First, they were Roughers. Then they were Rougher coaches. And now they’re Rougher fathers. The McNac name has been a part of Muskogee football for over 30 years and is still going strong today. Meet the McNac brothers. Anthony (1995-1999), Arther Jr. (1996-2000) and Prentice (2001-2004). All three played for Muskogee, left for awhile and came back to coach, and now two of the three have kids that are Roughers. There was never a dull moment in the McNac household according to Anthony. “Growing up with these two, you had to keep your head on swivel,” the Rougher varsity line coach laughed. “Prentice is the sneakiest and I think he put me and Arther in the hospital more than anyone else”. But the youngest brother disagreed. “I think I’ve got the most staples and stitches of the group. From getting hit in the head with a brick, slipped and fell while wrestling around and had to get staples in the back of my head to a brother (Arther) who wanted me to shake hands while he was carrying something sharp and now I’ve got a big scar on my thumb.” You could literally spend hours listening to them recall funny stories from their upbringing. But the talk turned more serious as they talked about their sons that are now Roughers- sophomore Anthony Jr. and junior Arther III. “One of the first things that Arther and I had to figure out as dads was that our sons are not us,” said Anthony. “They have different personalities and different perspectives on things. When junior made varsity, he was assigned number 27 which was the number I wore. But after a year he decided he didn’t want to play in my shadow and changed to number 6. Just watching him practice and play and seeing him in the early college program plus working a job makes me proud of him.” For Arther, a coach on the eighth-grade team, it’s the fulfillment of a dream. “I hurt for my daughter Zomarriee who went to state so many times in track only to come back disappointed, but now hearing my son’s name called and seeing his poster and seeing him walking around with a championship ring is really heartwarming.” So how does the next generation feel about representing the McNac name? “Being a McNac means I have a high standard to live up to,” said Arther III. “I hear lots of dinner table talk about which of the three was the best, but I take pride in knowing my dad was the best, at least in my eyes.” The stories and film clips are important to Anthony Jr. as well. “Watching clips of dad playing shows me he was a great athlete, and he lets me know, it” junior laughed. “He really drives me and my little brother to be a better athlete than he was.” Prentice, who coaches on the ninth-grade team, is raising the next generation of Roughers with two sons-Peyton and Prentice Jr.- that play little league football. “It’s exciting to watch our kids play and see their reactions to how things are going in a game. For my sons and nephews, it’s all about the passion of football and it’s something we all share together,” said the youngest brother. “It makes me understand how my parents felt watching the three of us play.”
