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ALBANY CONQUEST RICK BUFFINGTON by Jenn Eastman

Jennifer Eastmann sat down with Coach Buff as he shared some per- sonal stories of his many years in and around the world of football.

Q: What is the greatest achieve- ment of your football career? A: I think my greatest achieve- ment was in 1998 when I was coach- ing the Florida Bobcats. There was a 7-year-old boy, Lamar Mackey, who was dying of cancer and his wish was to meet a Bobcat player. I heard “COACH BUFF” about this and I grabbed a couple Rick Buffington, better known as players and we went to visit him in "Coach Buff", was named Head the hospital. We all kneeled around Coach of the Albany Conquest on his bed and said the lord's prayer May 10. He made his return to the and for that moment we really made Pepsi Arena May 22nd guiding the him feel like he was a part of the Conquest to victory over the Macon team and apart of the process involved in being with the team. Knights. The win was their third straight victory, and second under Buffington. He has been a part of the Q: What was it like to work arena football family for 17 years, alongside coaches such as coaching for various teams all over , Chuck Fairbanks the nation including the Albany and ? Firebirds from 1990-1993, and he led We were very close when we them to the playoffs three of four A: worked for the seasons. He was a part-time scout for the New York Jets in 1976. He joined and we would still have to do bed the New England Patriot coaching checks. Bill was very superstitious staff from 1978-1981 as Defensive and he never wanted to do it, so he Backs Coach where he worked with used to pay me $30 to do his. It was Bill Parcells, who at the time was an really great to work with all of those aspiring young assistant as a guys. I was just out of my league to Linebackers Coach. be in meetings with them.

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on the field for the best offensive line Q: What is the best coaching tip and the best defensive line. you’ve learned from woking with numerous legendary coaches? Q: Where does your interest in football stem from? A: The best tip I ever got was getting involved with the scouting A: When I was 14 years old, my department. Learning to get involved friends all wanted to go play golf and with the scouting process really made I didn't have the money to play, but I a difference in coaching for me. It didn't want to tell them that. My girl- taught me to be a better coach. friend's brother, who played on the football team, told me that tryouts were starting the next day. I needed How has your extensive Q: an excuse to skip the round of golf scouting experience improved your coaching abilities? with my friends so I decided to go to the tryouts. It ended up changing my A: As a result of the substitution life. The irony of it is that now, doc- rules in arena football, scouting has tors, lawyers and CEO's are always made it easier to put the right players inviting me to play golf for free.

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Q: Who has had the most Q: What is your strategy for importnat influence on success for the Conquest? your life? A: My strategy is just to raise A: Initially, my high school the motivational limit. I want to teach coach, Don Montle. He really believed them that they can be winners first. in me and pushed me because I was small for a football player. Later on, Q: When you aren’t coaching, Babe Parilli had a huge influence on what do you do for fun? me because he was the one who real- Golf, Golf and more Golf. ly believed that I should go some- A: where in this business. Babe Parilli was a legend in this sport. Back in the What impact has your wife, 1960's, he was the quarterback for Q: Susan had on your success? the New England Patriots and the back-up quarterback for Joe Namath A: Susan has had a huge impact in the Superbowl. because she's been there for so much of it. I could never have done all this and have what I have without her.

Q: What do you want to tell the fans of the Albany Conquest?

A: I just hope a lot more people will come out and enjoy the arena football performance with us.

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