Noxubee County High School football coach Tyrone Shorter knew when it was a job well done.
When Shorter received a hug from assistant coach/offensive coordinator James Patterson, it meant things were right with the world.
“He was not a hugger, he was not a hand-shaker,” Shorter said. “I got a hug four times in my entire time with him. That was after we won each state championship. That was really the only time he felt like the job was finished. It was always about the next game for him.”
Patterson died March 18 after a battle with cancer at the age of 61. He coached at Noxubee County for 37 years and had an association with Shorter for 18 years.
“He was always intense, always passionate,” Shorter said. “It was always about what we should do to win the next game. He could relate to kids. He had that ability to make a player play beyond his potential. Hard on you one minute. Loving on you the next minute. He was special.”
Shorter said Patterson had a unique role in the Noxubee County program. Patterson coached the seventh- and eighth-grade middle school teams, he worked with the junior varsity and varsity teams, and he was the offensive coordinator in each of Shorter’s first seven seasons as head coach.
“He impacted so many young people,” Shorter said. “If you think about it, you are talking six years with the players. He watches them as they grow up. He helps them mature and develop and helps mold them into quality young persons. Six years is a long period of time.
“Fortunately, he set the standard for the expectations of the program. After those first two years, when I got them in ninth grade, we already had a good idea of what to expect.”
Patterson coached for former Noxubee County coach M.C. Miller, who is presently at Louisville. The duo was part of a coaching staff that led Noxubee County to its first Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) State championship in 2008. Shorter has since led the school to three more titles.
“One of the most organized coaches I have ever been around,” Miller said. “He always had an idea. He always had a plan. Off the field, he touched every person that played there. He knew everything going on in the lives of every player. That is a special connection.”
Shorter always has relied on discipline as the backbone of the program. The Tigers also have taken pride in a phenomenal work ethic, vowing to outwork all of the opposition every year.
“Coach Patterson set that tone because nobody was going out to outwork him,” Shorter said. “As players, he made you believe, even if you had given your all, there was still more that you give. I saw him smile four times and that was after each of the state championship. It was a no-nonsense approach. If you were taking it easy one day, other people were passing you.”
Shorter said Patterson’s work ethic was derived from a strange place.
“He always reminded us he was there during a five-year stretch where Noxubee County didn’t win a single game,” Shorter said. “He would joke that he stayed awake at night worrying about how to make sure that didn’t happen again. That is where the hard work came from. He saw one end where the team didn’t wins games and he saw the other end where they won back-to-back state championships.”
Miller said Patterson’s attention to detail always made him believe the offense was in good hands.
“We were always going to find way,” Miller said. “He was convinced that if he studied a particular situation long enough, there would be a way to figure out the answer.”
Winless seasons are a distant memory in Macon. The Tigers have won 82 games under Shorter. While the Tigers have been known for fielding one the state’s best defenses every year in Class 4A, the offenses also have flourished.
“The coaches have always made it fun,” Noxubee County rising junior Kyziah Pruitt said. “We always worked hard, but the coaches have always made sure the game remained fun. Coach Patterson was a big part of that. You could tell he cared about you as a person. When a coach cares about you, you know he has your best interests at heart.”
While there were a lot of touchdowns, a lot of wins, and a few hugs, Shorter remembers one of his final conversations with Patterson as the most meaningful.
“Back in February, he told me I was the most organized coach he had ever met,” Shorter said. “That made me feel great. Coming from him, I knew that was the ultimate compliment. We had a respect for each other, but we also had a fellowship. He was like a brother to me. We will miss him every day.”
That final compliment was nice. It was almost as good as a hug.
Scott Walters is a sports writer for The Dispatch. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @dispatchscott.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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