This player’s speech after losing the state championship brought his coach to tears

Senior Terrell Jones played his heart out for Eufala in the Alabama State Championship, but in the end his team fell just short — losing by one point. It was a disappointing end to a high school career, but the real story came in the post-game press conference when Jones delivered an inspirational speech like it was something out of a movie.

“It’s been a long time since Eufala’s been in the state championship, and since day one, I remember the first day Coach Smith came in the gym and he told me, he said ‘If you want to be a state champion you’ve got to be different. Everybody can’t be a state champion.’ And I’ll never forget a word that man said to me. Each and every second that wind down I was just thinking, ‘I gotta be different. Gotta separate myself. I gotta separate myself to show that I’m different.’ Because I wanted to be a state champion, and we fell one point short. But I know, all of those young guys in that locker room, they have a bright future — because everything I’ve been through, they’re going through, and they still have to go through. So it’s only gonna make them better. And this man right there, is the best coach I’ve ever had in my life. I wouldn’t trade him for the world.”

The camera moved to Coach Michael Smith, who was overwhelmed by the words of his star player and struggled to hold back his emotions on the podium.

Ask any high school coach and they’ll tell you their job isn’t just coaching sports, it’s about helping kids prepare for life. When one of your guys tells the world how important you are, and what you’ve meant to them — well, it makes all the effort worth it.

Just an incredible moment.