Tireless charity and community work — an anti-bullying initiative here, a father-and-son reading project there — stem from an innate sense of devotion to community and his adopted home; the Florida-born star and his wife, Diane, are in the process becoming of Canadian citizens. The couple lives in Oakville, Ont., with their three daughters: Rachel, 13; Raven, 9; and Rylie, 4.
On the most surprising thing about being a dad:
“Well it’s not a total surprise: your wife is getting bigger and she’s a little moody! But I still didn’t realize how it completes you to have a child. I have my girls, and it’s inexplicably fulfilling.”
On what fostered his passion for community involvement:
“Honestly, my mom molded me by example long before I became a father. Here was a successful working woman, a great parent, and a single mom who also diligently offered so much
to the community.”
On family time and the football schedule:
“We set aside four weeks every year — two at Christmas and two at March Break — to get away. We were in Florida recently, but wherever we are, we work hard to keep it just about family and to create great memories, ones the girls can really latch on to. And we definitely try our best to protect weekends in the off-season. Often we’re attending our daughters’ dance competitions, which involves some travel, even as far as Ocean City, Maryland. Other than that, I’m no different from other dads who try to get involved as much as possible. I recently missed one daughter’s science fair, but I was an integral part of the science project itself.”
On how coaching has influenced his parenting:
“I think if we could, in our homes, exercise a fraction of the ingenuity that we do in our
professional lives, we could turn our households around. It’s about tangible, conscious ideas. If I can develop a game plan for playing against the Hamilton Tiger Cats, why shouldn’t I have one for my own home?”
And vice-versa:
“I already have a love and a passion for my players, but fatherhood teaches me a more human side, like how to communicate tough things with compassion. We have 75 players entering training camp but can only keep 50 — there’s gonna be some tough news.”
On one of the great challenges facing today’s dad:
“Dealing with the volume of images that inundate our children today. Tsunamis, hurricanes — these are very strong images for kids to handle, and they’re more graphic and detailed than ever before. Are they ready to process this information? You have to somehow decide on managing how, when and to what extent they are exposed to these things.”
His advice for new dads:
“One of the best things you can do for your children is be a living example: to treat their mother with dignity, love and respect. And to truly love your child, you should treat them as special and unique. And the essence of love is making decisions — even the tough ones — that are best for them, not decisions that will make them like you. You’re a dad first, not a friend. Be a dad.”
