{"id":22040,"date":"2015-12-03T14:57:19","date_gmt":"2015-12-03T20:57:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=22040"},"modified":"2015-12-07T14:52:04","modified_gmt":"2015-12-07T20:52:04","slug":"dwayne-diaries-a-day-in-the-life-of-nfl-player-turned-high-school-ad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/dwayne-diaries-a-day-in-the-life-of-nfl-player-turned-high-school-ad\/","title":{"rendered":"D’Wayne Diaries: A day in the life of NFL player turned high school AD"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Maddie Lee<\/strong><\/p>\n

D\u2019Wayne Bates was a part of the Chicago Bears\u2019 2001 NFC Central championship, Northwestern University\u2019s 1995 and 1996 Big Ten championships, and two South Carolina high school state championships. But when he looked back on his life at age 29, he was worried that for the past 23 years all he had done was football.<\/p>\n

\u201c[The NFL] is just a career pause before you do what you\u2019re meant to do later on,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Bates was meant to work in education.<\/p>\n

In the decade or so since Bates retired from the NFL, he has climbed from coach and teacher to athletic director. He left his AD position at LaSalle-Peru Township High School this summer for a similar position at a school about twice the size, some 85 miles northeast: Glenbard East.<\/p>\n

In his first semester in that role, Bates has focused on building rapport with the athletic department by interacting with athletes, coaches and parents as much as possible while carrying out administrative duties.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis interpersonal skills are a true strength,\u201d Glenbard East volleyball coach Marci Maier wrote in an email. \u201cHe is not only learning the culture of our building, but he is also able to add by bringing new ideas or a fresh perspective to the athletic department. He is a breath of fresh air and an asset to our school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bates is Glenbard East\u2019s fifth AD in the past seven years, but Principal Shahe Bagdasarian says the feedback so far from coaches, parents and boosters has been positive.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has immersed himself with the community,\u201d Bagdasarian said.<\/p>\n

What does Bates\u2019 job look like on a day-to-day basis?<\/p>\n

Bates describes it as \u201corganized chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n

5 a.m.<\/h2>\n

Bates\u2019 alarm goes off at 5 a.m. every weekday. Tuesday, Nov. 10, is no different. He has followed roughly the same regimen for the past 10 years. He\u2019s sure his body would revolt if it changed.<\/p>\n

For breakfast, he has a glass of orange juice and the fruit of the week \u2014 today it\u2019s green grapes. He then heads to the high school so he can get in a workout before work.<\/p>\n

5:50 a.m.<\/h2>\n
\n

Dressing to the occasion<\/h1>\n

Monday<\/h3>\n

Bates likes to start his week off with class. He comes to school in a suit and tie.<\/p>\n

Tuesday<\/h3>\n

Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat. For Glenbard East college day, Bates layers up his Northwestern Gear.<\/p>\n

Wednesday<\/h3>\n

On Wednesdays, the \u201cplastics\u201d of Mean Girls wear pink, and so does Bates. He says works well for breast cancer awareness month, but the real reason for Bate\u2019s wardrobe choice is, \u201cIt\u2019s just a nice color.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thursday, Friday<\/h3>\n

Bates finishes up the week rocking Glenbard East red and black. School spirit can\u2019t be limited to just one day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Bates arrives to play pick-up basketball at 6 a.m. with 12 other GEHS staff members. He played in high school, and he thought it was his best sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a lot more scholarship offers in football,\u201d he said. \u201cHad it been basketball, who knows?\u201d<\/p>\n

Tuesdays are college days at Glenbard East. After showering, he changes into dress pants and a Northwestern sweatshirt.<\/p>\n

Bates\u2019 office is next door to the main athletic office. Lists and schedules cover the wall beside his desk and the cupboards behind it. A large tub of candy sitting on his desk, in plain view from the door, encourages kids to stop by then they have a chance. For candy, they do make time.<\/p>\n

The only clues to his football career are a Northwestern helmet pencil holder, a Bears paperweight and a football commemorating his first NFL touchdown.<\/p>\n

7:30 a.m.<\/h2>\n

School starts, and Bates meets with assistant AD Sean Neary and events coordinator Victor Swanson to divide supervision of every home event. Bates also travels to major away games.<\/p>\n

