A speech is defined as a formal address or discourse delivered to an audience. A significant person of the community usually gives commencement speeches so the students can leave motivated and ready for the so-called “real world.” “Through different uses of the rhetorical strategies, pathos, ethos, and logos, the speakers are able to connect and relate to the audience members. At the college of William and Mary, Mike Tomlin, a football coach delivers a speech that effectively uses two of the three strategies to acknowledge the graduating class. Starting off, Tomlin explains why he is proud to be there and what exactly the place means to him. Next, he uses real life experiences such as experiences with his NFL players and acknowledges that he knows that most commencement speeches are forgotten. Then, the coach explains to the graduating class how they are like a football team and goes on to address them as one. Finally, Tomlin goes on to explain to them that they should continue to pursue their goals …show more content…
“See this is like a team here today.” Or “There’s always the next time the ball’s going to snap.” (pg 4)Next he goes,” This game, this game of life.” (pg 4). Each of these quotes and the analogy that he uses for football is useful as they can truly understand what exactly he is talking about by thinking of football and how that relates to life. Since these are college students, sports are usually a noticeable force on campus. Most of the rhetorical strategies used in the article are effective as he uses a combination of the different policies to establish his credibility as a speaker. Tomlin’s use of pathos and ethos were extremely noticeable in the speech, while the examples of logos could use some work. They enable Mike Tomlin to understand his position and the speech on multiple different