The Bakersfield Brotherhood: two football coaches bonded through sports

Video Credit: 23ABC News | Bakersfield
Published on February 14, 2020 - Duration: 03:32s
The Bakersfield Brotherhood: two football coaches bonded through sports

The Bakersfield Brotherhood: two football coaches bonded through sports

FOOTBALL HERE IN BAKERSFIELD.MOST COACHES ARE CONNECTEDIN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.BUT WITH THE RECENT HIRING ATBAKERSFIELD COLLEGE .

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ASENSE OF BROTHERHOOD HAS BEENTAKEN TO A WHOLE NEWLEVEL.THE NEWEST FOOTBALL COACHESAT BAKERSFIELD HIGH SCHOOL ANDBAKERSFIELD COLLEGE HAVE APRETTY UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP.MICHAEL STEWART, BHS HEADFOOTBALLCOACH: "PROBABLY NOT TOO MANYDAYS THAT GO BY THAT WE'RE NOTTEXTING, OR ON THE PHONE ORCHECKING IN."NOT ONLY WERE R TODD LITTLEJOHNANDMICHAEL STEWART TEAMMATES ATBAKERSFIELD HIGH AND THEN ATBAKERSFIELD COLLEGE, THEY SHAREA DEEPER BOND.R.

TODD LITTLEJOHN, BC HEADFOOTBALLCOACH: "CLOSE IS PROBABLY NOTEVEN THE WAY TO DESCIRBE OURRELATIONSHIP.IT'S SO SPECIAL.

HE IS LITERALLYMY BROTHER."THE TWO.

ROOTED THROUGH THESPORTTHEY LOVE: FOOTBALL.ALTHOUGH THEIR PLAYING DAYS FORTHE DRILLERS AND THE RENEGADESIS DECADES BEHIND THEM.

THEMEMORIES ARE FRONT AND CENTER.ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TOTHEIRCOMPETITIVE NATURE.MS: "BAKERSFIELD HIGH WAS ALWAYSKNOWN FOR SPECIAL TEAMS AND TODDWAS A PRETTY GOOD PUNT RETURNER,AND I WASOUTSIDE LINEBACKER."RTL: "WE PLAYED, GOSH I WANT TOSAYIT WAS ANTELOPE VALLEY, AND IWAS RETURNING A PUNT, AND HE WASMYESCORT, SO TO SPEAK."MS: "I'M KIND OF BLOCKING ANDONCEWE WOULD HIT OPEN AIR, YOU KNOW,IT WAS JUST AN ALL OUT RACE TOSEE WHOWAS THE FASTEST.

PEOPLE LAUGHLIKE, YOU GUYS ARE DOING DURINGTHE GAME?"RTL: "LITERALLY, IN THAT RETURNHE AND IWERE COMPETING AS TO WHO WASGOING TO BEAT EACH OTHER TO THEGOAL LINE,DISREGARDING EVERYTHING ELSE.

ISCORED, WE GOT IN THE END ZONEANDARGUED ABOUT WHO ACTUALLY WON."MS: "I WAS LIKE, 'OH MAN, I BEATYOU' ANDHE WAS LIKE YEAH I HAD THE BALL.AND I WAS LIKE YEAH, I WASBLOCKING FOR YOU.SO LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT."THAT COMPETITIVE NATURE - LIKELYNOTGOING AWAY ANYTIME SOON.RTL: I KNOW WE'LL FIND A WAY TOCOMPETE AGAINST ONE ANOTHER,TRUST ME (LAUGHS).THAT'S BECAUSE THEY ARE NOW BACKHOMEIN BAKERSFIELD TO LEAD TWO OFTHE CITY'S MOST HISTORICFOOTBALL PROGRAMS.RTL: "YOU KNOW SO MANY PEOPLEHAVETEASED THIS LIKE ARE YOU GONNAGET BACK TOGETHER."MS: "FOR NOW, HIM TO BE ABLE TOBE HERE,YOU KNOW, KIND OF US WAS LIKE,OH MAN, WE'RE BACK IN THE SAMEZIP CODE.

ANDSO THAT'S AN HONOR.

BUT JUSTGOING TO BE GREAT FOR HIM TO BEHERE AND BC ANDTHIS TOWN ARE GOING TO GET AGREAT COACH."FOR LITTLEJOHN IT WAS ALL ABOUTTIMING .

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.A COACHING CAREERTHAT SPANNED ALL THREE PHASES OFTHE GAMEAND DIFFERENT LEVELS, INCLUDINGSTINTS IN THE NFL.RTL: "IMAGINE IF WE WERE ABLE TODOTHIS AND NEVER THINKING THAT ITWOULD BE BAKERSFIELD HIGHAND BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE BUT ITWAS JUST SOMETHING THAT I THINKWE PREPAREDFOR."AND FOR STEWART, WHO ALSO HADSOMEPLAYING TIME IN THE LEAGUE, ITFELT LIKE THIS WAS ALWAYS MEANTTO HAPPEN.MS: "TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITYBACKHERE AND THEN NOW HIM TO BETHERE, IT'S JUST KIND OF LIKE,WOW, THIS IS REALLYHAPPENING IN REAL TIME.

YOU KNOWLITTLE KIDS, YOUNG KIDS YOU TALKABOUTYOUR LIFE STORIES AND THINGSLIKE THAT BUT TO BE IN A SPOTWHERE YOU CAN SAYMAN SOME OF THOSE DREAMS THAT WETALKED ABOUT ARE ACTUALLYPLAYINGOUT IN REAL TIME."A DREAM THAT WAS ALMOST TOO GOODTOBE TRUE.RTL: "IT KIND OF WAS BUT I NEVERTOLDANYBODY.

YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKEALMOST DIDN'T WANT TO DISAPPOINTMYSELF,YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, WHEN YOUTALK ABOUT BAKERSFIELDCOLLEGE AND THE PEOPLE.

SO YEAH,IT IS SO COOL TO MAN JUST THEPEOPLE THATTHAT ARE ABLE TO SEE ME FULLCIRCLE."BACK ON THE SAME FIELDS WERETHEIRLEGACIES BEGAN.

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.THEY'RE NOWEAGER TO HELP YOUNG ATHLETESBUILD THEIR OWN.MS: "WHETHER THEY'RE GREATATHLETES FURTHER ON DOWN THELINE, BUT BETTER MEN AS THEYGROW UP ANDBE YOU KNOW OUTSTANDING CITIZENSWHO CONTRIBUTE TO THEIRCOMMUNITIES WHEREVER THEY MAYBE."RTL: "REALLY FOR ME IT'S JUST ASMALL WAYOF SAYING THANK YOU YOU KNOW FORSUPPORTING ME FOR ENCOURAGINGME, ALL OF THOSE THINGSTHROUGHOUT THE YEAR SO I WANT TOHAVE, YOU KNOW, MY FIRSTGATORADE BATH REALLY WITH THECOMMUNITY." MS: "WITH ALL THEPEOPLE THAT WE HAVECOME ACROSS THROUGHHIGH SCHOOLAND AFTER TO NOW WE KIND OF GETBACK AND AS WE SAY LET'S DO IT."THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS ONE WILLBEREPPING RENEGADE RED THE OTHERDRILLER BLUE.COMING UP IN SPORTS.

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.THE STHAT AND MORE AFTER THE BREAK.

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