Tulane Football: ‘Good to Great’ motto fueled by star power

A who’s who list of stars have spoken with the Green Wave football team over during the COVID-19 Pandemic

NEW ORLEANS – Two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning’s famous No. 10 jersey has deep ties to the Green Wave football program.

As a kid growing up in New Orleans, Manning would find his way over to the Tulane football facilities where he would imitate his boyhood idle, who also wore No. 10. Manning wore the No. 10 jersey in honor of former Tulane Green Wave quarterback Shaun King.

Manning shared this story along with several other stories with the Green Wave football team while the team was separated from one another as part of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Manning is one of several stars Tulane football head coach Willie Fritz has welcomed over the COVID-19 pandemic via ZOOM conference calls to share stories and provide insight from their perspective on how to go from Good to Great in 2020.

“There really is an unlimited amount of information out there that you can take in to get better and that’s really what we are asking our guys to do on a daily basis,” Fritz said. “We are so fortunate here at Tulane to have unbelievable resources to connect our players with not only great people, but individuals who are great in everything that they do, not just in football, but in life.”

In addition to Manning, Tulane football has welcomed New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, former Arizona Cardinals cornerback and Pro Football Hall of Famer Aeneas Williams, Tulane alum and Chicago Bears great Matt Forte’ and motivational speaker and life coach Damon West.

“The speakers that have spoken to us throughout this COVID-19 pandemic have each provided a unique perspective on what it takes to be successful in not just football, but also in life and it’s been great to hear what each of them have had to say,” Tulane defensive lineman Patrick Johnson said.

Tulane football’s speaker series throughout the COVID-19 pandemic is one of many elements that Fritz and his staff have put into place to help guide the team to its first American Athletic Conference Championship in 2020.

“It’s really been incredible to see the type of stars that has joined us on our team meetings,” Tulane defensive lineman Cameron Sample said. “What’s been most exciting to me is to see how engaged these speakers are when they talk to us. I think they realize that we have been really close to being a great team over the past couple of years and I think they really want to help us go from good to great which has been great to see.”

Over the past two years, Tulane has captured bowl victories in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history and won a share of the American Athletic Conference West Division title in 2018.

Fans can purchase 2020 football season tickets in non-premium sections by visiting TulaneTix.com or by calling (504) 861-WAVE (9283).

Download the official mobile app of Tulane Athletics. Now, you can stay in touch with the Green Wave anytime and anywhere on your Android or iOS mobile device.

Follow Tulane football on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @GreenWaveFB. Fans also follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.

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