I talk to a lot of college coaches, and the number one thing a college coach tells me he wants to see in his players is TOUGHNESS! There are so many things that a coach can coach and teach, but toughness can’t be coached. I believe in a lot of coach’s minds TOUGHNESS equals HEART.
The “EYE” Test
We all fall prey to the “EYE” test, but the challenge with the “EYE” test is that it can’t measure HEART.
I think Vince Lombardi summed it up in the following quote:
The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.
If you replace the word HEART for WILL, I think you get the picture. After playing in the PAC-10, you quickly discover that “talent” is a dime a dozen. There are a ton of people who can run fast, jump high, hit hard, throw far, and on and on…but the thing that separates the “PLAYERS” from the other guys on the team is HEART and PREPARATION!
My mentor Tony Robbins used to say that success is 20% skill and 80% psychology (or heart)…it is even more true for Division 1 and Pro athletes.
Coy Gibbs – Stanford Linebacker
I remember at Stanford, I played with Coy Gibbs (son of former Washington Redskins Head Coach Joe Gibbs). He played middle linebacker for us, and he led the PAC-10 in tackles his senior year…did I mention he was 5′10″ and 200lbs. dripping wet?!
Coy couldn’t buy an athletic scholarship coming out of high school. The rumor is that Stanford just happened to have a lot of football scholarships the year he graduated, so they decided to give him a shot. NO ONE thought he was going to be a starter, let alone lead the PAC-10 in tackles. I think he summed up what it means to play with HEART. Coy NEVER “outsized” a guy on the field, but he also NEVER gave up the opportunity to HIT YOU RIGHT IN THE MOUTH!
PLAY TOUGH and KEEP the MOTOR MOVING
The coaches loved his scrappy play, his motor, and the fact that he loved to HIT PEOPLE RIGHT IN THE MOUTH! I always tell high school student-athletes that they need to understand that they are auditioning for college coaches. They need to do something to stand out, and one of the best ways to do that is play WHISTLE TO WHISTLE with 100% HEART!
Play Tough, Play with Passion, Play with HEART and GREAT THING will happen for you!
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