adoption, journey from high school principal to the cusp of coaching stardom and path as husband, father, coach.
“That’s the theme of my book!!!,” McCullough, whose ‘Runs In The Family’ book publishes in the coming months, texts the group. “This exact post is in my book!! Love this!!
“It’s the essence of all our lives.”
McCullough peels back the layers for the group, which also includes AJ Steward, Chris Foster, CJ Spiller, De’Rail Sims, DeShaun Foster, John Simon, Rod McDowell and Tashard Choice.
“Shoot, stuff comes through there and it’s awesome to just get on there and share stories,” McCullough tells FootballScoop. “It ain’t about playing running back or coaching running backs, it’s about other things outside of that in life. A lot of those things hit every time.
“The one that was sent (Saturday) morning, was a direct quote that’s in my (upcoming) book; I almost sent them the page. This direct devotional is in my book and kind of sets the stage for a lot of the things that’s in my book. So, it’s pretty cool how that’s hit home.”
Faith is the fabric.
“These are all guys I’ve got great respect for and after the game last week, being able to pray with Tashard Choice,” Locklyn says, “a guy I consider not only my friend but my brother. Just a lot of guys in that group I’ve got great respect for, not just as football coaches but as men.”
A key new hire on Tony Gibson’s inaugural Marshall staff after helping Jacksonville State win the Conference USA title bout, McDowell praises the paths of Locklyn and McCullough while leaning into the spiritual component.
“If you label us coaches first, it would be dishonest when we are faith-walkers first who have been placed on an amazing platform,” says the former Clemson standout, “to serve God’s kingdom with this opportunity of coaching.
“The Xs and Os will take care of itself, but to wake up everyday with a word of affirmation while we go impact the next believer, now that’s coaching! What a powerful and spiritual group of running back coaches speaking life within each other in our coaching life. Now look at Lock and Deland, reaping the harvest of their labor.”
Locklyn and McCullough share more than their faith and coaching positions; they also embody two of the sport’s most remarkable journeys.
“Just to hear what his background is, the ‘Walk-on Coach,’ that’s strong,” McCullough says. “It doesn’t get too much more dealing with adversity and perseverance than that, just doing those things of working one job by day and another by night and you’re just hoping for the best.
“I told him that kind of trumped my thing; I was just an old guy getting into it, I was a principal and went from making $125,000 a year to making $500 a month. But I tell them, I still had something to fall back on. Everybody’s got a story of how they get there and you’ve got to respect all those stories because they’re strong in their own right.”
As always with this group, message delivered.