A quick look at the roster of the team that first-year West Virginia head coach Neal Brown has inherited shows players from Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Missouri, Alabama, California, Louisiana, Ohio, and a host of other states including West Virginia.
To make sure players from all walks of life understood and appreciated the history and tradition that the state of West Virginia was built on, he took them on one of the coolest team trips I can recall.
Brown took his guys to the coal mines.
Showing up in busses, with the many of the workers in uniforms black with coal soot snapping pictures and video like they really admired those coming to visit, the Mountaineers shook hands and chatted with the miners about how football and coal mining are a lot more alike than they are different.
What was I found really cool is the family wall the miners have down below ground, reminding them all of why they do what they do. Next to each picture is a message along the lines of "They are waiting for you at home."
As the tweet says - "Meeting who we represent to better understand our 'why.'" Really cool stuff here.