Everyone prepares for a game differently.

Some like to reflect, some prefer to rest, and others like to listen to music and get pumped up for the game.

“Coach Gibson and Coach Villarreal make us motivational videos on game day,” junior Chris Prudhomme said.

Last week was the first round of playoffs for football. Coaches usually help the team prepare for games with a pre-game motivational video, however, last week’s was a little unusual.

“Basically Coach Villarreal has connections from when he played on the Saints in the NFL,” Prudhomme said. “He got a bunch of different NFL players to send us little clips with them wearing Lovejoy stuff like sweatshirts saying that we need to play out butts off because high school [football games] are memories made. So [Drew Brees] said just like good luck and to play our hearts out.”

For assistant coach Brandon Villarreal it was the chance to do something special.

“This past week I was trying to think of something that would get them fired up for the first week of playoffs,” Villarreal said. “I started thinking what would be better than hearing from guys who have been in the position in the playoffs before that are maybe still playing, guys playing in the NFL.”

For many this would not be an easy task, however Coach V found a way to do it.

“I had some connections from guys I played in college with and some guys I played in the NFL with, so I called them up,” Villarreal said.  “They were able to get me some videos of them just talking about what high school football playoffs meant to them and the memories that it took and the memories it’s given to them at this point that they can remember.”

Even though the video was seen for the first time by the team Saturday morning, it wasn’t long before word spread about the appearance or star quarterback Drew Brees.

“I knew Drew Brees from when I played on the New Orlean Saints in the NFL as a rookie,” Villarreal said. “And he and I weren’t the best of friends or anything but we went to team functions and hung out. I didn’t have his number until this past January when I went to the Oklahoma State Purdue game and he was there.  We talked and we exchanged numbers and we have been in touch for the past 8 months or so. So, last week I just sent him a text saying what I was doing and if he would just send us a motivational video encouraging the boys to play well this weekend. Without hesitation he said that he would and I told him what our team name was. [The video] just said that these are the memories that will forever last in your mind and to go out there and just seize the opportunity.”

It was a video that went over well with the players.

“I was just really shocked and it was a really cool experience having [Drew Brees] tell us something like personal like that,” junior Hunter Pfaff said.