Lou Holtz | 2015 Undergraduate Commencement Address | Franciscan University of Steubenville

Summary

The speaker, humbled by receiving an honorary doctorate, shares life lessons emphasizing faith, personal responsibility, and the importance of doing what's right. He urges the audience to maintain a positive attitude, strive for excellence, and genuinely care for others. With humor and sincerity, he reflects on his own experiences, highlighting the significance of trust, commitment, and love in achieving a fulfilling life.

Takeaways

• 🙇 Gratitude and Humility: The speaker expresses deep gratitude and humility for receiving an honorary doctorate degree from a prestigious university, acknowledging his humble beginnings.
• 🏈 Inspirational Journey: The speaker's interest in the university was sparked by a friend who played basketball there, highlighting the power of personal connections in shaping one's path.
• 📚 Importance of Education: Despite not being a top student in high school, the speaker emphasizes the value of education and the role it plays in personal growth and success.
• 🙏 Faith and Spirituality: The speaker shares the significance of faith in his life, using personal anecdotes to illustrate how spirituality can provide strength and guidance.
• 🤝 The Power of Support: The speaker acknowledges the importance of having a support system, whether it's through family, friends, or community, in overcoming life's challenges.
• 💡 Life's Simple Pleasures: The speaker encourages the audience to find joy in simple things, using humor to convey the message that happiness can be found in everyday moments.
• 💪 Commitment to Excellence: The speaker stresses the importance of giving one's best in all endeavors, whether professional or personal, as a path to success and fulfillment.
• 👫 Caring for Others: The speaker shares the belief that showing genuine care and concern for others is a fundamental aspect of living a meaningful and impactful life.
• 🏆 Legacy and Significance: The speaker reflects on the concept of legacy, suggesting that true significance comes from helping others succeed and from the positive impact one leaves on others' lives.
• 🌟 Importance of Trust: The speaker concludes by emphasizing trust, commitment, and love as the core values that guide his life and relationships, advocating for their importance in building a strong foundation for personal and professional success.

Q & A

What is the speaker's sentiment towards receiving an honorary doctor's degree from the University?

The speaker expresses deep humility and honor in receiving the degree, acknowledging the significance of the award from such an outstanding institution.

What personal anecdote does the speaker share about his early life and connection to the University?

The speaker mentions being born in Fenby, West Virginia, and raised in East Liverpool, Ohio, and how a friend named Gino Cimoli, who played basketball for the University, sparked his initial interest in following the institution.

What does the speaker imply about his high school academic performance?

The speaker humorously admits that he was in the lower third of his high school class, suggesting that without students like him, there wouldn't be an upper half of the class.

What is the speaker's advice on maintaining faith and why is it important?

The speaker advises the audience not to lose their faith in God, emphasizing that faith provides a sense of security and purpose, and that it has personally helped him through challenging times.

How does the speaker feel about the term 'Catholics versus convicts' used to describe a game?

The speaker expresses disapproval of the term, considering it unfair because not all players on his team were Catholic, and he believes it oversimplifies and potentially misrepresents the team's identity.

What are the speaker's five assumptions about the audience, and how do they relate to his speech?

The speaker assumes the audience wants to be successful professionally, have a good personal life, feel needed, feel secure about their future, and go to heaven. These assumptions guide his advice on how to achieve these goals without sacrificing one's religious or personal life.

What are the four essential things the speaker believes everyone needs in life?

According to the speaker, everyone needs something to do, someone to love, someone to believe in, and something to hope for, such as dreams, ambitions, and aspirations.

What is the speaker's view on the importance of growth and the mistake he regrets?

The speaker believes that growth is critical, emphasizing that one is either growing or dying. His biggest regret is not continuing to grow and take risks after achieving success, suggesting that maintaining the status quo is a form of stagnation.

What are the three rules the speaker suggests for living a fulfilling life?

The three rules are: 1) Do what's right and avoid what's wrong, 2) Do everything to the best of your ability, and 3) Show people you care by being genuinely helpful and supportive.

How does the speaker define success and significance in life?

The speaker defines success as not only personal achievement but also as making a significant impact by helping others be successful. He emphasizes that significance endures beyond one's lifetime and is measured by the positive influence one has on others.

What is the speaker's final advice on achieving happiness?