Bates says he attends every sport. He feels visibility is key. He wants all the coaches and athletes to feel like their sports are just as important as the next. He sits with parents to hear what they feel about their children\u2019s experiences at GEHS.<\/p>\n

\u201cI evaluate the program, I evaluate the coaches,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s not fair for me to give any type of remark or comment if I haven\u2019t been (there) \u2014 and not just once or twice.\u201d<\/p>\n

8:18 a.m.<\/h2>\n

When the bell rings, Bates gets up to stand in the hall and greet the students, faculty and staff members that pass. He does this at every bell when he can.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of it is simply a smile or a hello,\u201d he says. \u201cCould make a kid\u2019s day. You never know what they\u2019re going through.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bates high-fives a girls\u2019 basketball player. He wears a red and black wristband with the girls\u2019 basketball team\u2019s motto on it.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne-one-one,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

One team. One heart. One legacy.<\/p>\n

\u201cShoot, I don\u2019t have mine on,\u201d she says. She stays to chat.<\/p>\n

After she leaves, a volleyball player walks by.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow are you feeling?\u201d he asks.<\/p>\n

She says about 60 percent.<\/p>\n

She suffered a concussion a couple of weeks earlier, according to Bates.
\nHe seems to have all the athletes\u2019 injuries in his head.<\/p>\n

He can point out the football player who recently got out of a cast or the girls\u2019 basketball player who broke her foot playing soccer. When he sees her later in the day, he asks if she still can play \u201cHORSE.\u201d Apparently, she beat him the last time they played.<\/p>\n

\u201cFantastic 3-point shooter,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

8:33 a.m.<\/h2>\n

Neary and director of buildings and grounds Greg Jones come in for a facility-schedule meeting. They tinker with the placement of upcoming competitions, practices and banquets.<\/p>\n

9:12 a.m.<\/h2>\n

At the bell, Bates stands yet again before his door, which displays a poster with his motto for Glenbard East athletics:<\/p>\n

\"Bates's<\/a>
Bates’s office door is decorated with his motto and the Glenbard East logo. (Maddie Lee\/Medill)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cStudents first\u2026 Victory will happen!\u201d<\/p>\n

The motto has evolved from what he preached at LaSalle-Peru. There, it was, \u201cStudents first; winning will happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Bates, \u201cvictory\u201d better encompasses what he wants to achieve at GEHS.<\/p>\n

\u201cVictory is in life,\u201d he says. \u201cIf we can get kids to participate for four years, take care of academics, be a good teammate, be coachable, enjoy this experience and graduate, to me that\u2019s a victory. And that\u2019s bigger than winning.\u201d<\/p>\n

He would love to have every student involved in athletics, but he understands it\u2019s not for everyone. Of GEHS\u2019 2,431 students, Bates says, about 1,400 participate in the 28 sports.<\/p>\n

9:35 a.m.<\/h2>\n

Cheerleading coach Kelly Dolan has been trying to meet with Bates since the previous week, so Bates made time to talk to her now.<\/p>\n

Bates says he tries to meet with all his coaches toward the beginning of the week, formally and informally.<\/p>\n

Dolan needs to talk about the state bylaw proposals that affect cheerleading. Bates wants to make sure he hears her thoughts before he votes later in the week.<\/p>\n

In the end, he says, he has to make decisions from an administrative perspective. So far, he has agreed with his coaches.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want [the coaches] to know, \u2018I\u2019m on your side, and I\u2019m doing what I can to make sure you have an enjoyable experience,\u2019\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

10:05 a.m.<\/h2>\n

The bell rings, and Bates again stands at the door to greet the sea of students.<\/p>\n

Bates\u2019 own high school was much different than GEHS. Bates attended Silver Bluff High in Aiken, South Carolina, which had 816 students when he graduated in 1994, according to schooldigger.com. He grew up in Jackson, South Carolina, which had fewer than 1,700 people in 1990, according to usbeacon.com.<\/p>\n

