There have been many football players from T.R. Miller that have gone on to become head football coaches or coaches. But one certain school boasts the rare opportunity to have three former T.R. Miller players all on the same staff—one more than T.R. Miller’s current coaching staff with head coach Jamie Riggs and assistant Juan Johnson serving as the only full-time football coaches at T.R. Miller that played football at the school.
Enterprise High School—90 miles east of Brewton—boasts of the opportunity to have former T.R. Miller football players and graduates David Faulkner, Kevin Madden and Brandon Wilcox on their football staff.
Faulkner is a 1989 graduate of T.R. Miller and played quarterback while Madden graduated in 1993 and played wide receiver and defensive back. Wilcox graduated in 2002 and played tight end, defensive end, guard, tackle, and defensive tackle while at T.R. Miller.
Faulkner is the head coach at Enterprise and has been coaching for 17 years.
“Just the affect my coaches had on me at T.R. Miller, I am wanting to have the same affect on people with my life,” Faulkner said.
After T.R. Miller, Faulkner went to Troy and graduated in 1996.
He has served as a coach at Clarke County, Alma Bryant, Prattville, Hoover, Foley, Fairhope, and now at Enterprise. This will be his second year at Enterprise and also coaches quarterbacks.
“In our program we apply the daily values of hard work, sacrifice, and team work,” Faulkner said. “Those are the same values that I learned as a player at T.R. Miller. It is refreshing to come in everyday and work with guys who have the same values and beliefs as I do about creating a successful football program. My fondest memories of playing football at T.R. Miller are not encompassed in a single moment but the relationships that were built for life. It’s always been a great source of pride for me that when people ask me where I’m from that I can tell them I am a T.R. Miller Tiger from Brewton.”
Madden is new to the Enterprise staff, but has been coaching for 16 years.
While he is about to start his first year at Enterprise, he has coached at Mary G. Montgomery in Mobile, Hoover, Foley and Fairhope. At Enterprise he will be the wide receiver coach.
Although Madden’s playing time as a T.R. Miller football player was cut short, he still took a lot in from those who taught him in Brewton.
Madden played through his sophomore year at T.R. Miller, but was not cleared to play football after 10th grade due to a heart condition that resulted in open heart surgery. “Coach Riggs then gave me the opportunity to continue being apart of the program by helping the coaching staff chart offensive and defensive plays on Friday nights,” Madden said. “Many of the coaches and teachers at T.R. Miller had a major impact on my life. This led me to wanting to have the same positive influence on students today. Coaching allows me to give back the life lessons that can help produce successful and productive citizens.”
After T.R. Miller, Madden played four years of college baseball starting at JDCC for one year, LBW for another, the University of Mobile for two years where he graduated with a degree in social science and a minor in history. From there, he went to South Alabama and got his master’s degree in special education.
“Everyday I try to instill in my players the same values that I was taught during my tenure at T.R. Miller,” Madden said. “These are having a hard work ethic, what it means to be a teammate, pride in everything that you do, good character, and the mindset of what it takes to be a champion.”
Madden said it is great to work with his two other T.R. Miller colleagues in Faulkner and Wilcox.
“We all come from the same background,” he said. “We all have seen what it takes to run a successful program and it’s a relief to know that you’re working for and with coaches that were raised on the same principles that I was.”
While his playing career was cut short at T.R. Miller, there are many great memories he has from his days with the football team.
“It’s hard because there have been so many great memories through the years,” Madden said. “From state championship games, Battles of Murder Creek, being a part of the overall atmosphere of community support and pride in the program. But no memory is better than putting on that Tiger uniform and representing T.R. Miller. Twenty years later, T.R. Miller is still the standard to which I try to live up to in my coaching and everyday life. You can take the player out of T.R. Miller, but you can never take T.R. Miller out of the player. Once a Tiger, always a Tiger.”
Wilcox has been coaching football for six year. He has coached as a student assistant at the University of North Alabama, Verbena High School, Carroll High School, Dale County High School, and now at Enterprise High School. This will be his second year at Enterprise. Last year he coached the linebackers and this year he will be the defensive line coach.
Wilcox went to college at the University of North Alabama and graduated in 2009.
“As a student athlete I got to see the unique relationships and opportunities that coaches were afforded and it was something I always wanted to do,” Wilcox said. “The things I learned at Miller I use on a daily basis as a coach and as a person. From how I interact with my student-athletes to how I conduct myself off the field with my community and my family. Miller taught me how to be a champion not only on the field but also in life in general. If you work hard, treat people with respect, and have some character about you then you can be successful at whatever it is you are wanting to accomplish.”
Wilcox agreed with Madden on the fact that it is good to work with people with the same background.
“It gives me a great sense of pride to see guys from the same background as myself all working together for one common goal,” he said. “You know that, that person has a similar foundation and perspective as you do because they have had some of the same experiences that you did as a T.R. Miller graduate and ball player. You want to be successful anyways, but it makes it that much better when you do it with a fellow Brewton guy by your side.”
Wilcox said his greatest memory as a T.R. Miller came during the 2000 football season—a season the Tigers won the state championship in class 4A over Fayette County.
“We were told all summer how bad we were going to be but we didn’t listen to the chatter and just kept working,” he said. “We bled, sweat, and believed in each other and our coaches and it paid off huge dividends by the end of the year with our hands holding up the championship trophy. I also enjoyed having the opportunity to go to the elementary school and reading to the children. To see their faces and see how we energized them was something I will never forget. It makes you realize how much of an impact you can have on someone just because you have a T.R. Miller jersey on your back. You are not just another person living in Brewton, you have a greater responsibility to uphold.”
Wilcox said being a T.R. Miller graduate and former football player is a huge part of who he is today.
“As busy as I may be breaking down film, constructing blocking schemes, game planning for our next opponent, or whatever else, I always find time to scan the paper or search the internet to see how my Tigers had done on that Friday night,” he said. “I know the guys around here probably get tired of hearing coach Faulkner, coach Madden, and myself relive our Brewton days, but when you are around family you really can’t help it. That is one of the things I have always cherished when it comes to Brewton, we are all just a big family and we treat each other with respect and love. Having lived in a lot of different places, I think that is what separates Brewton from the rest and makes it so special.”
Enterprise played Spain Park in their spring game winning 19-3.