HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. -- It never comes as a shock.
When I’m in a public venue and I'm spotted, it's easy to assume I played football or some sport at some level. That's especially true around a crowd of people at those places we used to visit -- bars, concert venues, restaurants -- before the world was sat on its behind by this coronavirus pandemic.
Places where adult beverages flow freely, an easy conversation starter is "Wow, you’re a huge guy."
Or I get asked, "Who do you play for?"
It might sound hard to believe, but I try to blend in as much as I can, or at least to avoid eye contact. Because I know that question is coming.
Not that I mind those types of walk-ups. I realize it comes with the territory, and most guys would love to be my height or to be a professional athlete. And hey, size is an attribute that’s easy to measure. If you’re looking for a significant other to start a family with, it could be a dealbreaker. Sad but true.
But this isn’t a column about height or being a big guy. It’s about something that took me a while to realize is an actual talent: Mental toughness!
One of the things Mike Tomlin always said to me is, “I don’t think you understand. Your mental toughness is a talent. Everything we’ve thrown at you, you’ve caught it and given it back. Your mental toughness is a talent, and you don’t understand it because you just live it.”
I never considered that a “talent.” I just had the mindset I was going to do everything I could to stick around and be “above the line” -- as Tomlin likes to say -- with my performance and not let my teammates down. It hadn’t clicked with me that it helped separate me from others.
I’ll tell anyone: I wasn’t the fastest. I was strong but not the strongest. I am quick within 10 yards, but I’m probably never running the 100-meter dash. (I say that with a smirk because if challenged, I would do it.)
The player I learned to be as a professional changed when I started watching more film. I found out more about who I was on the field, what my opponent wanted to do to beat me, and I studied defensive players' strengths and deficiencies. I knew I had to minimize my exposure for allowing a bad play during a game or practice.
That's more mental than physical.
