Sept. 11, 2002

The image of an Owl conjures thoughts of unblinking eyes, unwavering wisdom and a point of view perched high above the action.

These same images can also be attributed to Steve Cutcher, football team video coordinator, whose ubiquitous video and camera equipment serve as his trusty eyes as he records the actions of the team members, often from a 60-foot perch.

Cutcher, better known as "Cooch," is the first set of eyes to see or "break down" each player and/or team. After receiving each recruit's highlight tape, he breaks it down prior to the coaches' evaluation meetings. He also breaks down opponents' films, and videos all practice sessions, scrimmages and games.

The films, which are compiled in both wide and tight formats, allow the coaches to correct and improve players' techniques. They also are a valuable tool for the athletic training staff and team doctors who can "see" and evaluate an injury to better prevent future occurrences and help pinpoint the source of the injury.

Football videography is not a job for just anyone who knows how to push the red "record" button. It is a highly skilled position for someone with an eye to capture schemes and tendencies --- all with lightning speed to give the football staff time to prepare the team. Cutcher brings all these talents to the table, and more.

A self-described sports nut, the 36-year-old was raised on the sidelines of the football field where he set up schemes and followed his father's every step with a clipboard. Cutcher's father, Bill, was a head football coach at the collegiate and high school levels for more than 42 years.

"Some of the best memories of my life are with my dad on the sidelines," says Cutcher. "He taught me the game, which has really benefited my career. Filming is the least of what we do."

Cutcher came to FAU by way of the XFL Orlando Rage, where during the spring of 2000 he had the task of learning the LRS Sports System, a digital system that documents tendencies and sends them to computers networked to the system. Along with his position with the XFL, Cutcher served as a graduate assistant offensive coach at the University of Central Florida during Daunte Culpepper's era. He then became an assistant video coordinator for two years with UCF. He also worked at the Gridiron Classic hosted by Disney's Wide World of Sports. Cutcher brings that coach's eye to the game after serving as a football coach with area youth teams and volunteering his time at Santaluces High School.

He continues to find himself assisting the experienced coach, but it is no longer from the sidelines. It is from his perch, which is often 60 feet in the air. To his back are landing planes, to his front 80 young men who are building a football program at FAU. Cutcher carries approximately 90 pounds of camera equipment to his perch, often three times a day. He is the eyewitness to games from locations that are dirty, musty and quiet. But it is these vantage points that allow Head Coach Howard Schnellenberger to see all and be on both practice fields simultaneously --- to see every drill, evaluating both the players and the coaching staff in preparation for upcoming games --- thanks in large part to the lenses of video coordinator Steve Cutcher.