BaumerJet Posted September 24, 2007 Share Posted September 24, 2007 Jets coordinator Westhoff relentlessly tackles obstacles Sunday, September 23, 2007 BY M.A. MEHTA Star-Ledger Staff HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- He spent the afternoon holed up in the upper reaches of Giants Stadium, crutches by his side. He relayed his thoughts through a headset, unable to stalk the sidelines like he had done every fall Sunday for 25 years. He felt trapped. Mike Westhoff beat bone cancer long ago, attacking it like a gunner on a punt coverage team, but this was pure agony for the Jets special teams coordinator. He was stuck in a tiny booth, a precautionary move to ease his recovery from a delicate 5 1/2-hour operation in February that repaired a fractured left leg that has betrayed him time and again since an egg-sized malignant tumor was first discovered on his femur 20 years ago. Westhoff has undergone eight surgeries because of the cancer. His leg is held together with titanium metal plates, screws and a cadaver bone. In the most recent procedure, doctors patched up the splintered limb again. He took uncharacteristic breaks during training camps, stealing moments of rest to safeguard against further damage on the lower part of his leg. After the Jets' season-opening loss to the Patriots -- that included an NFL-record 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by New England -- Westhoff had enough of his penthouse view, left leg be damned. The fiery 59-year-old returned to the sidelines last week at Baltimore and will be there again when the Jets face the Dolphins today at Giants Stadium. "I don't like it up there to be honest," Westhoff said after a recent practice at Hofstra. "You can see great. But it's just not me." The perils of patrolling the sidelines on crutches has prompted some concern from friends and family. "It makes me nervous," said former Jets assistant special teams coach Sam Gash, who holds the same position with the Detroit Lions now. "Being on the field, you know how violent the game can be. If the action gets close, I worry. But he doesn't think about it in that way. He couldn't care less." Westhoff, who spent 15 years as a special teams guru with the Dolphins before joining the Jets in 2001, doesn't really like to expound on his health issues, preferring to talk shop about his players or schemes or philosophies. "People all over the world deal with these things daily," he said. "I'm no more heroic, I'm no more special than anyone else." PAIN AND PERSEVERANCE John Westhoff was 6 years old when he learned of the poison that had ravaged his father's body. He was too young to understand the pain and fear that could have crippled the man he always admired. He was too young to comprehend the months of chemotherapy, why dad's hair was falling out and why -- for a while -- he didn't look like dad at all. Mike Westhoff, who is divorced, tackled the obstacles in the same discreet and dignified manner he does today. When he scratched his eyebrow only to see it land in his hand during a coaches meeting in Miami all those years ago, Westhoff quickly left the room and vomited near a tree. He cleaned up the mess to ensure nobody would ask questions about his health. "He's not looking for attention," his son said. "He doesn't want to be known for that, and he doesn't want to be felt sorry for for that. He'd rather you talk about a kickoff return for a touchdown from his team. He's definitely not afraid to share it, but as much as you'd think it would be a part of his everyday life, it's really not." He has had plenty of setbacks, plates in his leg have been broken and re-broken, but he refused to abandon coaching. The game was an outlet, a chance to focus on something other than the cancer. So Westhoff never stopped being himself, barking at players in practice, spreading his energy to his special teams units, providing some tough love when he needed to. He'd toss his metal cane every now and then when the execution wasn't just right or the guys didn't seem to get it. Even though the cancer had taken nearly eight inches of his femur -- which necessitated the transplanted bones from the cadaver -- Westhoff was as animated as ever. "It takes its toll, but he doesn't see it as having a choice," John Westhoff said of his father's setbacks through the years. "You have to do what you have to do. So you face it and get it done." SPIRITED AND SUCCESSFUL Gash could see the worried look on everyone's faces in the special teams meetings whenever Westhoff rolled into town. Gash, a fullback and special teamer with the Patriots from 1992-97, was well aware of Westhoff's tactics long before he joined the Jets staff. With Westhoff leading the way, the Dolphins enjoyed eight seasons without allowing a kickoff return for a touchdown. "He was legendary," Gash said. "We were always extra nervous the week we played Miami." The Jets special teams have flourished under Westhoff. The kickoff coverage and return units were ranked No. 1 in 2001-02. Westhoff coached a punt coverage unit that didn't allow a return for more than 18 yards last season. Kick returner Justin Miller -- out for the season with a knee injury suffered last week -- averaged 28.3 yards per return en route to a Pro Bowl appearance last season. "He's been an innovator in the league for many, many years," Jets head coach Eric Mangini said. "Often you hear about the West Coast offense or the 4-6 (defense). You never really hear about the innovative ideas that guys bring to the table on special teams." Westhoff -- voted the NFL Special Teams Coach of the Year in 2000 by his peers -- has been an integral part of the evolution of special teams play over the past two decades. Despite his health problems, he has remained an animated fixture on game days, scanning all corners of the field. "I'd be concentrating and focused on one part (of the play), and he'd see something way off on the other side of the field," Gash remembered. "And he'd just start going crazy." His spirited nature has endeared himself to rookies and veterans alike, a firecracker that can also make his players laugh when the time's right. "He's the type of guy who you want to play well for," special teamer Wallace Wright said. "I go out there and bust my tail for him." THE PRICE HE PAID The cancer stripped him of his ultimate dream. Westhoff's path to becoming an offensive coordinator or head coach in the league took a cruel detour when the sickness crept into his life. His recurring health problems likely prevented him from assuming a larger role on the sidelines though the years. "It's a travesty that he hasn't (had the opportunity)," Gash said. "Hopefully, he will get a shot to be a head coach. He knows what pieces to put in