There is an unfamiliar face securing the halls of Lane Tech. The new member of the Lane family is none other than Mr. Eddie Lopez, a security guard on staff. Along with ensuring safety within the grounds of Lane, Mr. Lopez is also referred to as Coach Lopez by the football team.

Before coming to Lane, Lopez initially became interested in coaching football when he saw a Lane football game.

“I was watching Lane’s freshman team play Roberto Clemente High School. Roberto Clemente’s squad only had one coach, and I asked if I could volunteer. The coach said yes and that is how I got involved,” Lopez said.

He started his time there by volunteering as their defensive coordinator. Along with volunteering his time as a coach, he takes the time to volunteer at other places. Lopez has a passion for computer technician work and currently volunteers at José de Diego Elementary School, Sabin Magnet School, and Columbus Elementary School. He said he would help out at Lane, but there are two technicians already on staff.

Lopez first coached at Walter Payton with Coach Faltin before they both came to coach at Lane. Lopez noted that there is not a major difference between the athletes from Payton and Lane as both schools have dedicated athletes who follow instructions. The only difference Lopez pointed out was the size of Lane, and how Payton did not have as many athletes as Lane because of the different school populations.

Lopez’s goal at Lane is to have the football team win the state championship. He plans to achieve this by getting the players into better shape and having them work a little harder in their off season.

“I love coaching, and I see the kids every day. I’m willing to work with them, and I’m willing to do anything for them. I’ll go the extra mile for them,” Lopez said.

The first day football player Nate Segura, Div. 963, met Lopez, he provided constructive criticism, and Segura could tell Lopez cared for each of the players. He knew that it would be different style of coaching from his previous experience for a different team.

“The coaches there, they were in it to teach me so I could do better for them, and so I could win and build their title. But with him he was teaching me to better myself, and from there it was on me if I wanted to benefit the team,” Segura said.

Coach Lopez’s passion to help others with coaching and other volunteer work was ignited when he took part in the Marine Corps for eight years. His fondest memory was when he graduated from boot camp.

“That was a great memory, jumping out of helicopters. I also learned how to scuba dive,” Lopez said.

Lopez uses his life experience to help the players. Segura noted how Coach Lopez can be funny, but when he is serious, then he is serious. One day when the players were goofing off during practice, Segura said the players had to “take a knee and the coaches were yelling, ‘If you want to win you need to do what you’re told.’ Then, Coach Lopez came in and he said, ‘In the Marines if you don’t do what you’re supposed to do, and if you don’t train like you’re supposed to train then the man next to you is dead.'”

This hit the players hard because they knew they could do better than what they were doing.

“I remember when we had our first three wins in a row we were all so confident, but then with our loss he said you see how your confidence went away, and you feel like you can’t do anything. He said that you can do anything you put your mind to,” Segura said.

Coach Lopez really cares about the players, and they know this. Another player, Ethan Galvin, Div. 865, said, “He is someone I would trust with my life [with] if need be.”