DALTON, Ga. — A football coach from Dalton is being honored for his hard work on and off the field.
The NFL announced Tuesday that Matt Land of Dalton High was named the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year. Land will be recognized by the NFL during Super Bowl week
The Dalton native is a lifelong Catamount.
"I’m almost 50," he said to 11Alive in an interview.
The last 10 of those years, he’s been the head coach at Dalton, leading them to three region titles.
He doesn't take being a recipient of the Don Shula Coach of the Year lightly.
"I read a lot when I first started out about Don Shula," he said. "The values of integrity he had in his program... I wanted in mine."
But the award is for what Land does off the field, just as much as the success he’s had on it.
"It’s 2 a.m. phone calls, it’s a kid coming back and thanking you. If you don’t realize that’s part of the job, you’re not getting everything out of it that you can."
Last year, Land welcomed a football player into his own home when he had nowhere to go.
"He was originally from Haiti displaced by the earthquake," he explained. "He was homeless. His mother saved up enough money to send him to New Jersey to be with his father."
But then the player could no longer play football in New Jersey.
"He sent out over 500 emails to coaches across the country searching for place to finish school .. and play football," he said.
No one replied, except Land.
"He showed up with $120 in his pocket and a three-night stay in a hotel. I told him we’re going to figure this out, but not from a hotel room. You can stay with me," Land said.
"I did it for two reasons because I'm a Christian and No. 2. I'm a dad I would want someone to help my son if he was in that situation."
This is one of the many reasons the NFL wanted to recognize him.
"I have the belief that maybe I’m doing something that will help these kids 30 years down the road because of things that we’ve taught them here."
The award comes with a $15,000 prize from the NFL Foundation ($10,000 of which will go to the Dalton program) and tickets to the Super Bowl. Land will leave for Miami on Thursday.
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