MIAMI — Sometimes, the story worth telling isn't just about football.
On Saturday, the Washington Commanders and Miami Dolphins will play in preseason game number two. Both teams are getting ready for the regular season, and part of that includes cutting down their respective rosters from 90 to 53 by the last week of the preseason.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is one of the most popular coaches in the league not only for his success in Miami, but also for his -- shall we say "quirky" -- outlook on life. He doesn’t give coach speak. His answers are born out of a life that has experienced the lowest of lows.
As an assistant coach in the NFL, including a stop in Washington, McDaniel admits he turned to alcohol. He has been sober for many years now, and one of the men he credits with his life comeback is Commanders head coach Dan Quinn. McDaniel and Quinn worked together in Atlanta, when Quinn was head coach for the Falcons and McDaniel was his offensive assistant.
“I was very, very fortunate to hit life in one of my crossroads," McDaniel said of the timing of having Quinn in his life at a low point. "It could’ve looked a lot of different ways if I didn’t have support going through that journey of becoming sober. It’s a very different ballgame if he’s not saying, 'no you can do this.'"
For Quinn, helping McDaniel was simple.
“All of us have had spots where we needed people to support us," Quinn said. "I was glad to step into that gap to support him."
It’s not just a game -- don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.