Family Pride: Warwick follows in grandfather's Tech tradition
As alumni return to the Tennessee Tech campus this weekend for Homecoming, many of them are reminded of their legacies – what they did back in the day, the people they met, the stories they could tell. But for one Tech football veteran, returning to Cookeville isn’t unusual. After all, for Lonnie Warwick, former Golden Eagle, former Minnesota Viking, he’s here to see his grandson, Jake, play.
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
As alumni return to the Tennessee Tech campus this weekend for Homecoming, many of them are reminded of their legacies – what they did back in the day, the people they met, the stories they could tell.
But for one Tech football veteran, returning to Cookeville isn't unusual.
After all, for Lonnie Warwick, former Golden Eagle, former Minnesota Viking, he's here to see his grandson, Jake, play.
"I've heard stories about him pretty much my entire football career," the younger Warwick said. "He was a tough, hard-nosed guy that liked to hit."
That seems to sum up his grandfather, Lonnie, pretty well. Especially for a guy who played for the famed Purple People Eaters defense the Vikings employed in the NFL in the '60s and '70s.
Warwick was a Golden Eagle from 1961 to 1963, then played with the Vikings from 1965 to 1972 before closing out his playing days with the Atlanta Falcons. He coached with the Washington Redskins, the semi-pro Charleston Rockets and the USFL's Denver Gold. He was inducted into the Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1978, then, earlier this year, was inducted into the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, honored by his home state.
But it was his humble beginnings – a season at Tennessee before transferring to Cookeville's campus and donning the purple and gold.
"When he first visited here, he fell in love with the place," Jake said. "I remember when I was offered to come play here, he was so excited for me to come. He had told me a lot of these stories about things that had happened here. Every time he comes back, he links up with his old teammates and they always have a good time. I'm glad he keeps coming back and I don't think he's missed a home game yet."
And how things have changed since Lonnie's days at Tech.
"Oh my goodness, Cookeville has changed so much," Lonnie said. "It has grown so much since I've been there. The town was so small and it has really, really spread out and gotten really big to me. Algood, Baxter and all the surrounding communities have grown. I still remember going just outside Cookeville to hunt and fish, and those places aren't there anymore because the community has grown through there. It is amazing, but in a good way.
"Tech really looks good and like I tell both of those boys, Tech is a really good school – and the number one thing is that they get a good education. They don't have to worry about if they further their football careers, because they can get themselves a really good job by getting a degree from Tech."
The elder Warwick still looks highly on his days in Cookeville.
"I really enjoyed playing at Tech," Lonnie said. "Of course, I was probably a little rowdy and what have you. You know, when you're young and full of vinegar and you thought the world owed you some stuff and what have you… I had to do some growing up while I was there and probably did some things I probably shouldn't have done, but I really enjoyed being at Tennessee Tech and that's why I kind of coached Jake into going there. I'm really hoping my other grandson (Jack) goes there because he's a really good player."
Lonnie feels that the experience at Tech is worth sharing with his family.
"I tell the boys, 'Jake and Jack, you go to Tennessee Tech and do the same thing I've done and go play in the NFL for 14-15 years. You can learn everything you can that's taught at a school like Tech, just as much as you do at a school like Alabama or Tennessee. You don't play as good of talent week-in and week-out, but you don't get beat all to heck.
"All you have to do is learn the fundamentals and learn enough about the game like I did at Tech with guys like Ray Drost and Wilburn Tucker and the coaching staff that I had there that really taught me fundamental football. They prepared me for the NFL. Even from the first day I was there, I knew exactly what to do. I think Jake can do that, I really think he's got a future ahead of him. Of course, he is my grandson and I'm going to talk good about him, but I've watched the things he does. Now, he needs to do a few things, but he's almost there."
Having that NFL experience and those connections is something Lonnie has shared with Jake over the years.
"Those kids growing up, I've taken them to football camps," he said. "I've introduced them to players who played in the NFL, I've had guys I've played with and played against come to my house and taken the kids on hunting trips where they've met different players. They're pretty familiar with them and they know what it takes to play and what it takes to be a good teammate."
Warwick, as a Tech football alumnus, built a good relationship with previous Tech head coach Watson Brown, earning Jake a look for a potential spot on the roster.
"That's really how I got my foot in the door," Jake said. "I think it was the state championship game of my junior year, Lonnie introduced me to Coach Brown. He watched me and I had a pretty good game. From that point, I kept in touch with Coach Brown and the rest of his staff. Eventually, in my senior year, they offered me and it was pretty much a no-brainer. It was close to home. I liked Coach Brown and his staff here and I wouldn't change it for the world."
And there's been a little bit of a parallel, both playing linebacker for the Golden Eagles. However, that has changed a little this season once Jake was moved over to fullback.
"So there is a little bit of a disconnect now," Warwick said. "I still get compared to him a lot. I'd love to be like him, but I also want to be my own person too and be remembered for what I do. But he left some pretty big shoes to fill in what he accomplished. I know I'm proud of him and he's proud of me."
The transition wasn't a difficult one for the younger Warwick.
"It was a little bit of a change, but it wasn't difficult because, like linebacker, fullback is a physical position," Warwick said. "So instead of tackling, I'm blocking now. It wasn't too bad, but they're very similar. You still have to be able to hit people in open space, knock people back, but to me, it wasn't too difficult."
That's not to say he doesn't miss the defense.
"I miss it at times," Warwick said. "But I'd rather be on the field more than anything. I'm prepared to be whatever this team needs. If they need me at linebacker, I'll do that. If they need me at fullback, I'll do that. To me, it doesn't make a bit of difference. I'm just happy to be out on the field doing what I need to do to help the team."
To be able to wear the same purple and gold that his grandfather wore means a lot, as does carrying on the name Golden Eagle.
"To me, I'm so proud to be a Golden Eagle," Warwick said. "I'm proud to be a part of an organization. I'm proud to be around someone like Coach Satterfield, who shows so much pride and cares about this place. I know the football history hasn't always been great, but we're turning the culture around. I'm proud to be a part of that. When I leave here, hopefully, the next guys are proud to be a part of that as well."
The 2017 season isn't the route that the players and the coaches would have liked it to go, but, at the same time, it is still progress and could be a cornerstone for future success as the team makes strides into the right direction.
"Coach Satt talks all the time about whether we're 7-0 or 0-7, we're going to come to work and do the same thing every day. It does get discouraging at times that we haven't produced the way that we want to produce, but it doesn't make a difference if we're winning or losing. We're coming in here every day, following the process, coming to work and doing what we have to do to get better each and every day. I know that if we keep trusting what coach keeps telling us and doing what we have to do, things are going to come out the right way."
But even though the Warwick name still carries a lot of weight with the Tech program, Jake still wants to make his own impact in his life.
"Whatever that name is in football or when I go off and get another job," Warwick said, "whether it's just people telling stories about me and what I was, I don't really care what it is or how I get that name, just as long as it's in a positive manner."
Photos by Tony Marable; TTU Sports Information archive; Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
