As beloved Payments coach Marv Levy turns 100, former gamers mirror on how he modified them

Fran Levy was anxious concerning the concept and set towards it.

Her husband is 99 years outdated. Interstate journey just isn’t simple for him. Stairs are a menace. Folks need to hug him and shake his hand, creating nervous moments when he’s not holding onto his walker. Apart from, he had an occasion scheduled the following day again residence.

Nevertheless, her husband is the indefatigable former Buffalo Payments coach Marv Levy, and the person doesn’t shrink from a problem. The Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame had invited Levy to have fun his a hundredth birthday as a part of the induction weekend.

A bit of argument occurred within the eating room of their Chicago residence.

“She challenged the thought of us going,” their daughter, Kimberly Alexopoulos, stated, “and he put his hand firmly down on the desk and his voice raised. ‘What do I say? What do I say? When it’s too robust for them, it’s excellent for us!’ He nonetheless makes use of the Marvisms in his household!

“I began crying. Let’s all be like him our whole lives.”

So all of the Levys are going. His a hundredth birthday is Sunday, however he’ll be celebrated all weekend. The Corridor of Fame organized for a customized van to take Marv and Fran to Canton and again once more for the festivities, highlighted by a birthday celebration Friday amongst household, shut mates, Payments alumni and fellow bronze-bust legends. He’ll be honored once more Saturday afternoon, this time on nationwide tv as a part of the 2025 class’ induction ceremony in Tom Benson Corridor of Fame Stadium.

“It’s a monumental effort for him,” Alexopoulos stated, “however he is aware of that is going to be historic and desires to offer again to soccer, to the Corridor of Fame, to his former gamers, to anybody who has ever been a fan.”

Levy insisted they return residence Saturday evening, not as a result of Marv desires to spend his centenary at residence, however as a result of he’s a person of his phrase and already dedicated to a Sunday afternoon look on the Nationwide Sports activities Card Conference, coincidentally in suburban Chicago this yr. The occasion might be one other alternative for his biggest gamers to honor their patriarch. Fellow Corridor of Famers Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, James Lofton and Bruce Smith might be signing autographs there, too.

“Everyone in his presence is engaged in no matter he’s saying,” Alexopoulos stated. “To me, it’s essentially the most endearing a part of him. He’s the very best function mannequin that anybody’s been blessed to have for all these years, and I’ll share him with anybody and everybody so long as they’re going to see his character and goodwill.

“Sorry to cry. I don’t perceive how he’s so superhumanly wonderful like that.”

Let’s see if his former gamers and a choose few others can clarify the ageless spirit and timeless renown of Marv Levy.

How would you clarify to somebody who has by no means met Marv Levy what he’s like?

Darryl Talley, Payments Wall of Fame linebacker 1983-94: It’s nearly like a child going to see Santa Claus. Give it some thought. How usually do you get to see Santa Claus as a child whenever you nonetheless assume he’s actual?

James Lofton, Corridor of Fame wideout: These days, each from time to time, you hear folks discuss a participant as a unicorn. Marv Levy was a unicorn.

Sean McDermott, who hosted seven Tremendous Bowl Payments to dinner when he turned head coach in 2017: You could possibly inform how a lot Marv meant to them. Simply listening to the tales. It wasn’t “He was my good friend.” It was, “Bear in mind when Marv made us do this?” They talked about how he was instructing them as younger males, classes they’re nonetheless speaking about and sharing with their children — and now their grandkids, in all probability.

Steve Tasker, seven-time Professional Bowl particular groups participant: He’s a human being you gravitate in the direction of and need to emulate. Simply being round him, it felt like he made you higher.

Andre Reed, Corridor of Fame receiver: Marv was a dad to me. Gamers who weren’t even coached by him say that. He has an aura.

Levy was thought of outdated when the Payments employed him in November 1986. So outdated, in reality, that Levy lied about his age, telling proprietor Ralph Wilson he was 58 years outdated when he was 61.

