N. Chicago coach: 'I have to be an example of control'

He's yelled at referees, exchanged heated words with other coaches, and stomped and growled on the sidelines, letting it be known that he clearly was not pleased.

Glen Kozlowski, a former Chicago Bear and college football star, once the head football coach at Wauconda High School and now the head coach at North Chicago High, knows very well what it's like to lose perspective in the heat of the moment.

But no more.

To fix the problems with his football program, problems that likely played a role in a bench-clearing brawl with Simeon High School two weeks ago, Kozlowski says he is looking inward first.

"I have to be an example of control. I have to be. I can't ask my kids to be under control if I myself will not be," said Kozlowski, a gritty wide receiver who starred at Brigham Young before being drafted by the Bears a few months after they won Super Bowl XX in 1986.

Kozlowski spent six pro seasons in Chicago, including with the 1987 "Spare Bears" replacement team, and was a special teams leader before injuries ended his career.

Kozlowski says he doesn't use his reputation as a Bears player to get their attention, largely because actions speak more loudly and high school players trust you once they're convinced you care about them.

"Will it be tough (to stay calm)? Sure," he said. "I've got to check my own ego and everything else at the door and focus in on doing the job right so that our kids can learn.

"How I conduct myself, how I act, how I am perceived, especially by my players, is very important. Every day at North Chicago we face unique challenges and how you handle them and react to them does matter. I want to be able to lead our guys down the right path of redemption."

Starting now, the Warhawks will be trying to redeem themselves for their part in a disturbing fight with Simeon players Sept. 4 at North Chicago that resulted in a suspension for the entire program. After an extensive review, the Illinois High School Association on Tuesday lifted the suspension, which included a forfeit of last week's game against Vernon Hills, allowing them to continue their season.

North Chicago (0-3) returns to the field at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Zion-Benton, another 0-3 team and one of its fiercest rivals.

"This is an intense rivalry," said Kozlowski, who confirmed he will be without the seven players most heavily involved in the incident. They are serving their own suspensions, of varying lengths.

"We're happy to get back on the field," Kozlowski said. "In playing Zion-Benton, you couldn't ask for a better indication of where you are as a group because you're going to be tested to the highest degree. This is a longtime rivalry. These kids have grown up together and have known each other since they were little. They really want to beat each other.

"We'll try to win the game and we'll be physical. I still believe football has to be played physically. But it also needs to be played with control."

Control clearly was missing in the Simeon game.

Kozlowski says the trouble started well before kickoff when the two teams were "jawing at each other" in warmups. Then, after a punt near the end of the first quarter, a North Chicago player leveled a Simeon player from behind well after the play was dead. A Simeon player then punched a North Chicago player and eventually fans spilled onto the field and joined the melee.

"I was heartbroken because our kids are better than what was going to be portrayed moving forward," Kozlowski said. "I also was upset because what we did was wrong. We let down North Chicago. Say whatever you want about North Chicago, but it's a proud community that loves its sports and its kids and we let a lot of people down."

Within about five minutes, and with help from police and security personnel, fans were removed from the field. Officials and coaches agreed the game could not move forward and Simeon, up 21-0 at the time, was declared the winner.

"We went back to the team room and we talked for more than an hour," Kozlowski said. "I allowed the players to talk, to vent their frustration with each other and to share their feelings.

"I also had the coaches share their feelings. It was one of those sessions where you got everything on the table. I closed it up with the fact that what we did that night hurt the whole community and we have impacted every sport and how people view North Chicago. We need to change it and fix it, but it's not something we can do overnight. It's going to take a lot of work on our part and it's going to take time."

Kozlowski, in his first year at North Chicago after compiling a 19-45 record at Wauconda with one playoff appearance, says the team has had its best week of practice since he took over. His players are working on being good citizens on and off the field, and being seen and not heard.

"We've got to work on the talking," he said. "We were a team that talked too much and it got us in trouble.

"I told the guys that nothing intimidates a team more than a kid who hits full-go and then turns around and runs back to the huddle without saying a word."

While Kozlowski hasn't written his pregame speech yet, he said his message will focus on the responsibility they have to represent the community and their school.

The suspension is over, but the learning process continues.

"Every day I look at it as a new day to instill things that will help our kids be successful on the field and in life," Kozlowski said. "I love high school sports because it's the purest form of sports and you can still have that kind of impact.

"Ultimately, you can make a difference. That's why I took the job at North Chicago. I thought I could make a difference in these kids' lives. I still do."

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Video</h2> <ul class="video"> <li><a href="http://football.dailyherald.com/filmroom/">Glen Kozlowski talks about incident </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>