Southern Academy’s head football coach Shaun Bonds was inducted into the Smith Station High School hall of fame on Friday night.

Bonds spent many years coaching at Smith Station High School and was honored to be part of the induction ceremony.

“I worked there for 15 years and I was part of some success there as an assistant and a head coach,” Bonds said.

“I was honored because I worked hard there with all the long hours.

Plus, I had two of my favorite players there inducted into the hall of fame the same night as me.

It was really more special because of the players being honored.

I look at coaching as my job.

This is just what I do.”

Bonds began his coaching career back in 1976 at Wacoochee Junior High and says his dad was his biggest role model in his life.

“My number one role model is my dad, because he represents all the things that are right in a person as far as being a Christian and being a family man and working,” Bonds said.

“I have never known a person to work any harder than him.

And I’ve never known anyone to be that big of a Christian man.

He’s the best person I know.”

So what’s the key to Bonds being successful as a coach?

“Besides longevity, I just think I try to be a perfectionist and try to be a stickler for detail,” Bonds said.

“You can’t short change yourself.

Sometimes we aren’t prepared, but when we prepare, we prepare for everything.

I try to be a fundamentalist and I work hard with my kids.

I try to keep them working hard and I think my work ethic is good.

I try to be a student of the game and just hope and pray that I do the right things.”