Pete Metzelaars, Payments tight finish 1985-94: I don’t assume any of us had recollections of him being the top coach at Kansas Metropolis (from 1978 into 1982). It was, like, “Who’s this man and what did he do? Why are they selecting this man?” He was doing shade commentary for our video games, and we knew he’d coached in Canada.

Tasker: I acquired to Buffalo very early in Marv’s tenure. I used to be one of many first new guys on the workforce, a part of his motion. Who knew the place it was going to go?

Cornelius Bennett, Nineteen Nineties All-Decade linebacker: You couldn’t think about this man, so tiny and frail-looking, was a pacesetter of giants.

Mike Lodish, Payments defensive lineman 1990-94: Taking a look at him once I acquired to Buffalo as a Tenth-round draft decide (in 1990), I assumed, “Wow.” I didn’t anticipate him to be this little man. I used to be pondering NFL coaches had been John Madden-sized or seemed like Dan Campbell.

Levy enlisted in World Battle II the day after highschool commencement, graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Coe Faculty, was accepted into Harvard Legislation College and finally earned a double grasp’s diploma in English and historical past from Harvard.

Tasker: He by no means didn’t be spectacular in something he did. He’s all the time particular and he’s filled with integrity and humor and self-deprecation and humility.

Lofton: He simply might have been your English professor or your philosophy professor in faculty. He simply had a manner of utilizing phrases that associated to each man on the roster whereas holding them to the next customary as a participant.

Talley: He’s a supercool nerd. He’s essentially the most uncommon particular person I’ve ever seen. He could make a wise man really feel dumb and a dumb man really feel good.

Lodish: I quickly realized you don’t have to be a giant man to be an excellent coach. You have to have the flexibility to speak and to get your gamers to purchase into your philosophy.

Tasker: He was only a human being that you just gravitated in the direction of and also you needed to emulate. Being round him, it felt like he made you higher, and it was all the time a present.

Levy shortly turned identified for his skill to harness one of many NFL’s most notable collections of alpha personalities.

Talley: Simply to deal with all of the egos we had in our locker room — that alone — he must be an excellent man.

Marlon Kerner, Payments security 1995-98: Coming right into a workforce with a historical past of success, having been two years faraway from a fourth consecutive Tremendous Bowl, I used to be uncertain of so many issues. Coach Levy was such a relaxing voice.

Steve Christie, Payments kicker 1992-2000: He’s a instructor of males in a enterprise that brings in a mess of various people from, at occasions, vastly contrasting backgrounds. He was capable of mildew all of us collectively right into a collective drive that was outstanding within the league for years.

Metzelaars, Indianapolis Colts offensive line coach 2004-11: He handled us like males. “That is what we’re going to do. That is how we’re going to do it.” He was similar to Tony Dungy. They weren’t emotional and rah, rah, rah. Marv was calm, clear, mental.

Bennett: Most head coaches that I’ve noticed, they should be sure to know they’re in cost. Coach Levy was not like that. He didn’t should show something.

Metzelaars: There have been occasions he’d play the old-man card and faux he didn’t hear what someone stated, that selective listening to. He’d let it slide after which deal with it behind the scenes.

Kerner: He additionally had a real open-door coverage, and for a younger man, that was enormous to see. It made him approachable and actual. He was the kind of coach that you’d be keen to do something for if he requested.

Jerry Ostroski, Payments offensive lineman 1994-2001: Marv handled us like males, people in a workforce idea. When points arose, he by no means tried to — publicly or in entrance of the complete workforce — disgrace us. Marv dealt with every state of affairs man-to-man and in non-public.

Lofton: We turned the Bickering Payments as a result of we had been a proficient workforce in transition, and he acknowledged the best way to handle it.

Metzelaars: It was a few workforce that hadn’t been profitable in studying the best way to deal with success. In ’88, we made the AFC title sport. We had expectations the following yr and thought we’d be nice, however we had been up and down. The eye and the media had been one thing we needed to be taught to deal with and say issues the appropriate manner and never throw folks beneath the bus.

