An Unexpected Lesson From Peyton Manning

Recently this strange picture of NFL QB Peyton Manning went viral:

What exactly is he doing?  Why does he have only one ankle in a pool, and why is he wearing a helmet?

The answer speaks volumes, even to those of us who only dream of playing in the NFL.

For starters, Peyton Manning is the best at what he does.

He is a Super Bowl winner, and without question a first ballot Hall-of-Famer.  He is an instantly recognizable “face of the League” to many, and represents all that is good about the NFL.  In a league filled with controversies regarding player safety, criminal acts by players, cheating  scandals, etc., he has consistently represented the positive ‘All-American’, ‘clean-cut’  side of football.  He is a polite, humble, well-mannered guy who has consistently not only stayed out of trouble, but benefited many a worthy cause.

He is still at the top of his game after a neck injury that many thought would either end or severely impact his prolific career.  Yet he has emerged in having what is perhaps his best year as a pro.

The point of saying all that is this – it didn't just happen that way.  It took some serious effort and determination.

But back to that strange picture.

This photograph of Peyton Manning was taken during a Broncos practice.  Having sustained an ankle injury, Peyton had to sit out of practice.  His official listing was “did not participate”.

Unable to participate physically, he chose to participate mentally.  He couldn't be on the field, but he could be active. He chose to keep his injured ankle in the “cold tub” in the team training room, and wear his helmet to listen in on practice and the plays that were called on the headset, while simultaneously studying game film on a tablet.

This is the guy who leads the league with 45 touchdowns.  His team has the best record in the NFL (11-2).  He has been a starting NFL QB since 1998.

These numbers didn’t come because he’s just ‘that good’.  It appears to be because of his attitude, and using even down moments to improve his craft instead of resting on his laurels.  This picture reflects a multi-tasking intensity that we could all apply to our life, whatever it is that we do.  Do I pray with this determination? Do I apply it to my work or home life? Embrace this intensity, and strive to be a better husband, a better parent, better employee, a better driver, a better writer, a better friend.  The list is extensive and personal.

In education, we often speak of the desire to see students become “lifelong learners”.  I think Peyton Manning in this candid moment is a perfect model of that.  A guy who continues to perfect his craft and keep his mind sharp on a day he could easily just do nothing and still keep his job and still be one of the best. No one but him would really know the difference. Right?

So to answer the question, what is he doing?

He’s doing exactly what I should be doing.

Read More

I've Got Your Back

FOOTBALL! It’s a game of inches! A Hundred Yard War! And yes, I am a serious football fanatic. As in, I count down the days to the supplemental draft fanatic.

What I love most about football is that every man on that field knows instinctively that the man next to him has his back. He has to know this. If he does not have that confidence, he can’t do his job. He can’t take on his assignment without knowing that whatever happens when the ball is snapped, his teammate has his back and will do whatever it takes for them both to succeed. The best QB is absolutely useless without the left tackle having his back play after play after play.

Without this mindset, nothing else matters. The entire game hangs on this simple fact.

I love this. My wife and I plan to hit every NFL stadium in the near future, and our next stop is the season opener in Jacksonville. I don’t even care about Jacksonville. I just love football.

I do serious statistical research for my fantasy teams, and never miss an opportunity to share tales of my glory days as a backup kicker in high school. I’ll never forget that legendary 2-point conversation PAT fake that I sold ever so well. They totally thought I was kicking it. Totally! Fooled them Every. Single. Time. It was so convincing that we almost even scored points from it.

But I digress…

Being the fanatic I am, I am thrilled that my son has the same affinity for the game. If there is a football game on television, any game, he is watching it through the waning seconds. He understands the subtle nuances of most defensive schemes, and is among the most dominant defensive players in his league. They call him “Seek and Destroy”.

Did I mention he is seven?

Of course, here in Texas, by the time you are seven you are expected to be a seasoned veteran with significant experience under your belt, battle scars and helmet stickers to show for it.

Seriously.

But the truth of the matter is that when he takes the field with his fellow gridiron warriors, what really lies behind that facemask is not Brian Uralcher or J.J. Watt, but a little boy. My little boy.

While dads like me dream of full-ride scholarships and Hall of Fame acceptance speeches, he is just hoping to get McDonalds for lunch because the new Happy Meal toy is cool.

Or maybe he is thinking about digging into the sandbox, coloring a picture, molding some Play-Do into the carpet, or going to the playground to ride the merry-go-round. And of course, he wants me to take him. Because I’m his dad.

And if I can devote hours and hours to football practice, I should certainly be able to find some time for those things.

He deserves that.

So I will cheer him on faithfully over the next few months, win or lose, starting hero or lonely benchwarmer, and will make an effort not to moan and groan about him wanting to play checkers when we get home from practice.

My son loves football as much as I do. But in the big scheme of things, all that matters to him, all that ever has mattered and all that ever will matter, is knowing that I have his back.

Read More