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Coach-soldier understands drill

Central High coach to lead battalion in Iraq

BY ROBERT SPRUCK - rspruck@ledger-enquirer.com --

In about two weeks, the offensive coordinator of Central-Phenix City will get a close-up look at the similarities of motivating football players and leading 700 soldiers under his command.

Tommy Vickers was offensive coordinator for the 6A school and the assistant principal until he received orders in March. As commander of the 1203rd Engineer Battalion and headed to Baghdad, Iraq, Vickers knows he'll have to motivate men in a much different environment.

"It's almost identical being a leader and a coach," Vickers said Wednesday afternoon. "We have to train players, and we have to train soldiers. Players practice plays over and over again each day. For three months we have been doing battle drills. You practice them over and over. We have offensive schemes and defensive schemes."

While Vickers sees the similarities, the lieutenant colonel has served in the National Guard reserves for 21 years and knows there are differences.

"In one you are getting ready to play a game," Vickers said. "And in the other you are getting ready for life."

Vickers, whose unit mobilized in May, has spent the past three months training at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin. His unit, which is based in Dothan, Ala., and contains soldiers from six different states, will be deployed to Iraq in about two weeks, Vickers said. The 1203rd is scheduled to be deployed for a year.

While he is gone, Vickers will be missed on the football field and at the school.

"I am definitely going to miss him," Central football coach Ron Nelson said. "Whenever you give him a task to do, you know that it is going to be done. His organizational skills are great."

And Central Principal Jan Funderburk also knows how valuable Vickers is.

"It's been great having the chance to work with him, and he does his job well," Funderburk said. "He handles the scheduling, and that's not an easy task at a (Class) 6A school. He also helps in a lot of different areas."

Funderburk found out in March when Vickers walked into his office one morning and told him about his orders. He also told the football coaches and the players.

"It was toughest telling the players," Vickers said. "Some of them were disappointed and upset, but they understand I have a bigger responsibility to protect the country."

Vickers plans to follow the Red Devils during the upcoming season, which begins Aug. 31 at Eufaula. He has stayed up-to-date throughout summer workouts and preseason practices by talking to his wife, Joy, who is the head of the English department, and by exchanging e-mails with some of the coaches.

Being that all of Central's games can be listened to live on the Internet, Vickers plans to listen every Saturday starting at 4 a.m.

"It's a great opportunity to monitor them and keep up with them," Vickers said. "With all the technology, it's become easier to keep up with things."

Vickers said Nelson is going to send him videotapes of the Red Devils' games.

"I only want to see the ones when they win," he said.