Lofton: Marv takes all these bickerers and places them on the management council. Successful helps too. However what comes first, the successful or the unity? Marv making these guys leaders helped the workforce unity greater than the rest. 

Talley: If we didn’t assume you had been pulling your weight or had been half-assing together with your bulls—, we’d cuss you out and let you know to do your f—— job. We weren’t going to just accept you not doing all your best. Marv did a masterful job of letting us take care of our feelings, say what we needed to say and transfer on to the following sport.

Metzelaars: The beauty of that workforce was that no person was untouchable. You could possibly give Jim a tough time, Bruce a tough time, Thurman a tough time, Andre a tough time, they usually’d take it. That mattered.

Bennett: He didn’t get in our manner. He allowed us to be ourselves. He knew we had been going to work.

“Membership Marv” was a pejorative. Media and gamers from different groups scoffed at Levy’s radical strategy to coaching camp, lowering apply occasions and giving veterans added relaxation. Levy’s philosophies at the moment are universally accepted and even included inside the NFL’s collective bargaining settlement.

Jamie Mueller, Payments fullback 1987-91: Marv didn’t need to babysit. He didn’t need to take care of BS. He needed to work with professionals.

Ostroski: Many individuals throughout the league felt he was a “smooth” coach and, fairly frankly, it was fairly the alternative. Toughness was understood and a should to be part of the franchise.

Metzelaars: Folks stated our camps had been “really easy” and “so smooth.” We’d be on the market an hour and 30, 40 minutes — increase, get all of the work in and get off the sector. It was about shifting quick, enjoying quick, recreating the velocity of the sport in apply as a lot as potential.

Talley: He did issues different coaches wouldn’t consider.

Lofton: It’s precisely what the NBA is doing right this moment with load administration. He was simply so superior in his pondering.

Phil Hansen, Payments defensive finish 1991-2001: If you wish to sum it up in a single phrase, his entire mission was “readability of goal.” Each soccer coach is bombarding you with directions and all these reminders. You gotta get on this stance! You gotta low pads! You gotta shed ‘em! You gotta get to the ball service! You gotta get to the quarterback! Marv knew you had been listening to all of it week. He made extra of an influence with much less phrases.

Lodish: Marv’s affect was an educational strategy to soccer that impressed us to do further stuff like examine movie and maintain our our bodies. The additional stuff is what separates the good groups from the dangerous ones.

Lofton: He knew we needed to be contemporary and match to run our Ok-Gun offense as a result of we acquired simply as drained because the protection did, however we might by no means allow them to know that.

Hansen: You all the time heard about coaches who, if you happen to misplaced the sport, they might work you twice as laborious. That’s what I might develop to anticipate: For those who lose, you’ve set to work tougher — hearth and brimstone. Marv would do the alternative. He would say, “ what? Perhaps we’re working these guys too laborious. I belief them. Let’s take the pads off Wednesday.”

Thurman Thomas, Corridor of Fame working again: I want typically Marv would have gotten a bit bit angrier at us. You hear the tales about Invoice Parcells getting on Lawrence Taylor’s ass now and again to attempt to convey out the very best in him. Marv simply wasn’t that man.

Ostroski: Marv didn’t really feel the necessity to beat toughness into us with loopy practices and exercises as a result of he knew his gamers so nicely that he was already assured the 53 guys on the roster already had it.

Bennett: So many people performed at a excessive degree for 10 years or longer. That’s all Coach Levy and his fashion of teaching.

Metzelaars: The best way he took care of the gamers had so much to do with us with the ability to come again and play at a excessive degree, yr in and yr out, even after the disappointments.

Thomas: For him being too simple on us, we all the time knew what to do! He didn’t have to inform us so much.

Talley: You didn’t need to be late for something Marv had scheduled. You needed to be early. You needed to observe him as a result of he allow us to play soccer. He simply directed us.

