Rockdale Hall of Honor member Blade Bassler told the 2018 RHS football team how they must always be ready for the unexpected at Wednesday’s Masonic Football Banquet.
Bassler described how a coaching change led to his having to compete for the starting quarterback position, to a crowd of 100 at the Patterson Center.
Steve Young, a third-generation member of the Freemasons, was the MC for the event. He introduced each speaker, which included, Rockdale Head Football Coach Jeff Miller, Mastor of the Lodge, Clint Wallace, Milam County Judge Dave Barkemeyer and Mayor John King. The 2018 RHS football team was praised by the speakers for its state championship and hard work this season. Rev. John Seaton and Rev. Luther Shelander led the invocation and benediction.
In Bassler’s keynote address, he mentioned that Tiger Field was where his love of competition was born. He was quarterback for the Rockdale Tigers and played at University of Houston following his graduation. Bassler told the audience about the importance of being able to adapt and shared a story from his red-shirt sophomore season at U of H.
He arrived in Houston in the fall of 2001 as the fourth ranked high school quarterback in Texas.
“I had to learn an offense I’d never run before,” said Bassler. “The guy I was competing against played for our new coach in high school, and had run that same offense since he was in seventh grade.”
The guy was former NFL quarterback Kevin Kolb. Kolb won the starting position, and Bassler switched to tight end the following season. It was tough for him, but he learned that the process was more important than the product, he said.
“(Bassler) has been there and done that,” said Coach Jeff Miller about Bassler’s speech. “I think it meant a lot to those kids to hear someone relate their experiences. I really appreciate what he did, and to take the time to come here, especially since he’s a really busy man.”
Bassler is now married with twins, and is the chief operations officer (COO) of Bassler Energy Services in Caldwell. Bassler told stories about growing up in Rock-dale. He talked about his childhood home on Champions Drive, where he and his brother, Brooks, started a basketball league at their house.
“We used to get all of our friends from school to come over and play,” Bassler said. “It didn’t matter where you came from, just so long as you liked to play.”
Bassler told the Tigers four things that he felt they should always remember.
“1. Effort is a choice, not a talent. 2. The process is more important than the product. 3. Be responsible and have self-discipline. 4. Listen more than you talk.”
“We’re were given two ears and one mouth for a reason, so we can listen twice as much as we speak,” said Bassler.
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