Maxwell DonaldsonGadsden Times
ATTALLA − New Etowah High School football coach Scott Peavey knew he had a long task ahead, first stabilizing the job and then trying to return the Blue Devils to their past success.
Just six months into the job, Peavey has brought a different energy to the Etowah program. It shows in the weight room, where he will jump in during workouts, even trash talking players he's outlifting. He also is creating an environment that players want to show up for.
"He's a players' coach. He brings a lot of energy, which we needed. Like in the weight room, we're all busting our butts because he's actually doing the workout with us," Jameson Scissum said. "... Just our mentality, we're all bought in and we want to stay for practice, instead of just being there to get it done."
Even though full practices haven't started yet, Peavey is in the middle of it all any chance he has, building up players when they do the right thing.
How Peavey showed he's here to stay
With four coaches over the last four seasons, there has been instability at Etowah. The players haven't liked the turnover; not only has the senior class experienced all four changes, but also two others while they were in middle school.
Peavey wants this to be a place he can stay for awhile – at least selfishly to get the final years he needs for retirement in Alabama – but there are goals on the field, too. It's one reason he came back to Alabama after the last seven years in Georgia.
"If I get nine years I can retire. I want to stay here that long and hopefully things go well and I want to stay longer. I don't want to keep moving, I've done that before in my career and it's time to stay still for a while," Peavey said.
Peavey knows that his words don't yet mean a lot to students who have experienced four coaches in four years, but he still tried to convey that he wants to be at Etowah and wants to be there for a long time in his first meeting back in December.
"My first meeting, I said, 'I know you guys have heard this speech too many times in your career, you've heard the new coach get up too many times. The only thing that I can promise you is that we're going to be here and we're going to work. I'm going to hire the best staff that I possibly can and only thing I can tell you is I'm here to stay,'" Peavey said.
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Just like his last stop at Haralson County in Georgia, Peavey was able to hire his son, Jack, to join his staff. This time Jack is the Blue Devils defensive coordinator and the two have had a father-son on-field experience as both player-coach and coach-coach.
"It's great, I played for my dad my whole life and the last few years I've gotten to coach with him in Georgia. He took the job here and was able to bring me along. It's been great," Jack said.
Jack believes that playing for his dad has helped them manage their relationship, leaving work at the office, but it's not like coaching for his dad is much different than when he played for him.
"As he tells me he fires me everyday, either way I was getting fired everyday. Both of them are about the same, we made a deal when I was in high school that football is at the office and when we leave here we're father-and-son and best friends," Jack said.
How the senior class wants leave last year in past
For the Etowah seniors, they absorbed a lot as the program went 3-8 last year. Even though they still made the playoffs, exiting in the first round, it was the worst season on paper since 2008. For a program with the storied history of the Blue Devils, which includes two state titles and the expectations of the playoffs every year, this senior class doesn't want to be known as the ones that started a downturn.
For senior lineman Jalen Grear, he uses last year as motivation to not only improve himself, but those around him.
"It's not something I like to look back at, I use it as motivation in my opinion. I look back at that and honestly its embarrassing, so I really push myself and the people around me to be better than that, cause I know I can get more out of them," Grear said.
Due in part to the new energy that Peavey has brought to the program, it has led to players increasing not only their energy but they have started to put in more work. For Grear, its a great day when he looks around and sees everyone, not just the seniors, trying to make sure last year is a small blip in the program's history.
"It makes me happy seeing everyone buying in, putting in the work wanting to win cause I want to win. When I see everyone else who want to win it makes the day better," Grear said.
