Football in Becker was much simpler in 1970.  A single set of jerseys.  A couple of plays to master.  A rookie head coach.  A handful of players. 

But just ask 1971 Becker graduate Gary Cox about the early days of Becker football and you get a much more complex answer.

“We didn’t have very many players so you had to learn a lot of positions,” says Cox, who as a Senior on the 1970 team helped to start a tradition that has endured for fifty years.  “Once I got on the field, I never left.  Tailback, receiver, safety, punts, kicks, we did it all.” 

Cox has many fond memories of that one first year and throughout his life he has been able to share them with his three sons who played for Becker and now one grandson who is on the varsity squad. Together, his family represents three generations of Bulldogs.

“We had a lot of good athletes, but we needed to learn things like how to catch a football,” says Gary, referring to the 1970 team who did pick up the program’s first win ever over Big Lake. “We didn’t have trainers or anything like that.  If you got hurt, you were given a band aid.”

It’s those stories that captivated his own three sons, all of whom would go on to be Bulldogs throughout their high school years until graduation: Eli (1998), Ben (2001) and Micah (2008). Together, father and sons shared a passion for football, telling stories and giving each other a bit of grief.

“Growing up we heard the stories about how they [the first team] were tougher than us,” recalls Ben, with a smirk.  “He told us we complained too much and anytime we would get hurt, dad would tell us to ‘walk it off’.”

Head Coach Dwight Lundeen recalls those early years with fondness, as the players, coaches and entire community had much to learn about the sport.

“Almost everything is different today than it was 50 years ago,” says Lundeen.  “Back then I coached all the positions on offense and defense, washed the uniforms, lined the field and drove the bus.”

Speaking of Lundeen, Gary quickly recalls the first game the team played at Sartell.

“Putzie was one of the referees and he came to the players as we were warming up and he asks where our coach is at,” remembers Gary.  “We pointed to the bench and said ‘that guy in the blue shirt’, but the referee thought we were being disrespectful because most of us looked older than Dwight.  He didn’t believe us.”

Gary also has great memories of coaching strategy: “running backs were told to put our heads down and go”, how the players were still learning the game: “I had about three touchdown’s called back every game for holding penalties” and practice habits: “we threw sand burrs at each other.”

But as his boys got older, Gary was also there to offer insights and share memories of what made football special.

Micah appreciated how his father took an interest in helping the boys train for football season.

“We were told to run the hill, meaning run up and down the sledding hill by our house,” remembers Micah, a 2008 graduate.

“We had to outrun the mosquitoes,” quips Ben, a coach in the Becker youth leagues.

“If you want to run with the dogs, you can’t bark like a puppy,” reminds Gary.

Friday nights remain a tradition at Eppard Field for Gary and his family as they gather to watch Ethan play and they even send updates to Eli who lives in North Carolina where he coaches his son’s team.

Together, they enjoy the camaraderie of football as well as the new memories they make together.  And a few stories of the good old, simpler days as well.

While the family’s banter is all in good nature, Gary says there were many great lessons to be learned on the field.

“Football helped to teach the lesson that once you start something, you are going to finish it,” says Gary.  

It’s those lessons that appeal to Gary’s grandson, Ethan Wilson, the current Bulldog, whose mother is Annie, Gary’s daughter and a 1998 Becker graduate.

“Football helps to build a lot of good character,” says Ethan. “The Becker tradition means that we have pride in Becker and we can take what we learn in football and apply it to our lives.”

That’s just the message Lundeen says he wants to remain front and center in the program, whether it be year one or fifty.

“Kids are still kids and I love to spend time with them,” says Lundeen. “When I look back at fifty years it is pretty special that families still want their boys to be playing football for Becker for three generations.  Our plan hasn’t changed since that first year – we want to have fun each day playing football for Becker.”

It’s a simple message that started in simpler times.