Terrell Pryor | Tunnel Vision

I was listening to Mike and Mike on the radio, when they talked about former Ohio State quarterback, Terrell Pryor, and his transformation into one of college football's best quarterbacks into one of the NFL's rising stars at the wide receiver position.

What really stood out to me was when they mentioned that Randy Moss has been mentoring Pryor, and the advice that Moss gave to Pryor about having tunnel vision throughout the process.  The quote is below:

“Tunnel vision,” Pryor said. “Stay in tune, block out anything outside and keep that tunnel vision and go forward, no matter what happens. Sometimes games are gonna be bad, sometimes things are gonna happen that you don’t want and he said, ‘Just keep on going forward because it’s a long season and there’s a lot of plays to be made.’ He said, ‘Just make sure when the ball comes to you make the play, period.’ That’s the type of stuff we talk about all the time.”

For me as a coach, it was great timing to reinforce the importance of having a plan and seeing it through, knowing that things won't always go as great or as smoothly as you would like.  You are going to have your bumps and bruises, but trust the process and just keeping working hard at what you believe is right.

For my players, it’s important for them too to understand that they will make mistakes, and those mistakes might cost us at times, but you just have to keep staying focused on your role and improving every day and try to do the right things that will help you find success.   It's important to understand that success is a process, and every day you have to get find ways to get better.

They Ask Me Why I Teach | ‘They Call Me Coach’ (7)

Amos Alnozo Stagg; Chicago football coach on why he coached.

“I have made the young men of America my ministry.  I have tried to bring out the best in the boys that I have coached.  I truly believe that many of them have become better Christians and citizens because of what they have learned on the athletic field.

“You must love your boys to get the most out of them and do the most for them.  I have worked with boys whom I haven’t admired, but I have loved them just the same.  Love has dominated my coaching career as I am sure it has and always will that of many other coaches and teachers.”

Coach Wooden on why he stayed in coaching.

“I feel that my love for young people is the main reason I have stayed in coaching and have refused positions that would have been far more lucrative.”

THEY ASK ME WHY I TEACH | Glennice L. Harmon (1948)

They ask me why I teach,
And I reply,
Where could I find more splendid company?
There sits a statesman,
Strong, unbiased, wise,
Another later Webster,
Silver-tongued,
And there a doctor
Whose quick, steady hand
Can mend a bone,
Or stem the lifeblood’s flow.
A builder sits beside him-
Upward rise
The arches of a church he builds, wherein
That minister will speak the word of God,
And lead a stumbling soul to touch the Christ.

And all about
A lesser gathering
Of farmer, merchants, teachers,
Laborers, men
Who work and vote and build
And plan and pray
Into a great tomorrow
And I say,
“I may not see the church,
Or hear the word,
Or eat the food their hands will grow.”

And yet – I may.
And later I may say,
“I knew the lad,
And he was strong,
Or weak, or kind, or proud,
Or bold, or gay.
I knew him once,
But then he was a boy.”

They ask me why I teach, and I reply,
“Where could I find more splendid company?”

God Is In The Details | Instilling Excellence

I stumbled across an amazing blog at SamuelThomasDavies.com.  He is a self-proclaimed scout of the leading edge of the human sciences for what’s new, surprising, and important in life and business. 

This a really good article on how coach Bill Walsh turned the San Francisco 49ers from a 2-14 team to Super Bowl Champions in just 3 years.

According to Walsh's process and the article, the 3 steps are to success are:

Step 1. Choose an action and an attitude that will make the highest possible contribution toward your goal – THE ONE THING.

Step 2. Give yourself instructions to follow.

Step 3. Commit to your action and attitude for a minimum of 66 days.

A brief summary, along with the 3 steps listed above is simple: focus on the process, I identify your ONE BIG THING, and be detailed oriented with consistency and you too can find success in coaching and in life.

You can get a more detailed summary of his article after the jump.