The speaker humorously lists short-term happiness strategies, such as eating a steak or playing golf, before concluding that the key to lifelong happiness is putting one's faith in Jesus Christ.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Honoring a Doctorate and Life's Journey

The speaker begins by expressing gratitude for receiving an honorary doctorate degree from a distinguished university. He reflects on his humble beginnings in West Virginia and Ohio, and his early connection to the university through a friend. He humorously acknowledges his lower academic ranking in high school and uses this to encourage the audience, emphasizing the importance of personal belief and experience over hearsay. He also stresses the significance of faith, using personal anecdotes to illustrate the role of prayer in his life, and shares a light-hearted story about a man's desperate prayer for a parking spot, highlighting the human tendency to rely on oneself rather than divine intervention.

05:01

🏈 Life Lessons from Sports and Beyond

The speaker transitions into life lessons drawn from his experiences, focusing on the importance of doing what's right, avoiding wrong, and maintaining a positive attitude. He emphasizes the significance of personal responsibility and the impact of choices on one's life. The speaker also discusses the concept of growth, using the metaphor of a tree or grass to illustrate that life is about constant improvement, not merely maintenance. He shares a personal anecdote about a waiter's rude comment and how he learned not to let others' negativity affect his attitude, advocating for the importance of self-confidence and resilience.

10:03

💖 The Power of Love and Commitment

In this paragraph, the speaker delves into the importance of love, support, and commitment in personal relationships, using his wife's battle with cancer as a poignant example of resilience and the power of a loving support system. He highlights the value of trust in relationships and the importance of genuine care for others. The speaker also shares a humorous story about the difference between a wife and a dog's loyalty, showcasing his lighter side while driving home the point about the depth of his relationship with his wife. He concludes this section by emphasizing the long-lasting impact of helping others succeed and the legacy it leaves behind.

15:05

🚀 Embracing Excellence and Life's Simple Rules

The speaker concludes his address by outlining three simple rules for life: doing what's right, doing everything to the best of one's ability, and showing people you care. He reflects on the importance of these principles in achieving personal and professional success, and in leaving a meaningful legacy. He shares a personal story about his family, highlighting the importance of trust and commitment in his life. The speaker ends with a humorous take on different ways to achieve happiness, ultimately advocating for faith in Jesus Christ as the path to lifelong happiness, and extends his blessings to the audience.

Keywords

💡Doctor's Degree

A 'Doctor's Degree' refers to an academic degree awarded by a university in recognition of scholarly study and research in a particular field. In the context of the video, the speaker expresses humility and honor in receiving such a degree from a distinguished university, indicating the significance of this achievement in their life.

💡Faith

Faith, in this video, is the belief and trust in God or a higher power. The speaker emphasizes the importance of maintaining faith, especially in a Catholic University setting, and shares personal anecdotes about how faith has guided and influenced their life, including during challenging moments.

💡Success

Success is a term used to describe the achievement of a goal or the attainment of wealth, fame, or well-being. The speaker discusses the audience's desire for success, both professionally and personally, and offers a simple plan for achieving it without sacrificing other aspects of life.

💡Personal Responsibility

Personal responsibility refers to the accountability one has for their actions and decisions. The speaker mentions being born with a 'silver spoon' not in terms of wealth, but in terms of the values of hard work and personal responsibility instilled by their parents, which contributed to their success.

💡Trust

Trust is the reliance on the integrity, strength, or ability of a person or thing. The speaker discusses trust as a fundamental aspect of relationships and as a key principle to live by, emphasizing that doing the right thing will naturally lead others to trust you.

💡Commitment to Excellence

Commitment to Excellence is the dedication to performing at the highest level and striving for the best possible outcome. The speaker encourages the audience to do everything to the best of their ability, illustrating that this commitment is a choice and a path to significance.

💡Caring

Caring is the act of showing kindness and concern for others. The speaker highlights the importance of genuinely caring for others as a way to build trust and significance, sharing personal stories that exemplify the impact of caring actions.

💡Humor

Humor is the quality of being amusing or funny. The speaker uses humor throughout the speech to engage the audience and lighten the mood, demonstrating how humor can be a tool for connection and enjoyment in life.

💡Growth

Growth in the video refers to personal development and improvement over time. The speaker warns against the complacency of 'maintaining' status and emphasizes the importance of continuous growth, likening it to the natural process of life where one is either growing or dying.

💡Hope

Hope is the feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen. The speaker identifies hope as one of the four essential things in life, alongside something to do, someone to love, and someone to believe in, illustrating its role in driving ambition and dreams.

💡Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ, central to Christian faith, is presented as a source of happiness and fulfillment. The speaker concludes the video by advocating faith in Jesus Christ as the path to lifelong happiness, tying it to the overarching theme of spiritual and personal development.

Highlights

Humbled and honored to receive a doctor's degree from an outstanding University.

Born in Fenby, West Virginia, and raised in East Liverpool, Ohio, with a deep connection to St. Bille.

Started following the University due to a friend who played basketball.

