The Chiefs are led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes. I think it is pretty safe to say that he is the best QB in the league right now and if he wins on Sunday, it will pretty much cement that legacy. But when he came out of college, there were plenty of legitimate questions as to whether or not he could actually play in the pros. He played for Texas Tech University, a member of a Power 5 conference but by no means a college football powerhouse. As a starter, his win-loss record was 13-19, with his best season coming his last year where they went 7-5. That is barely bowl-eligible. Everyone knew he had phenomenal physical talent but he also played in a very college-style system. Record-setting quarterbacks coming out of Texas Tech the last 20 years are not that uncommon but to date, none of them have had any significant career in the NFL. So there were doubters when he came out of college. The Chiefs picked him in the first round of the draft but nobody was picking him to be an instant star.
The Eagles QB is Jalen Hurts. He started off in a much more prominent college football team, Alabama. But he didn't showcase a lot of arm talent there and despite the team's successes, he lost his starting job to a true freshman and transferred to another school, Oklahoma, where he put up better numbers but it was again, in a very collegiate system that hasn't transferred well to the pros. He also lacked some of the physical traits that NFL teams look for in their quarterback. He's not particularly tall and while athletic, did not show anywhere near the kind of arm talent that someone like Patrick Mahomes had. It was a big surprise to most when the Eagles picked him in the 2nd round and most of the experts did not think he had a solid chance to be a good pro.
Then of course there is Tom Brady. Not playing in this Super Bowl but has played in more and won more than anybody else. The undisputed greatest of all time. His story was much more unlikely. Drafted in the 6th round with no expectations to be even be a backup. Our home team QB, Josh Allen, displayed some amazing arm talent in college but was a California kid and not a single team in his state (of which there are many) wanted him. He had to go to Wyoming, our least populous state with pretty much zero presence in the college football universe. In the pros, his favorite target has become wide receiver Stefan Diggs, who was drafted unnoticed in the 5th round and never expected to be a starter on any team.
I could go on and on here. You take a look at the All-Pro list in the NFL and just about every player on it was doubted in some way. That is where I am going with this. The greatest football players, by and large, came in with a chip on their shoulders. They wanted to prove their doubters wrong. Instead of being dissuaded or losing faith, they persevered and became greater than anyone could have imagined. All the people who doubted Tom Brady were not wrong. He overcame those doubts with hard work and belief and sheer will.
While 99.999999% of us have no shot in the NFL, these are good lessons to apply to our daily lives. We face, and will continue to face, adversity, struggle, and people have doubted us too on some levels. The key is to turn that all into our own personal successes, no matter how small. Let all of those doubts, all of that adversity fuel us to work harder, to do better, to overcome anything.
We should also let those stories inspire us. I've seen this work firsthand in a boxing class. I've come to a class before and just for whatever reason, didn't have it. Something was off. I wasn't moving well, punching well and getting too tired. What's worse is that I knew it and the very thoughts themselves were taking me into a downward spiral. Then I remembered watching Michael Jordan (who didn't make his varsity high school basketball team) and remembered some regular season games when he was off. None of his shots were going down, he wasn't able to drive the ball to the basket, whatever; and I remembered what he did. He grinded it out. Took it to the hoop, got fouled, and made free throw shots. He found a way to get it done even when he was off. Obviously, I am no Michael Jordan but in my little instance of feeling off during a boxing class, I could apply the same thing. Just grind through it. Find something to work on. And it worked!
So if you watch the big game tomorrow, know that almost all the players and coaches all got there because somebody doubted them. Someone thought they couldn't do it. But they worked hard and did! We can all this too. We've also been doubted. We've doubted ourselves. Whether we're going to a boxing class or playing in the Super Bowl, this is our chance to show what we're made of. To prove the doubters wrong. To persevere even when we're tired, not feeling it, whatever. Take some of those chips you might be eating as a snack during the game and put them on your shoulder!
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