Social Works

It's been some busy days here working on projects related to the Northwestern State Christmas Gala -- more on the story-telling aspect of our strategy later in the month. Sorry for less posts, but one tonight to remind you that social works.

Yaser Elqutub was named the Allstate Good Works team captain tonight. He won because the Northwestern State fan base organized, stayed motivated and drove this deserving young man across the finish line.

Not many non-BCS players on the Allstate team. Northwestern State isn't a large institution. It is an intensely social one; however, and one that will rally around its own. For decades, this is a school that takes pride in its family.

Ready made to take on the "big schools" in a social media throwdown. Our Facebook following is a modest 7,500, but Yaser's classmates got behind the push. His teachers and administrators joined in. And his win was built the old fashioned way.

Friends asking friends to help for a good cause.

It worked for us at Arkansas, taking Ryan Mallett from 15th to runner-up in the Davey O'Brien on-line in 2009. I contend he would have won if the campaign hadn't been internally slowed for a day and a half -- with the closing speed we made on the supposedly insurmountable winner, I don't have a doubt.

Here, the dedication of a handful of administrators, teachers and friends of Yaser took that same formula and never slowed down.

Slow and steady wins the social race. Yaser got national facetime for our FCS team tonight as a result.

The lesson: whether you are the flagship institution with all the advantages or the regional university with a determination to succeed, social works, but only if you plan your work and work your plan.

Congrats to the NSU Social Media Committee who took lead and assisted the Louisiana Scholars' College folks to bring the honor home.