Humbled by the degree, acknowledging not being in the top of his high school class.

Admitting to the audience that he will not preach or lecture, but share personal beliefs and experiences.

Believes that 10% of the audience won't remember 10% of what is said 10 minutes after the speech.

Shares the importance of faith in God and not losing it, even when faced with challenges.

Tells a humorous story about praying for a parking spot and the lesson of self-reliance.

Expresses a strong faith in God and questions how people live without it.

Reflects on a game titled 'Catholics versus Convicts' and the unfairness of such labels.

Shares a story about a Catholic priest and the importance of not taking life too seriously.

Outlines five assumptions about the audience's desires for success, personal life, feeling needed, security, and heaven.

Presents a simple plan for achieving all five desires without sacrificing one's religious or personal life.

Emphasizes the importance of keeping life simple and not overcomplicating it.

States that everyone needs something to do, someone to love, someone to believe in, and something to hope for.

Shares a personal regret about not continuing to grow and the importance of ambition.

Introduces three simple rules for life: do what's right, do everything to the best of your ability, and show people you care.

Advocates for a positive attitude and not letting others control your mood or attitude.

Shares a personal story about a waiter's rude comment and how not to let it affect one's evening.

Emphasizes the importance of trust, commitment, and love as the foundation for relationships and life.

Ends with a humorous take on what brings happiness for different durations and the ultimate happiness found in faith.

