LOCAL FATHER OF RETIRED NFL PLAYER PROUD OF HIS SON’S VALUES
Glen Coffee, Sports and Fitness Director at the West Bank YMCA, has a lot to be proud of these days. His son Glen Coffee, Jr. is making national headlines. Coffee, Jr. is slated to graduate from the US Army Airborne School this week, a terrific accomplishment for anyone. What makes it unique is that in order to do so, the young man from the University of Alabama picked in the third round of the NFL Draft in 2009, decided to retire from the San Francisco 49’s after just one season as a promising young player. At 23, Coffee, Jr. decided that following his heart, his faith and his desire to serve his country was more important than anything fame and fortune could bring.
When asked about his son, Coffee enthusiastically shouts “Roll Tide!” He is so clearly proud of what his son was able to accomplish on the field of play. He is even more proud of his son’s character and explains that “life is about value systems and we all have one. Yes, Glen Jr. is my son, but we are also Christian brothers and we fear God, not man!”
Coffee’s values are at the heart of his everyday life at the YMCA. He says, “So many people really don’t know our mission and what the Y represents! The YMCA value system definitely lines up with ours, knowing that I’m serving God first really helps motivate me in my daily activities while working for the YMCA.”
In his time at the Y, Coffee has shown just what that faith and hard work can do. The West Bank YMCA is growing every day. This summer they have doubled the number of youth in their summer camp program, the Mini-Me sports program is teaching youth the basics of teamwork and leadership, and every day the gym is filled with Marines using their break to stay active and play basketball.
In reference to articles posted about Glen Coffee Jr.’s graduation from the US Army Airborne School