Courtesy of Greg Louie

Louie at the National Football Conference (NFC) championship game where the 49ers defeated the Detroit Lions.

Back in 2013, principal Greg Louie was part of a football game that he jokingly says he is still recovering from.

That year, he participated in an effort to play the longest flag football game in history as measured by the Guiness World Records and raise money for good causes.

 For 52 hours, three minutes and 57 seconds, Louie played on the 49ers against Raiders, constantly scrimmaging against the other team by subbing players in and out. In the end, the 49ers defeated the Raiders with a score of 2,996 to 2,835. They beat the previous 2022 record by 28 hours. 

Through this marathon football game, non-profit organization “Play Flag Football,” was able to raise $25,000.

 

This memory is one of his many associations with the sport. 

He says his interest in football began ever since he attended a San Francisco 49ers football game with his father and grandfather as a child. 

In that setting, Louie discovered great respect and admiration for the sport, recognizing the difficult work athletes put into physical and mental training. Football has since then been integrated into various parts of his life, from being on his high school football team to being a football coach.

Before taking on the role as a high school administrator, Louie coached the Silver Creek High football team from 1999 to 2003 while also teaching English. In those five seasons, Louie led the team to win two league championships and promoted the team from the C to A division. 

“We were very proud. Both my JV team and the varsity team were successful, and the success encouraged more success,” Louie said.

Louie also coached his son’s flag football team and Pop Warner, a youth football league — teams his son has played on since he was 5. While coaching his son’s football team, Louie also worked with “Play Flag Football,” a nonprofit organizing marathon football events. 

When he became Santa Teresa’s principal in 2012 and later SHS’s principal in 2019, he no longer had time for regular football coaching

Still, while no longer an official coach, Louie still attends games and supports the SHS football team in multiple ways; he even assists with training the offensive and defensive lines over the summer. 

His last football indulgence is being a San Francisco 49ers season ticket holder and a huge fan of the team.

“The sport is pretty amazing — it’s a team sport that requires tremendous preparation, both physically and mentally,” Louie said. “It is a battle of wits between coaches and a battle of will between the athletes.”