Review of ESPN's "Being P.J. Fleck"
Being P.J. Fleck is a new four-part documentary series showcasing the former Western Michigan head coach as he prepares for his first season at Minnesota. The documentary follows Fleck in his day-to-day life as he looks to turn Minnesota back into the powerhouse it was up until the sixties.
The youngest head coach in college football burst onto the national scene in 2016 as he led Western Michigan to a 13-0 record and a win in the Goodyear Cotton Classic Bowl. Following the season, Fleck received job offers from many of the top programs in college football but chose to stay in the midwest at Minnesota.
The series starts with a visit to Fleck’s hometown where many of his neighbors, teachers, coaches, and teammates are interviewed chronicling how Fleck became the fiery, inspirational coach that he is today. ESPN then visits a more personal side of Fleck as he mentions the loss of his first son and how that started Fleck’s number one phrase, “Row the Boat”.
This hits home with viewers as it shows a more personable side of Fleck that is rarely shown. In the third episode, Fleck and his family spend the last free weeks of his year at their Michigan lake house where they are always on the move. In the finale, Fleck returns to Minnesota where the Gophers being their final preparations for the season.
P.J. Fleck was born on November 29, 1980 in Sugar Grove, Illinois. Fleck would attend Kaneland High School where he led the Knights to back to back undefeated state championship seasons. He set a state record with 95 catches for 1,548 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior. However, he would only receive one offer to play football at Northern Illinois University. Fleck would set over seven records for the Huskies and be named a two-time captain.
Despite his success, Fleck would go undrafted and sign with the San Francisco 49ers following the 2004 NFL Draft. Fleck would spend much of the 2005 season on injured reserve. On June 12, 2006, Fleck would be released by the 49ers and would be offered a job as an assistant wide receivers coach. After a failed physical with his hometown Chicago Bears, Fleck knew it was time to begin a career in coaching.
The Illinois native would coach at Ohio State, Northern Illinois, Rutgers, and with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before becoming the youngest head coach in college football at Western Michigan. Fleck would go 1-11 in his first season before turning the program around and ending 2016 with a perfect 13-0 record. Following the 2016 season, many of the top programs in the country would come calling. Fleck, now 36, would ultimately settle in at Minnesota.
The documentary gives viewers a unique perspective into the life of one of the top coaches in college football. Due to his age and level of success, lots of attention has been brought to Fleck. ESPN does an exceptional job uncovering the truths about how P.J. Fleck rose to the top of the football world in such a short amount of time. By following Fleck and his family, viewers are also able to see that his family is no different than any other. They make the most of time when they are together and support one another as only family could.
Despite the positive reviews of this documentary, it is relatively short. It features four episodes that are roughly twenty two minutes each. This provides the audience with roughly an hour and a half of showtime, which is very short in today’s standards. Other than that, ESPN hit it out of the ballpark this time.
Overall, the documentary has received rave reviews and it certainly receives another one here. The documentary is short but impact. It shows how anyone can make it as long as they believe. It is an action packed hour and a half of high quality television. There is nothing fake about P.J. Fleck and the documentary does a good job of portraying this. From the personal stories to the impactful motivation, P.J. Fleck deservingly earned himself the spotlight in what is a high quality production by ESPN. You can find the four part documentary on demand on any ESPN streaming services.