Transcripts

thank

you I am indeed humbled and honored to

be awarded a doctor's degree from such

an outstanding University I say that

from the bottom of my heart I was born

in fenby West Virginia raised in East

Liverpool Ohio so I was very familiar

with St bille

1950 A friend of mine from follow his me

named Gino kroi played basketball and

that's when I first started following

this fine University I'm humbled by

receiving this degree obviously you

didn't check my high school rank before

you decided to do

it I'd in the lower third of my high

school class if it was not for people

like me there could have been no upper

half the class so I now if you happen to

be in that audience you showed up to

listen l Hold You made a mistake I want

to talk to the young and women men and

women here I'm not going to preach you

I'm not going to lecture to you I'm

going to talk about things I believe and

the experiences I shared I'm not going

to talk about something I read about or

heard about these are things I believe

and understand this I've been 21 you've

never been 78

so

no 10% of

you I say 10% of you won't remember 10%

of what it said 10 minutes after he said

it but for the next 17 minutes I just

want to share things with you you know

how fortunate you are to be at a great

Catholic University to be able to share

your faith in God don't ever lose that

there'll be a tendency to get away from

it we all have a tendency to think we

can do things on our own if you want to

make God laugh you tell them what your

plans are I want to tell you I can't

begin to tell you how many times I

prayed when Michigan had the ball in our

four yd

line oh God you STP of going changed my

life it's like the the guy that was

going to an important meeting and he

couldn't find a parking place he kept C

and finding Panic he looked up at Heaven

he said God if you find me a parking

place I'll go to church every day every

Sunday the rest of my life I will not

drink any alcohol the rest of my life

and just then miraculously a parking

spot opened up they looked up at him and

said forget a God I found one on my

own we have that you know I have a

strong faith in God and I don't know how

people live without it I remember we

played Miami of Florida that was a great

game where it was titled the Catholics

versus the

convicts I really didn't like it I

thought that was totally unfair because

not all our team was

Catholic but we have this big lunch and

3,000 people I go in and the father gets

up and he says

before I give invocation coach Holz I

want you to know I'm a Catholic priest

I'm the team chaplain of Miami football

team we came up here to beat you and I

want you to know God doesn't care who

wins this game when it turn came my turn

to talk I get up and said I agree with

you father God doesn't care who wins a

game but I want to promise you his

mother does

so now

see life doesn't have to be

complicated we complicate life I'm going

to make five assumptions about the

people in this audience I'm going to

assume you want to be successful

professionally I'm going to assume you

want to have a good personal life I'm

going to

assume that you want to feel

needed and I'm going to assume you want

to feel secure about your future the

fifth assumption I'm going to make is

you want to go to heaven now I'm going

to give you a simple plan how to do all

five because see you don't have to

sacrifice your religious life your

personal life in order to advance

professionally they all work together

and don't complicate it I try to keep

life simple do you realize there are

only seven killers of the rainbow only

seven look what Michelangelo did with

those seven colors there's only seven

musical notes look what beIN did did

with those seven notes there's only 10

numbers look what Bernie Midol did with

those 10

numbers the point I make is it doesn't

have to be complicated see you need four

things in your life if you don't have

any of these four things in your life

you're going to have a tremendous void

see everybody needs something to

do number two everybody needs someone to

love number three everybody needs

someone to believe it in my case is

Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior but the

fourth thing you need your life is you

need something to hope

for what do you want to do having hopes

and dreams and ambition see I think that

is absolutely critical don't make the

mistake I made I've done a lot of dumb

things but let me tell you the one thing

I regret we went to the University of

noran we took a program on the bottom we

took it to the very top and for N9 great

years we went to a January 1 bow the

sugar the cotton the orange or the Festa

nobody's done it before nobody's done it

since we put it on top and we maintained

it that's the thing I regret the most

said there's a ro life and said you're

either growing or you're dying the tree

is either growing or is dying so is

grass so is a marriage so is a business

so is a person doesn't have a thing to

do with age my birthday candles cost

more than a

cake but has everything to do I trying

to get better matter I trying to prove

we got on top you say you know this

pretty good let's maintain it let's not

take any risk we finished second of the

country at Notre Dame everybody called

me an idiot guy finish his last in

medical school they call him doctor that

doesn't seem

fair when I left Notre Dame I never

thought I'd coach again where'd you go

from Notre Dame according to my mother

you go directly to Heaven you sit by the

pope you you don't coach anymore and

then I went to live in a town where the

average age was

deceased and what I found out I one

tired to coach you have to have

something to hope for something to

dream and even though you've done great

things so far what's going to happen now

I want to give you a simple plan so nebe

you to follow those five assumptions

this not something I talk about it's

something I believe and it works and I

wish I had learned it when I was 21

there's only three rules you have to

follow you know we have all kind of laws

federal laws County laws state laws

corporate laws bylaws and inlaws and

outlaws only need three laws law number

one do what right do what's right and

avoid what's wrong if you have any doubt

get out the Bible I do not think it's

right to find a teammate's wallet before

he lost it see that's called stealing

son I found it but he hadn't lost it yet

at all I understand just do what's right

there's never a right time to do the

wrong thing and there's never a wrong

time to do the right thing just do

what's right I think it's right Beyond

it's right Beyond time I think it's

wrong to practice sexism racism spousal

abuse I think it's wrong to be bitter

we've all had injustices done by Society

by a spouse by a professor do respect

professors I refer to my own but you

know what don't go through life where

you're being bitter where you passed

away your spouse has to hire six ball

Bears cuz you don't have friends just do

the right thing I think it's also right

to have an excellent positive attitude

see L and gentlemen enjoy life have fun

you're going to have problems you're

going to have difficulties that's part

of life because you graduate doesn't

mean you aren't going to have problems

and don't tell people about your

problems do you know that 90% of the

people don't

care and the other 10% are glad you got

them so you better off keeping yourself

you're going to have problems but have

fun with what you're doing people say

did you have fun doing ESPN not really I

was up there in Bristol Connecticut

which was 15 minutes from hardford by

telephone and I'm on there with a guy

named Mark May now I love Mark May

beautiful guy but we have a difference

of opinion he was a player as a coach he

made suggestions I made decisions he

showered after work I showered before

work he said signed a paycheck on the

back I signed it on the front you know

it just difference op but you know what

when they turned the red light on I was

going to have fun if you have fun doing

something people have fun being around

every day I walked out on the football

field first thing I said boy what a

great day to work and I meant it cuz if

you have fun being there people have fun

being around doesn't mean I don't do

dumb things and sometimes I wasn't real

honest one time Mark B said something

about my golf game I said I want you to

know I'm the best golfer at late night

well late Nona we have about 15 Pros gr

McDow Henry Stinson Deon poter just I go

back everybody on me you lied on TV I

said let me tell you something 300

members know I lied 300 million people

think I'm a hell of a golfer so I like

that

percentage but just do what's

right and don't let people tear you down

don't let people many years ago we I

take my family down to Orlando Florida

we have four children or all girls but

two and I'm real proud of that fact

and we're getting ready to play orl

we're getting ready to play Florida in

the Sugar Bowl so we go to Orlando where

we had a home and we go out to dinner

the waiter came up and he recognized me

he said you're new Hol head coach at ner

Dame AR you and I said yes sir and I got

out my pen thinking he wanted an

autograph he said let me ask you a

question he said what's the difference

between Notre Dave Cheerios I said I

don't have a clue he said Cheerios

belong in a bow Notre Dave

doesn't now these are absolutely truth

it made me mad and got me in a bad mood

and my wife said you're going to let

somebody you never met before you never

go to see again doesn't care a thing

about you're going to let them rule in

the evening cuz something stupidly said

and she's right don't let other people

control your attitude that's you I felt

so good a little bit later I called a

waiter back over and I said Son let me

ask you a question what's the difference

between L hols and golf pro he said I

don't have a clue I said a golf pro

gives tips which he found out when the

meal was

over about

[Applause]

