The word character seems to be under attack. It is rarely used in the media these days without “lack of” being placed in front of it. True, there are countless examples of “lack of character” characters that span business executives, Hollywood celebrities, famous athletes, political figures and government officials. The steady stream of those living without character has led me to wonder about the cause of character in our country and how to positively make the case for why character counts.
My reflections took me back to a man of extraordinary character, my great uncle Marvin Pugh, and a piece first published in the Deseret News December 26, 2008. It is presented here with light editing for dates and context.
According to the NCAA, the three weeks of nonstop football between Dec. 20 and Jan. 13 are supposed to be “the most wonderful time of the year,” with 40 highly hyped and corporately sponsored bowl games supposedly featuring terrific young men, who are altruistically committed to their teammates and schools, with wise coaches who are equally committed to building character in their players while serving their communities.
Yet it seems that the stories of what college football is supposed to be about — hard work, common goals, overcoming adversity, pride, character, teamwork and sportsmanship are becoming few and far between. Instead we are force-fed the unsettling and indigestion-inducing buffet of stories about barroom brawls, boosters bankrolling the breaking of rules, police reports instead of history reports, scores relating to DUI or DWI instead of SAT or ACT results, administrators allowing or ignoring academic fraud and players who get a free pass because they are talented enough to either throw or catch one.
While the list of problems and what is wrong with college athletics is long and lengthening, the list of solutions seems to be very short and is usually presented by shoulder shrugging administrators who swiftly pass the buck or say it is simply beyond their control.
I was given a gift in 2008 that has caused me to wonder if the solution to what ails college athletics could be as simple as a letter and a sweater.
The gift I received came from my great uncle, Marvin Pugh, who, then at age 96, was the oldest living “letterman” from the University of Utah football team.
Uncle Marv presented me with one of his prized letterman sweaters, and equally important, he gave me a copy of the letter he received from the University of Utah Athletic Council at the time he was given his sweater and became an official “U” man.
Beholding the bold letter “U” stitched on the deep crimson-red sweater while reading the letter from the council caused me to see how the simple lessons of the gridiron had become a bedrock of true character, which Marvin Pugh then parlayed into a life of significance and service with a legacy of loyalty, leadership and love.
How many people, young and old, would be inspired to be better if athletes were worthy role models ...?
As you read the letter from the Athletic Council below, think of what could happen if every NCAA athlete was committed to live up to the standard of the letter on their sweater:
“May 15, 1934
“Marvin Pugh,
“You are being granted a sweater emblematic of an athlete who has won his right to wear an official ‘U.’ This means that you have complied with the rules of competition as laid down by the Rocky Mountain Conference, and also of your own institution. Not only have you met the athletic rules, but also the scholastic rules. You have proved your absolute right to this award, and it is the honor of the Associated Students to grant this award to you.
“This award is not merely a sweater with an emblem on it. It has years of tradition back of it. It stands for something far more than a mere piece of clothing. It means loyalty and service to your school.
“Now for a bit of advice in its use. This sweater is given to you, and you alone. The public recognizes its wearer as having achieved athletic distinction. That is something that you cannot transfer or sell to others. No one else has a right to wear your sweater. The sweater is given to honor you and you have no authority to attempt to pass that honor on to someone else. This includes the trading of sweaters with other ‘U’ men. The type of sweater you have been given is recognized by the public as meaning a certain thing, and you have no authority to trade that with others. It is vital that you keep the sweater clean and under no conditions should it be worn when it is not clean.
“We want you to use it, we like to have people respect you for having won such distinction, but that respect can only be maintained if you keep the sweater clean and under no conditions trade it. It is made of excellent materials and will stand cleaning. Utah is proud to publicly mark you as one of its honored sons. Do your fair part as one of those honored sons to continue to merit that honor.
“One other thing — By wearing this sweater you identify yourself as an athlete, high-minded man, and a gentleman, and in so doing it is your duty to wear the sweater only where respectable men gather. Any transgression of these rules may be taken up by the Athletic Council and offenders will be penalized accordingly, but it is our hope that in no case will this be necessary.
“The Athletic Council By: Theron S. Parmelee, Manager”
Simple, powerful, practical words and principles that not only led Marvin Pugh to do things that mattered during his playing days but also set him on a path toward a life of meaning doing things that mattered far more than scoring points or winning championships.
Think about it: How would the landscape of college football change if letterman sweaters were only awarded to those who lived up to a higher standard of personal behavior? What if, instead of wearing the sweater as a way to get perks, privileges and payoffs, athletes wore them to demonstrate their commitment, loyalty and service to their schools?
How would the culture within athletic departments change if, rather than wearing their letter with an attitude of entitlement, student athletes wore them gratefully, with humility and with the quiet dignity that comes from being an honored son of the university? And, how many people, young and old, would be inspired to be better if athletes were worthy role models and wore their letterman sweater or jacket as an emblem of their commitment to being a high-minded man and a true gentleman?
I hope you enjoy the NCAA’s 2019 version of “the most wonderful time of the year.” As you watch these athletes of all shapes and sizes stepping off buses and planes wearing with pride a sweater with a letter, may you also pause and ponder the significance of what that letter and sweater truly represents and the impact it may have on the life of a young man, both now and in the future.
So while Marvin Pugh’s playing days at the University of Utah in the 1930s were never really recorded in the history books, by living up to the standard of the letter on his sweater, his impact and influence have been recorded in the hearts, minds and souls of so many others. Marvin Pugh made and continues to make a difference as a “U” man, as a loyal man, as a serving man, as an athletic man, as a high-minded man and as a gentleman. In short, Marvin Pugh exemplifies the simple solution not only for what ails college athletics but what is killing our country. He has shown the power of living to a higher standard and impact of a simple symbol like a letter on a sweater.
Editor’s note: Portions of this column ran in the Deseret News in 2008.