place to make a team successful. I think he's great head coaching material still to this day." Westhoff speaks without a trace of bitterness. Sure, he would have loved to land the Dolphins job a couple years ago before they chose Nick Saban. Sure, he would have loved to have taken over for Herman Edwards, too. But it wasn't meant to be. He understands that. "Twenty years ago, I was a cancer patient," said Westhoff, who was interviewed for the Jets vacancy before Mangini was hired. "The only thing it did to me was that it kept me from maybe expanding what I wanted to do and moving into a different part of coaching." So he continues to hone the Jets special teams, teaching with a passion that never wilted. Despite the obvious physical hardships, John Westhoff doesn't worry about his father too much anymore. "He came over to my apartment the other night and showed up on crutches," the son said, laughing at the memory. "I completely forgot that he was on them." Staff writer Dave Hutchinson contributed to this story. M.A. Mehta may be reached at mmehta@starledger.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetCane Posted September 24, 2007 Share Posted September 24, 2007 Great article, thanks for posting it. I really admire Westhoff, for not only overcoming the obstacles he has faced, but also for excelling at what he does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joiseyjet Posted September 24, 2007 Share Posted September 24, 2007 Definetly one ofthe nice guys in this league & i`m glad he`s feeling well enough to get back on the field level. Jets fans are proud to be almost always as the top of our special teams & thats all do to Mike W. hard work and we do appreciate.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetCane Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 Special teams bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irish Jet Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 The Best ST co-ordinator in the game today. Really missed him when he wasnt on the sideline and it showed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauliec Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 Awesome article. I couldn't be more proud that he's on our staff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThunderbirdJet Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 I have really taken a step back from being active on mesage boards... Jets boards, FF boards.... and the lack of responses in this thread is indicative of the reasons why. Westhoff is an admirable man, a warrior, and a great story. So.... No trolls are about to come in and say he sucks, or that another poster is an idiot, there isn't anything to attack here. Just a great article about a man who's real life greatness will never be given the recognition and attention it deserves. Why do the beat reporters write BS trash, why do the talk show hosts ignore such great stories, about great football men? That isn't what people want. People want insults, stupidity, controversy. National Enquirer stuff. NY Post "editorial" articles.... brainless, worthless drivel. People prefer reading (and writing) about how Pennington sucks, how Belichick cheated, and calling the Jets HC Mangina. Real intellectual stuff, ya know. Geeze, I'd a'thought I'd be in a better mood after a win, but this was the only thread I thought was worth a post, and even I pissed on it. I need a beer, me thinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Jet Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 Jets coordinator Westhoff relentlessly tackles obstacles Sunday, September 23, 2007 BY M.A. MEHTA Star-Ledger Staff HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- He spent the afternoon holed up in the upper reaches of Giants Stadium, crutches by his side. He relayed his thoughts through a headset, unable to stalk the sidelines like he had done every fall Sunday for 25 years. He felt trapped. Mike Westhoff beat bone cancer long ago, attacking it like a gunner on a punt coverage team, but this was pure agony for the Jets special teams coordinator. He was stuck in a tiny booth, a precautionary move to ease his recovery from a delicate 5 1/2-hour operation in February that repaired a fractured left leg that has betrayed him time and again since an egg-sized malignant tumor was first discovered on his femur 20 years ago. Westhoff has undergone eight surgeries because of the cancer. His leg is held together with titanium metal plates, screws and a cadaver bone. In the most recent procedure, doctors patched up the splintered limb again. He took uncharacteristic breaks during training camps, stealing moments of rest to safeguard against further damage on the lower part of his leg. After the Jets' season-opening loss to the Patriots -- that included an NFL-record 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by New England -- Westhoff had enough of his penthouse view, left leg be damned. The fiery 59-year-old returned to the sidelines last week at Baltimore and will be there again when the Jets face the Dolphins today at Giants Stadium. "I don't like it up there to be honest," Westhoff said after a recent practice at Hofstra. "You can see great. But it's just not me." The perils of patrolling the sidelines on crutches has prompted some concern from friends and family. "It makes me nervous," said former Jets assistant special teams coach Sam Gash, who holds the same position with the Detroit Lions now. "Being on the field, you know how violent the game can be. If the action gets close, I worry. But he doesn't think about it in that way. He couldn't care less." Westhoff, who spent 15 years as a special teams guru with the Dolphins before joining the Jets in 2001, doesn't really like to expound on his health issues, preferring to talk shop Staff writer Dave Hutchinson contributed to this story. M.A. Mehta may be reached at mmehta@starledger.com Great article. Thanks for posting it Baumer. We are lucky indeed that's he's one of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetophile Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 I love Westhoff, always did. As to some crummy ST play the first 2 games, it doesn't concern me in the least. Totally correctable. Imagine being able to beat your employees with a cane and get paid for it. What a country! I wish him well and the best of health. I can't help but cheer support for things like this. It's a very poignant story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faba Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 To go through what he has in his life and continues to deal with-I have the upmost respect for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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