A tradition that doesn’t graduate

McIntire shares work ethic with Lion football program 

by Scott Watson

Frustrated, Brian McIntire reached up, ripped off his chinstrap snaps, pulled off his helmet and threw it to the practice field with a yell that matched his display of irritation. McIntire claims he’s never taken losing well. An athlete with a competitive nature, he admits he’s always expected a lot of himself.  So when he got beat in a drill that day in football practice, Brian did as he’d done before and started running laps.

This was back in the year 2000. Clear Lake football had the most successful season the town had ever seen. But more came of it than a perfect record and state championship. Like players before and since, McIntire full-heartedly believed in the Lions football program. And after that season, so did the entire town. 

A two-way starter on that championship team, McIntire learned early what it took to be a champion. As a sophomore, he played with the 1998 Lions squad, which is where, he says, the winning tradition of Clear Lake football really took off. The seniors on that team pushed and believed in underclassmen and upper alike. They were a talented team. But it was their discipline that stuck in McIntire’s mind. 

He’s made a career of determination paired with natural athleticism. After high school, he played football at Wartburg College, earning such honors as three-time First Team All-Conference, two time All-District and even a First Team All-American as the team’s safety. 

His work ethic was paying off. He played arena football in Sioux Falls for six years, at which time his team won four championships and placed second another time. McIntire was then traded to Cedar Rapids.  After a year of playing, an ACL/MCL tear told him it was time to retire. 

Eight years ago, McIntire returned to the Clear Lake football program. Nearly 15 years deep in next-level football experience, the attention to detail he worked so hard to develop as a player is now utilized in a different way. McIntire is an assistant coach, working with the Lions’ secondary and, similar to his playing days, running drills until they’re perfect.

Two years ago, McIntire refocused his competitive drive into boxing. He’s already won three Golden Gloves – a testament to a work ethic that doesn’t stop. A drive that’s part inherent and part taught. It doesn’t matter whether he’s a football player, boxer or coach, McIntire gives his all and expects those around him to do the same.

It’s his commitment that’s taken him far in athletics and it’s that kind of commitment that built the Clear Lake football program into what it is today. Next fall McIntire will again return to the same program he worked to build nearly 15 years ago. But now, he steps onto the practice field as a coach. Still, the air will feel the same. The energy around the team will be as high on the field as it is off the field, with a community standing behind them.

In Clear Lake, good football has become more than a coincidence. It’s an institution built by great coaching and upperclassmen that teach underclassmen a tradition that doesn’t quit. It’s a tradition where work ethic builds champions.  

Scott Watson is a copywriter in Kansas City and a Clear Lake native.