Originally posted May 5, 2013.

Paul Haynes, Kent State’s new head football coach, on his upbringing, winning and losing and what makes a good football player – on and off the field. (Quotes taken from interview for cover feature on Haynes in May 2013 issue).

Kent State head football coach Paul Haynes graces the cover of the May 2013 issue of The Burr. Story by Nick Shook.

Interview by Nick Shook

> I’ve got two older sisters. Mom and Dad were hard workers. I got a lot of my work ethic from them because they worked at the same place — my mom worked for the state, my dad worked for a place called Fournier Rubber for probably over 20 or 30 years. [They] kind of started from the bottom and worked their way all the way up top.

> I think it again goes back to my childhood, seeing my parents grind so much. They get up early; they drop us off; they go to work; they take a bus down to their job; they had someone take me to practice. Just all that sacrifice and that grinding to make sure the job was done. I guess the grind concept doesn’t mean that you’re there until one o’clock. That’s not grinding. Grinding to me is making sure you get the job done, and you’re not going to finish until the job is done.

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