Albright has a history of great athletics coaches – Charles “Pop” Kelchner, Alvin “Doggie” Julian, Clarence “Biggie” Munn, William “Lonestar” Dietz, and Will Renken, just to name a few. But there’s only one known as the coach with the longest winning streak at any level of football in the United States, and also as the man with the “golden tongue”…John Potsklan.
In 30 years as head football coach, Potsklan won 144 games, 113 more than any other Albright coach, and seven Middle Atlantic Conference titles, seven more than any other Albright coach.
But he is remembered most fondly for his “Potsklanisms,” the famous quips that would send his players into fits of laughter, (when he was out of earshot, of course.)
Here, alumni share their favorite Potsklanisms:
William R. Kopp ’66: “I played football and baseball for
four years under Coach Potsklan. Coach was rarely ever joking when he
made his humorous statements. And he usually prefaced his great quotes
with the word ‘hell.’ Here are a few…
“You either get beat or you lose.” (Said at pre-game
pep talk before we played undefeated Gettysburg in 1964, and we beat them.)
“Hell, they don’t even put their pants on the same
way we do.” (Same
pre-game speech.)
“Pair off in threes.”
“I want 100 minutes of 60 percent football.”
“To my knowledge Potsy never cut anyone from the baseball team. He usually gave them an oversized uniform so they would quit on their own. After giving Dennis Wagner ’67, a 5’ 8”, 160-pound second baseman, a 44” shirt and 38” pants, Potsklan said, ‘Hell, a uniform doesn’t make the player. The player makes the uniform.’ (I still don’t know what that means!) Of course, Wagner quit the team.”
Gary S. Wasserman, D.O. ’67: “Another main quip of which I’m sure you will receive hundreds of remarks about was often said in gym class when he told us to, ‘Line up in alphabetical order according to height!’”
Michael Daugherty ’67: “I was a freshman in 1953. Coach Potsklan was the JV basketball coach. He sent Ron Pisano ’56 and I into the game. It was the second half and the score was tied. We played about five or six minutes. We were down by five. He then took us out and as I was sitting next to him on the bench, he looked at me and said, ‘Now watch us roll.’”
Charles E. Sample ’58: “I remember back in 1955, my freshman year, John Potsklan was our health class instructor. He made the brilliant statement, ‘If a dog bites a person, they should be checked for rabbis [rabies].’” He also told the football team, ‘Put your both foots forward.’”
“Another one from health class was when he innocently told us, ‘When a person dies, mortorigous [rigormortis] sets in.’ I don’t think he ever knew that he had the word reversed.”
James T. Kemp ’74: “While giving campus tours to several prospects, Coach Potsklan stopped in front of the Campus Center where there is a tree planted with a plaque honoring Leonard Van Driel, the man who ran the dining hall years ago. One of the prospects inquired whether or not the man had had a long illness. Coach Potsklan replied, ‘No, he just woke up one morning and he was dead!’”
“Bill Popp, Coach Potsklan’s longtime assistant, received a phone call one morning from him. ‘Bill, can you take my classes today? I can’t make it in,’ said Coach. Bill was concerned and asked what the problem was. ‘My wife’s husband died last night and we have to make arrangements.’”
“Returning from a road trip after dark our bus broke down in Harrisburg. The driver went to make some phone calls for help and returned several minutes later. He spoke to Coach Potsklan outside the bus and then Coach got on the bus to explain what was going on. He said the company was sending another bus, which would take about an hour. He told us that in the meantime we could go get something to eat. Then he said to us, ‘The driver said there is a sandwich shop three blocks away. Don (Don Rider, statistician) you’re from Harrisburg. How far is three blocks?’”
Bob Spitz ’71: “‘You guys start doing your warm-ups, and when I’m ready for you (holds up whistle) I’ll blow you.’ We used to fall down laughing every time he said it.”