The first step to writing a non-fiction book is extensive research.

Bill Noble, an Army wide receiver when the Black Knights won back-to-back Cherry and Peach bowl games in the mid-1980s and then a Blackhawk helicopter pilot, has had an idea for a book on parenting sifting through his mind for decades. If he hits the keyboards, he already has 20-plus years of research filed away.

He has good reason to feel qualified now that three of the four oldest children raised by he and his ex-wife of 18 years, Carla, have matriculated.

The oldest sibling is daughter Jazmine, who is a senior at Duke. She's communications major with a minor in drama and theater. She was valedictorian and student council president at Columbus (Ohio) St. Francis De Sales. She has performed as the lead in plays and musicals in both high school and college.

Next is son Jalen Noble, the one who most interests Army fans. He entered West Point as a freshman cornerback for the 2013 season. Noble attended the Air Force prep school in 2012, but he left over the holidays after watching the Army-Navy game. He had chosen Air Force over Army coming out of St. Francis De Sales in search of his own identity separate from the old man, but he ultimately decided the pull from his West Point roots was too irresistible.

"I was sitting in the USAA box at last year's Army-Navy game when he sent me a text," Bill said. "He was watching the game on TV in Colorado Springs. The text said, 'I should be on that field.' "

Third in line is daughter Jordan, who is entering her freshman year at Stanford. She followed in her big sister's footsteps as a valedictorian and student council president at St. Francis De Sales. She had set the valedictorian goal in eighth grade.

Their fourth child is their second son who is entering ninth grade at St. Francis De Sales. Jared appears to be already sold on Army without the identity dilemma Jalen experienced.

- Bill Noble

"He's been interested in West Point since he was a little kid," Bill said. "He already has an application file opened."

Bill has remarried and he and his wife Lauralee have a 4-year-old son, Trey, but he has to finish his first book he's discussed with Carla before he starts another one. The secret, Bill says, was he and Carla set examples with expectations. But he also willingly admits he and his ex-wife are fortunate.

After Bill's six years of active duty, he earned his a Harvard Masters Business Administration degree and entered the corporate world. He and his ex-wife had moved their children across the country frequently between the military and business world before settling into Columbus, where Bill is Senior Vice President of Stores & Brand Planning at LensCrafters.

"All things considered, we're just dog-gone blessed," Bill said. "We set academic expectations and accepted nothing less than their best, but they had to put in the work. We had zero tolerance in academics, but we recognized differences. With the girls, we knew their work was higher. But we held Jalen to his ability."

Another expectation was the siblings were required to play sports until at least 10th grade. Jazmine played basketball and was a cheerleader before she focused her last two years on academics, student council and theater. Jordan played soccer and track before she followed Jazmine's academic path.

Jalen, of course, stuck with football throughout high school. He was recruited by the three service academies and Mid-American Conference schools.

The reasoning for the athletic experiences sounds as if it were taken from a West Point handbook.

"Playing sports instilled in them discipline and advantages of teamwork," Bill said. "Those are important things in shaping development and growth. They were all socially active. They weren't bookworms. They made decision to study when they didn't necessarily have to. We couldn't have asked for anything more."

Bill has traveled to Duke to see Jazmine perform in plays and musicals and he has trips on tap to Stanford to see Jordan. But it doesn't take a Phd degree in athletics to know his chest will be swelling on Saturdays at Michie Stadium. Bill said he did his best to steer Jalen to West Point out of high school, but he ultimately left the decision to him.

"I think there was a little rebellion in him when he picked Air Force," Bill said. "He wanted to set his own path, and (Air Force coach) Troy Calhoun did a great job of recruiting him."

"When he decided last winter he wanted to go to West Point, I think it was a combination of growing up around the Army-Navy game and realizing he could go to West Point and still set his own path. It's not necessarily a contradiction. He can set his own goals."

On a broader spectrum, those goals include working with his Army teammates under head coach Rich Ellerson to return the Black Knights to their winning ways.

Bill enjoyed the victory column in his last two Army seasons. He was a starting wide receiver and three-year lettermen (1982-83-84) until he missed his senior season in 1985 with a knee injury.

The Black Knights were only 2-9 in 1983 in head coach Jim Young's first year, but Young switched from a pro-style offense to the wishbone in 1984. Army went 8-3-1 and beat Michigan State 10-6 in the 1984 Cherry Bowl. The Black Knights followed up the success with a 9-3 record that included beating Illinois 31-29 in the 1985 Peach Bowl.

"Coach Young was a great leader and motivator," Bill said. "He never gave up on us. I'm hopeful once these kids get a taste of winning with Coach Ellerson, it will be a watershed moment for us."

Hmmm? I guess it's no surprise that according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Noble is defined as "possessing very high or excellent qualities or properties".