Bates likes to say the whole town could fit in Glenbard East.<\/p>\n

\"Bates<\/a>
Bates stands in the Mares Fieldhouse. Glenbard East also has a main and south gym. (Maddie Lee\/Medill)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As a four-sport athlete (football, basketball, baseball and track), Bates says he was too busy to get into any trouble. He let his algebra grades his freshman year slide below passing, and his mom made it wouldn\u2019t happen again.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got called into the office,\u201d he says. \u201cIt was my mom, the AD and the head [football] coach sitting there. I\u2019m like, \u2018Oh this can\u2019t be good,\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

His mom threatened to take him out of football if his grades didn\u2019t improve. He had to go to morning tutoring, and his coach pulled him out of practice for an hour every day until he got his grade up to a B.<\/p>\n

He says the algebra issue turned out to be of the best things that happened to him. After that, he dedicated himself to his schoolwork as well as his athletics. \u00a0A teammate called him \u201cnerd\u201d once, and he says that was the biggest compliment he ever got in high school.<\/p>\n

The same algebra teacher who almost failed him, along with his English teacher, helped motivate Bates.\u00a0They believed in him and his leadership potential.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn four years of high school, you have an opportunity to really mold a kid,\u201d he says, \u201cand hopefully help them find their passion.\u201d<\/p>\n

At GEHS, Bates has turned athletes\u2019 grades into a competition. The trophy cases now display a board listing each team\u2019s combined grade-point average. The team with the highest GPA and the runners-up will get prizes.<\/p>\n

Bates likes the way the system is working so far. He says he watched a group of boys\u2019 basketball players stand in front of the board, scanning the numbers. Boys\u2019 basketball had the lowest GPA of any team last year.<\/p>\n

According to Bates, the players looked at each other and said, \u201cWe\u2019re not going to be last this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

10:58 a.m.<\/h2>\n

A student rushes in saying, \u201cDid you see my grades?\u201d<\/p>\n

Bates pulls them up on his computer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m failing one class,\u201d the student says.<\/p>\n

He had brought the rest of his failing grades up to D\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne letter at a time,\u201d Bates says. \u201cLet\u2019s get them up to C\u2019s now.\u201d<\/p>\n

11:20 a.m.<\/h2>\n

Football coach John Walters stops by, and they go over the plan for awards night. The football team has made only one playoff appearance in the school\u2019s history. That was in 1999.<\/p>\n

Sophomore tennis player Kolie Allen came the closest this fall to winning a state title for Glenbard East. She finished fifth.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe pinnacle for an AD is to experience a team winning a state championship,\u201d Bates says later. \u201cBecause bigger than that, so many things had to go right to get to that level.\u201d<\/p>\n

11:39 a.m.<\/h2>\n

Boys\u2019 basketball coach Scott Miller calls, then comes to Bates\u2019 office to discuss tryouts.<\/p>\n

12:15 p.m.<\/h2>\n

Lunch time.<\/p>\n

Bates says he often eats at his desk, fork in one hand, keyboard under the other. Not today. Leftover Hecky\u2019s barbecue calls for his full attention in the athletic office kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cBest barbecue in the North Shore,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\n

Favorite Flicks<\/h1>\n

Drama:<\/strong> Shawshank Redemption
\nGangster\/mob:<\/strong> A Bronx Tale\/ The Godfather II
\nComedy:<\/strong> Coming to America
\nSports: <\/strong>Remember the Titans
\nAction: <\/strong>Transformers (the whole trilogy)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

When he attended Northwestern, Bates says, he and his teammates would get Hecky\u2019s every week.<\/p>\n

It was at Northwestern that Bates found his passion for education. The summer before his junior year, he had an internship with Lincoln Elementary School\u2019s summer camp.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would literally come home thinking about, what am I going to do the next day to make sure these kids have fun?\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Bates entered Northwestern\u2019s School of Education and Social Policy that fall.<\/p>\n

12:45 p.m.<\/h2>\n

Bates gets some time to check his email. He usually sets aside an hour or two for that daily.<\/p>\n

1:30 p.m.<\/h2>\n

Bates stops by the main office on the way to a meeting. He greets everyone with a hug. He passes out Glenbard East pins to anyone who doesn’t\u00a0have one. The GEHS red and black \u201cG\u201d is almost identical University of Georgia\u2019s logo.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got to do some branding,\u201d Bates says, \u201cAnd get that out in the community, so people recognize it as Glenbard East.\u201d<\/p>\n