it just do what's right rule number

two do everything to the best of your

ability with time

allotted you know ladies and gentlemen

not all of us be all americ not

everybody be first team everybody can be

the best you're capable being

and I want to tell you if you want to

fail you have the right to fail that's

what's great about this country you do

not have the right to cause other people

to fail because you don't do everything

best your ability when you join a spouse

you bring a child in the world you join

a business you join a team you have

obligation responsibilities and you owe

it to other people to do the maximum you

can and each and everything you do it's

not

complicated Ladi and gentlemen I want

you to know this I born with a silver

spoon in my mouth I know I was born in

Falls me West

Virginia and I went by where I was born

last night about

10:30 I was born in a Cellar at home

delivered by Dr

mcra we had one bedroom for my sister

myself and my

parents we had a half bath and a kitchen

7 and a half years we lived in that

place there was no welfare there was no

food stamps there was no safety that but

I always had plenty to eat cuz every

time I asked for seconds my dad would

say no you had

plenty but the reason I was born with a

silver spoon my dad had only gone to the

third grade that's all the education he

had but why was I born with it Sil spoon

in my mouth cuz I taught by my

parents that life's a matter of makeing

choices wherever you are good or bad

because of choices you make don't blame

anybody else but if you get an education

you're willing to work and overcome

problems and difficulties in this great

country you can amount to

something that's how I that's why I B a

silver spoon I was in this country and I

was taught personal responsibility for

choices you make and when we talk about

a commitment to Excellence that's a

choice you make the last rule to show

people you care and you walk in the room

draud hey here I am look at me I thought

no your attitude there you are how can I

help you say my wife God bless her my

wife is a stage four cancer survivor her

weight went from 129 to 889 they gave

her 10% chance to live I'm happy to

report my wife's doing well now I don't

even pray for her anymore I pray to her

I mean she's just

say but we're opposites night and day

she said Opposites Attract and then

attack but she's

also she left me she we're opposite she

doesn't have a sense of humor but she

left me a note a couple months ago said

Lou I can't please everybody in the

world so I'm going to stop trying I'm

going to focus on pleasing one person a

day and today's not your day and

tomorrow doesn't look real promising

either but she is my best friend we've

been married 54 years I

yeah

yeah he I got

I on a golf course I said yeah married

my best friend the guy said your wife's

not your best friend I said yes she he

said your dog is I said no you're wrong

he said you're wrong he said try this

then lock your wife and your dog in the

trunk of the car come back in two hours

and see which one's happy to see you

so but my wife never does interviews she

done one interview in her life cuz I

asked her what did you learn from having

cancer she said I learned how much my

family loved me now we we didn't love

her anymore we showed it why does

somebody have to go through something

like that before we realize how

important we are Ladi and gentlemen I

received this honorary doctor's degree

not because what I did because what

other people did that's the same thing

whenever you receive recognition pass

the

credit it was not complicated but just

genuinely caring about people cuz

everybody you're going to meet the rest

of your life needs a smile needs a kind

word needs an encouragement cuz see when

you do the right thing people are always

going to be able to trust you my wife

and I have been married because we can

trust each other i' never lose the trust

but the only way you people ever going

to trust you if you do the right thing

that's all God wants us to do do the

right thing the second thing is do

everything but your ability because then

people will know you're committed to

Excellence you want to be special

not to say hey here I am but help other

people and caring about people see a lot

of you are going to be successful you're

going to go make a lot of money and when

you die it ends but hopefully everybody

in this graduating class is going to be

significant the significant is when you

help other people be successful and that

lasts many a life time after that I

congratulate you again people say would

you like to be 21 again I wish I knew

those three rules when I was 21 I've

used them for the last 40 years there's

a statue I'll be at not today I guess

they need a place for the pigeons to

land but if you go look at it just don't

look to look at three words on the

pedestal trust commitment love CU those

are the three rules I had for my

children my team my greatest

accomplishment is not coaching not TV

not speaking the greatest

accomplishments my family and I'm very

proud of it you can't take your money to

heaven but I tell you something you can

sure take your children to heaven with

you I leave you with this very last

thought very

last want be happy for an hour eat a

steak want to be happy for a day play

golf want to be happy for a week go on a

cruise now to me going on a cruise like

being in jail except you have a chance

to drown but that's

want be happy for a month play golf want

be happy for a month buy a new car want

be happy for a year win the

lottery want to be happy for a lifetime

put your faith in Jesus Christ thank you

very much God bless