Thomas: Everyone was on time. Everyone was underweight. Everyone was in form.

Talley: Nevertheless outdated Marv was when he acquired right here (60 years outdated), he nonetheless was working three and 4 miles in between practices. Simply working as a result of he had a lot vitality to expend.

Lofton: Right here’s a man who might nonetheless flip it on. You couldn’t take a look at him as this little, frail man. He was in his prime on the time.

Metzelaars: I believe he did some lifting too!

Talley: First one there and final one to go away.

Ostroski: Marv was a gamers’ coach and all the time concerning the particular person. He thrived in taking outliers and gamers that perhaps didn’t fairly match a selected mildew and, with growth, he acquired them to thrive within the Payments system. … Everybody right this moment talks about “You by no means know what somebody goes although.” Marv was dealing with issues this manner because the ’80s.

Thomas: He by no means actually acquired upset. He all the time talked about how issues ought to be, how issues ought to go. If there have been video games Marv pulled me out due to a fumble or dropped move, I wouldn’t have minded, however he all the time confirmed a lot belief in me that I used to be going to do my finest each single time. I needed to play laborious for him, to win a Tremendous Bowl for him.

Bennett: When you’ve a coach like that, you possibly can’t do something however need to carry out for him. You may want your particular person accolades, however you needed to do it for Coach Levy. To me, that’s an incredible chief.

Recognized for his extraordinary oratory abilities, everybody who has been round Levy has a narrative to inform about his Marvisms and motivational speeches.

Metzelaars: We additionally went from Hank Bullough and his manner with the English language to Marv, who was an unbelievable orator. (Bullough as soon as infamously started a information convention by ripping a fart and calling it his opening assertion.)

Hansen: I held on each phrase. I don’t assume gamers pay as a lot consideration to coaches as a result of they are saying the identical factor time and again. Marv all the time had one thing completely different to offer you.

Talley: The longer I stayed round him, the extra I simply turned enamored with the issues he would say. He might join with anyone from any background. Didn’t matter who it was. He had the flexibility to speak like I’ve by no means seen.

Lofton: The primary coaching camp I had was the 1990 season as a result of I arrived through the 1989 season, the place we misplaced to Cleveland within the playoffs. Within the first assembly, he laid out that we wanted home-field benefit. “To do this, we in all probability must go 7-1 at residence and no worse than 5-3 on the highway, perhaps even 6-2 as a result of we have to play in Wealthy Stadium.” I’m used to coaches speaking about attending to the playoffs, however nothing this particular in July about home-field benefit. I assumed there can be some snickers within the again and I checked out these core gamers, who had been All-Execs and Professional Bowlers, they usually had been steely-eyed.

Hansen: He might learn the room and knew what phrases would get by means of.

Lofton: We purchased into precisely what Marv Levy was promoting as a result of he was telling us precisely what we wanted to do and possibly what we wanted to listen to.

Jim Ritcher, Payments Wall of Fame guard 1980-93: His tales had been so inspiring.  He would all the time depart you with one thing memorable, issues like: “The place else would you relatively be than proper right here, proper now?” And “When it’s too robust for them, it’s excellent for us.”

Ostroski: My favourite Marvism is “Techniques don’t win. Gamers do!”

Bennett: “When it’s too robust for them, it’s excellent for us.” That one, to me, greater than every other stands out. Once we had been residence and it was chilly, and the sector was icy, that summed up our workforce. We gained some loopy video games there.

Metzelaars: “Another river to cross.”

Tasker: “It’s easy, but it surely’s not simple.” It’s easy to say or to grasp, but it surely’s not simple to do. I believe that’s what life is. Life is about simply making your manner, but it surely’s not simple.

Mueller: He would draw up a play on the board, say, 16 Slant. He would go, “Offensive line, you do X-Y-Z. Jamie, you block right here. Thurman, you run for a landing.” Easy whenever you draw it up, however troublesome to get carried out. The eye to particulars, that resonates in life.

