Matt Florjancic, Contributor to ClevelandBrowns.com
11.18.2009
When Rex Hadnot steps onto the FieldTurf inside Ford Field for Sunday afternoon's game against the Lions, he will see a familiar face in Detroit long snapper Don Muhlbach.
Hadnot and Muhlbach were teammates at Lufkin High School in Texas. They are the only former Lufkin Panthers still in the NFL today.
When Hadnot reflects on playing for Lufkin High School, he easily recalls what football meant to the community and what the fan support did for the players.
"I don't think it would have been the same anywhere else," said Hadnot. "It's a real big deal down there and just like a lot of places, it's an opportunity to be able to further your education, to get a chance to go somewhere, see something different in life. The importance that's placed on it in Texas, I don't think it's like anywhere else.
"It has a whole lot to do with the fans," added Hadnot. "You look at it from high school to college to even the pro teams; it's a real loyal fan base. There's nothing like Friday nights in Texas in the fall. The whole town turns out to watch a football game."
Though it has been a decade since Hadnot last played for the Lufkin High School Panthers, he still remembers what it felt like to win a postseason game as a senior.
"My favorite memory of high school football in Texas and Lufkin (was) getting to play at Texas Stadium the second round of the playoffs," he said with a smile. "We beat Plano East 31-21. They were ranked like No. 5 in the state. We had been ranked previously in the year, but we had lost a couple games. Just getting a chance to go to Texas Stadium and play in a high school playoff game was big for me."
Those who coached Hadnot in high school knew he could achieve great things on and off the football field with hard work and dedication.
"He was a very, very talented young man athletically," said Lufkin coach John Outlaw. "When he finished his senior year, my biggest problem was I couldn't get anybody to recruit him. I got the University of Houston to take him and I told them when they got him, I said, ‘Y'all got the biggest steal in the state of Texas. This guy has greatness written all over him.'"
Outlaw has a pretty good eye for talent. Over his nearly 30-year coaching career, Outlaw has won more than 200 games, multiple district championships and three state titles. Much of his coaching staff has remained intact since he arrived at Lufkin.
"The whole Lufkin High School coaching staff deserves a lot of credit, not just for me, but for building that program," Hadnot said. "We've had some coaches leave, but there's a core of coaches that are still there.
"Tommy Earley, Todd Quick, Scott Green, they just have done a great job of instilling a work ethic into not just the players, but into that program," added Hadnot. "It's kind of understood coming up. We've got the little Panthers and it just goes into middle school. By the time you get to high school, you know what time it is."
Though Hadnot is 2,000-plus miles away from Lufkin, he keeps close tabs on his alma maters. In fact, a gray Lufkin hat can often be seen in Hadnot's locker at the Browns training facility in Berea.
Last Saturday afternoon, the Lufkin Panthers (8-3) played Klein in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs. Hadnot's other alma mater, the University of Houston, was also in action over the weekend. The Cougars are one game behind Southern Methodist University in the Conference USA West Division standings with two weeks left in the regular season.
When Hadnot made it to the NFL, he knew the time had come for him to give back to the program that helped shape his football career. For the last two years, Hadnot has held a football camp for the kids in Lufkin, not only to teach them the game but also give them motivation to set and attain their goals.
"It wouldn't be right if I didn't," Hadnot said of giving back. "That's what I'm supposed to do. I get a kick out of it. My family, the people who help out, they get a kick out of coming to see the kids that have a lot of passion for football in that area. I enjoy it; want to do it for a long time. Those people have done a lot for me in my life as far as steering me in a direction and helping me to get where I'm at today."