1:40 p.m.<\/h2>\n

Bates arrives at the Instructional Council meeting. While they are not the most exciting meetings on Bates\u2019s schedule \u2014 he mostly gives input on academic eligibility of athletes \u2014 the IC meetings help keep administrators and department chairs on the same page.<\/p>\n

2:38 p.m.<\/h2>\n

The meeting adjourns after the final bell had rung, but Bates\u2019s day isn\u2019t nearly over.<\/p>\n

A short student with a mop of hair calls out before Bates gets back to his office to ask when wrestling practice is.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike \u2026\u201d Bates says, checking his watch, \u201c\u2026 now \u2026 3 o\u2019clock.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

What\u2019s playing on his iPhone<\/h1>\n

1) Notorious B.I.G.\u2014Who Shot Ya?
\n2) Mobb Deep\u2014Survival of the Fittest
\n3) Nas\u2014Nas is Like
\n4) Wu-Tang Clan\u2014Triumph
\n5) Michael Jackson\u2014Billie Jean
\n6) James Brown\u2014The Payback
\n7) George Clinton\u2014Atomic Dog
\n8) Elvis Crespo\u2014Suavamente
\n9) Jodeci\u2014Feenin\u2019
\n10) Johnny Cash\u2014Ring of Fire<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The student sprints off down the hallway.<\/p>\n

A taller student asks him where basketball tryouts are.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you hear the balls bouncing?\u201d Bates asks, pointing to the main gym. Bates leads him inside and introduces him to the coach.<\/p>\n

Bates is steps away from reaching his office door when volleyball coach Maier pulls him aside to talk about solidifying the schedule for next fall. He promises to nail down the one game still in question.<\/p>\n

Bates and Maier still are talking outside Bates\u2019 door when the basketball prospect comes back. He needs to get his athletic clothes for tryouts, but he can\u2019t get into his locker.<\/p>\n

Bates wraps up his conversation with Maier and heads downstairs to help.<\/p>\n

3:15 p.m.<\/h2>\n

Bates sits down and takes a minute to breathe. He says this has been a pretty typical school day.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt keeps me on my toes,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

He has a couple of hours to catch up on work before the awards-night events he will attend.<\/p>\n

6:00 p.m.<\/h2>\n

Bates first stops by the boys\u2019 cross country awards night, then the girls\u2019.<\/p>\n

7:00 p.m.<\/h2>\n

The football awards night starts.<\/p>\n

9:00 p.m.<\/h2>\n

Bates arrives home and turns on ESPN. He is in bed by around 10 so he can start the next day at 5 again.<\/p>\n

\"Bates<\/a>
Bates hops on a bike while giving a tour of the athletic facilities. He has stayed active since his NFL retirement. (Maddie Lee\/Medill)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bates\u2019 lifestyle has changed dramatically from his NFL days. There\u2019s not as much travel. He\u2019s taken a huge pay cut. He once signed a three-year, $2.8 million deal. Bates says he makes less in a year than he used to earn in five NFL Sundays.<\/p>\n

He hopes his football career can inspire his students. With dedication, and by seizing opportunities, he reached the highest level, and so can they.<\/p>\n

Bates said what he misses most about football was the camaraderie, \u201cthe daily grind\u201d with his teammates. He has found a sense of that at Glenbard East, with his co-workers.<\/p>\n

Being a high school athletic director isn\u2019t as glorious as playing pro football, but there\u2019s nothing Bates would rather be doing at this point in his life.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just stay the path and truly believe that what you\u2019re doing is going to make a difference,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd that is where we sit today, on November 10th, 2015.\u201d<\/p>\n

Photo at top: D’Wayne Bates started as the Glenbard East Athletic Director this summer.(Maddie Lee\/Medill)<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Maddie Lee D\u2019Wayne Bates was a part of the Chicago Bears\u2019 2001 NFC Central championship, Northwestern University\u2019s 1995 and 1996 Big Ten championships, and two South Carolina high school state championships. 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