Tasker: Marv had that subtle vocabulary that might throw you for a loop.

Thomas: Each time he used a giant phrase, he would say, “Look it up, Thurm.”

Talley: After which Thurman would say, “Are you able to spell it for me?”

Reed: Earlier than each assembly, we’d guess and perhaps even place a wager on what kind of story he was going to inform. “Is it going to be a warfare story?”

Metzelaars: He cherished World Battle II historical past. He as soon as recited this outdated British navy tune:

“Hitler has solely acquired one ball,
“Göring has two however very small,
“Himmler is relatively sim’lar,
“However poor outdated Goebbels has no balls in any respect.”

Why do I do not forget that? You bear in mind it as a result of he made some extent with it. He was speaking about Nazi Germany and why all of Europe isn’t beneath their management proper now: “As a result of they couldn’t win on the highway,” he stated. We had misplaced 20-some highway video games in a row, and that story caught. We lastly went out and gained one.

Lodish: He would use all this historical past to show classes, get us to giggle and be cohesive with one another in our workforce conferences.

Hansen: At halftime of the Comeback Sport, he instructed us all of the issues we wanted to do and stated, “Now, let’s go on the market and have a garrison end!” Everyone screamed, “Yeah!” and ran out onto the sector. I assumed, “Garrison end? What the hell is that?” I needed to look it up after the sport.

Have you learnt what a Garrison end is? Effectively, in true Marv fashion, I might let you know, however I gained’t. Go look it up.

Nevertheless, no Marvism is extra recognizable than “The place else would you relatively be than proper right here, proper now?” Simply earlier than the opening kickoff at each Payments residence sport, the “Legend of the Sport” alum will Lead the Cost of gamers from the tunnel and exalt the gang with Levy’s pregame query.

Lofton: Marv Levy was about having fun with the second. “The place else would you relatively be than proper right here, proper now?” What are you able to do on this second for victory?

McDermott: I had it put in my workplace as a result of there’s so much that’s baked into that: “The place else would you relatively be?” I hope he’s OK with one other coach utilizing that as a result of I’m utilizing it with essentially the most admiration and appreciation and gratitude. It’s develop into a giant piece of Buffalo. There’s gratitude there. Once I stroll into my workplace day by day or gamers are available or we have now free brokers in for a go to, I would like that to be the message, that this can be a particular place.

Ritcher, Legend of the Sport for Week 7 final season: Buffalo, being the small market it’s and enduring the climate,  you’re saying none of that issues. What’s essential is being in that second.

Reed: I’m coming again to Lead the Cost towards the Ravens for the season opener, and it’s a part of the tradition now to say it. The followers go nuts after they hear that as a result of it means so much to this group and this metropolis.

McDermott: One hundred percent. It’s superior. How about Ryan Fitzpatrick, pulling his shirt off to say it? When folks ask me what it’s like to educate or play in Buffalo, I inform them to Google “Ryan Fitzpatrick, playoff sport, proper right here, proper now.” You discuss an all-time sports activities second? The gang noticed him pull his shirt off they usually acquired louder. Then he began to say “The place else would you relatively be …” and it acquired louder. And after they screamed “Proper now,” it went to a degree I don’t assume I’ve ever heard. It doesn’t get significantly better than that.

THE LEGEND OF FITZMAGIC!!#GoBills | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/iSVWPJRajT

— Buffalo Payments (@BuffaloBills) January 20, 2025

Ritcher: It was enjoyable to say these phrases. They had been so significant when Marv would say them, and to listen to the followers scream them together with you was particular.

McDermott: Typically, I’ll stroll right into a workforce assembly and simply say it — nearly instinctively. It’ll come out of my mouth with out pondering.

Levy is the oldest dwelling Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer, however he has one other 309 days to catch Chicago Cardinals halfback/quarterback/defensive again Charley Trippi and 538 days to catch Brooklyn Dodgers quarterback/tailback Ace Parker for the oldest ever. Nevertheless, neither attended the Corridor of Fame as centenarians.

