What Next
After being a one-year starter on a losing FCS college team, there was only one other person, beyond me, who thought I had a chance to continue playing football at a professional level, my father (I’ll write later about how important it was to have one supporter who truly believed in the mission).
NFL scouts, my college coaches, college teammates, family members, friends… no one thought at this point playing in the NFL was an option.
Why did I? Data, data, experience, action – here is an explanation:
#1 data – As discussed, I was a connoisseur of all things strength and conditioning and I used a lot of data to measure my improvement. One set of data I used was the NFL combine results. For years, I had pored over the NFL combine data, and knew I was in the ballpark for my position. Speaking in generalities that are about 25 years dated, the NFL invited 10-15 players from my position to the combine, where they were measured according to their performance in certain events the NFL deemed indicative of athletic prowess as well as their potential as an NFL player. These events have morphed a little over time but have always included the 40-yard dash, vertical leap, standing broad jump, a shuttle run, and bench press (single weight for reps).
I knew I was at the end of the pack in the bench and 40-yard dash, middle of the pack on vertical and broad jump, and toward the top of the pack in the shuttle run. This data combined with what I thought were my intangibles (work ethic, determination, aggression) and God given talents (quick feet, ability to learn, and outstanding hands) made me feel that physically, I could compete with the 10-15 prospects the NFL thought were worthy of a spot in the combine.
#2 data – I had spent years immersing myself in stories of overlooked athletes from unheralded programs going on to have successful professional careers. Fortunately for me, the media love to tell these stories. There was no shortage of small school to NFL success stories and there were even more stories of players with relatively unremarkable college careers, making an impact in “the league.” Every season, there were undrafted players making rosters, then going on to make significant contributions to NFL teams.
Experience – I had an intense trust in myself that developed from years of persevering through adversity. They were not huge hurdles. For example, winning daily battles with myself at practice, or in conditioning sessions, and performing better in competition than folks who were more gifted, had better coaching or had more recognition. Figuring out how to do something no one else thought I could do instilled in me the confidence necessary to pursue my passion, despite the odds.
Action – I did not pay attention to folks who didn’t think I had a chance. Instead, I focused on action rather than listening to those who considered my effort wasted. I didn’t have a backup plan, but believed that something good would come from extraordinary effort. It might not be exactly what you had in mind when you started, but nevertheless, it would always be something good.
Who has accomplished what we are trying to accomplish? How did they do it? What characteristics do we need to cultivate? Let’s use this data for action. – Spiral up
