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In observance of September 11, Cowboys Not Eggheads revisits Fred Rogers’ enduring advice during times of tragedy: “Look for the helpers.”

Sam Fischer is joined by three remarkable helpers—Bri Siegert, Jillian Watts and Brandi (Muhle) Preston—for a deeply personal conversation about service, sacrifice and the lasting impact one person can have on others.

They remember where they were on September 11, 2001, and explore what it truly means to help: why some people feel called to serve, how helping can change lives and what happens when the helpers themselves need help. The conversation also touches on vulnerability, addiction and recovery, cancer advocacy, motherhood, fitness, mental health and the legacies we hope to leave behind.

This is more than a 9/11 remembrance. It is a reminder that ordinary people can become extraordinary forces for good—and that one act of kindness can create a ripple effect far beyond anything we ever see.

When the world feels darkest, look for the helpers. Better yet, become one.

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Killer Kane — Chapter 12: Respect and Curiosity

Forty years later, Sam Fischer is left with two feelings about Coach Jim “Killer” Kane: respect and curiosity.

In the final chapter of Killer Kane, Sam looks back at the coach who demanded discipline, toughness and loyalty—and at the questions Kane never answered. Why did he rely so heavily on his starting eleven? Where did Sam actually rank? And did Kane ever believe the kid sitting on his bench could have helped his team?

Sam no longer needs Kane to tell him he should have been a star. What he wanted was something simpler: to know that he was useful. That he belonged. That he could have contributed.

Instead, like many of Kane’s players, he was left to piece together the coach’s opinion from fragments, rumors, rare moments of approval and, eventually, one unforgettable assessment: “The kid couldn’t play, but he had a set of balls on him.”

Sam can now respect Kane without making him a saint, question him without making him a villain, and acknowledge Kane’s influence without giving the coach ownership of the man Sam became.

And maybe someday, Sam will finally get to ask him: “Coach, where did you rank me?”

Until then, he has the ending that actually happened.

Kane finally called his name. Sam entered the game and made a play.

He earned the Trident.

Chapter 12 concludes Killer Kane, the 12-part Cowboys Not Eggheads audio memoir about Sam’s 1985 senior football season at Mount Michael and the coach whose influence stayed with him for the next 40 years.

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Chapter 11: The Trident

What does it mean to finish something difficult when nobody hands you a trophy for it?

In Chapter 11 of Killer Kane, Sam Fischer connects his eleven years of CrossFit training with the lessons that survived three football seasons under Coach Jim “Killer” Kane at Mount Michael.

The connection isn’t about hearing Kane’s voice in the gym or pretending high school football was something greater than it was. It’s about a standard: choose difficult things, endure discomfort, and don’t quit simply because quitting has become easier.

That idea leads to something Sam calls The Trident — his personal symbol for completing three seasons in Kane’s football program. He wasn’t a star. He didn’t get the playing time or affirmation he wanted. But he stayed.

He endured.

He finished.

And that accomplishment belonged to him regardless of where Kane placed him on the depth chart.

Forty years later, that may be one of the most important things Kane ever taught him.

The Trident is mine. No one can ever take it away.

Killer Kane is a special 12-part Cowboys Not Eggheads audio memoir about Sam Fischer’s 1985 senior football season at Mount Michael and the coach whose influence remained with him for the next four decades.

Support the show

Thanks for listening! SUBSCRIBE, Review, Rate, and Share. Contact us: cowboysnoteggheads@gmail.com Let us know if you want a hat ($20), tee shirt ($30), coffee cup ($25), or window decal for your truck. ($30)