Alexopoulos: We don’t actually have a comparability right here. What do you do with a 100-year-old on the Corridor of Fame? We’re the primary.

Metzelaars: I misplaced my mother and my father-in-law this previous yr, each on the age of 91. For Marv to be nonetheless rolling at 100 is unimaginable.

Tasker: It’s a present. You may inform he’s outdated, however he’s nonetheless Marv! He’s nonetheless capable of maintain conversations. Having the ability to share this with him and all these guys that he’s meant a lot to is fairly cool.

Lodish: The person has uncanny cerebral capabilities.

Bennett: His humorousness remains to be super, and his wit is wonderful. As I’m speaking proper now, I’m smiling, simply fascinated about it.

Alexopoulos: He nonetheless has power. He can stroll a straight path for longer than the common 60-year-old. He has his walker, and he handles flat Chicago nicely. He goes buying.

Lodish: A pair years in the past, I went again to a sport. Marv and Fran simply so occurred to be sitting in a field simply above us. I requested my household, “Do you need to meet Marv Levy?” We walked into the field and stated, “Coach Levy, it’s Mike Lodish. I simply needed to say hiya.” He goes, “Mike Lodish? We drafted you within the Tenth spherical in 1990 out of UCLA. How are you?” What I would like everyone to know is that Marv Levy — at in all probability 97 years outdated then — remembered some nostril guard he drafted 30 years earlier. I used to be blown away.

Bennett: Most guys that performed in our period don’t have this. Their coaches have handed. However we nonetheless have our normal.

Thirty-eight years after an “outdated man” turned Buffalo’s head coach, he continues to make an indelible mark on his gamers and the group he guided to 4 straight Tremendous Bowls.

Thomas: Marv is my father determine and my coach multi functional. That gained’t ever change. He taught me so much about life. He all the time asks, “How are Patty and the youngsters?” It’s not nearly soccer.

Bennett: Once I made the choice to signal with the Falcons in 1996, Coach Levy known as me that very same morning. We had a protracted dialog. I instructed him, “If I didn’t have a father, and I might select somebody to be my father, I might select him” as a result of he was every part.

Ritcher: I’m glad that he determined to be a soccer coach and never a lawyer, as his father had needed. When instructed of Marv’s need/determination to be a soccer coach, his dad’s response was “Be a superb one.” I’ve handed down lots of the classes he taught to my sons and grandchildren. I’m privileged to have performed for and to know Coach Levy.

Hansen: I didn’t know any completely different till Marv retired. The older I get, the respect and admiration simply grows. I didn’t understand how good I had it till it was over.

Reed: We had been lucky to be in his presence. No matter us going to 4 Tremendous Bowls and didn’t win, I wouldn’t relatively do it with anybody else than Marv.

Talley: The best factor he taught us as a coach was the best way to take one thing from a defeat and put it apart to make use of for the following time that state of affairs got here up or whenever you performed that workforce once more. Simply put it in a field and wait. That goes for all times.

Mueller: Marv is a category act, all the time has been. He stays above the fray, all the time.

Kerner: He means every part to me as a former participant. He believed in me and gave me a possibility to reside out my dream. I discovered the best way to be an expert in every part due to him and the employees that was assembled. These classes carried over to how I strategy every part. I’m not who I’m right this moment with out the instance of Coach Levy.

Lofton: Once I acquired an opportunity to educate, I used to be very reflective of the message to place on the market and the usual you need these guys to fulfill. Everyone desires to construct an excellent program, but it surely’s a every day mission. Marv Levy was so good at that.

Bennett: He was every part I used to be alleged to get out of soccer as a head coach and a pacesetter. He acquired the very best out of me. I by no means needed to disappoint him, and I hope the way in which I performed exemplified that.

Thomas: I’m blessed to have him nonetheless in my life. I can’t wait to offer him a giant hug and inform him I really like him.

(High picture: Rick Stewart /Allsport)