The 91-year-old coach soaked in the scene from the back of the room as he wore a Colorado State hat and matching shirt.
asserted
he → soak → hat
For more than three hours on Saturday night, Jim E. Mora watched his son’s coaching debut for the Rams through the dual lens of a father and longtime coach.
asserted
Mora → watch → father
The dad in him couldn’t have been more proud as Jim L. Mora led the Rams to a 35-13 win over Wyoming.
asserted
Mora → lead → Wyoming
The coach in him, though, felt nervous and uneasy at times before Colorado State pulled away in the second half.
asserted
State → feel → half
“I was really worried today,” the father said after the game, “until all that good stuff happened.”
asserted
stuff → say → game
Which he knew it would because he knows his son, who takes after his father.
asserted
who → know → father
The younger Mora followed in his father’s footsteps, learning lessons and tips from him, before branching out.
asserted
Mora → follow → him
They constantly talk about all things football.
asserted
They → talk → things
That’s not even counting all those games as an assistant coach, defensive coordinator, grad assistant, quality control coach, consultants or any other football job.
asserted
That → count → coach
“He works hard at coaching.
asserted
He → work → coaching
He’s smart.
asserted
He → ’ → ?
He knows the job,” the father said.
asserted
father → know → job
“He knows what he needs to do to be successful.
asserted
he → know → what
He is a good coach for the players to play for.
asserted
players → play → ?
He’s very demanding.”
asserted
He → ’ → ?
All traits that the younger Mora just so happened to inherit from dad.
asserted
Mora → happen → dad
Which is why it meant so much for the son to have family at the game and attend his postgame news conference.
asserted
son → mean → conference
“This family’s played a lot of football, been involved in a lot of football,” said the son, who arrived at Colorado State after a four-year run at UConn.
asserted
who → play → UConn
“These are special moments where you get to walk in here and see your mom and your dad and your wife and your kids and their spouses and your cousins and your best friends.
asserted
you → get → mom
It’s awesome.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
It’s unique, it’s rare, it’s humbling.”
asserted
it → ’ → ?
The younger Mora grew up learning the game down the road in Boulder, Colorado, where his father served as an assistant coach for the Buffaloes.
asserted
father → grow → Buffaloes
He’s pleased his son ended up back in the state.
asserted
son → ’ → state
“I’ve always loved Colorado,” the elder Mora said.
asserted
Mora → love → Colorado
“I love working in the city, in the state, in the mountains.”
asserted
I → work → mountains
He’s certainly planning to spend more time in Fort Collins and dispensing advice any way he can.
asserted
he → plan → advice
It’s welcomed input, too.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
Asked how much it mean to share the victory with the “old guy,” the younger Mora didn’t miss a beat.
asserted
Mora → ask → beat
“He ain’t old,” the 64-year-old son cracked.
asserted
son → ai → ?
“I’ve been doing this since the day that my mom gave birth to me.
asserted
mom → do → me
This is what we do.
asserted
we → do → what
This is what our family has done.”
asserted
family → do → what
About that tough stretch in the game toward halftime that carried into the third quarter, when Wyoming turned a 14-3 deficit into a 14-13 nail-biter: “I was worried,” the dad said.
asserted
dad → carry → biter
“I didn’t think they were playing as good.”
asserted
they → think → ?
Colorado State, led by quarterback Hauss Hejny, reeled off 21 straight points to take back control.
asserted
State → lead → control
“They came on strong,” the dad said.
asserted
dad → come → ?
The Rams started on the right note as they made their football debut as members of the Pac-12.
asserted
they → start → Pac-12
It’s a conference the Mora family knows well.
asserted
family → ’ → ?
The son played in the league as a defensive back for Washington when it was the Pac-10 and coached in it at UCLA as part of the Pac-12.
asserted
it → play → Pac-12
His father has no doubts his son will find success in the foothills of Fort Collins.
asserted
son → have → Collins
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
