I thought I was on my way, but within three years my body was broken. Soon after that, I signed with the New York Jets. Right out of college, I signed with the Detroit Lions. I was going for perfection.Īnd I achieved it, for a time. Moderation was the opposite of what I was going for. So I fell into a routine of masking the agony: I popped giant ibuprofens and took muscle relaxants - anything to be able to keep training and improving. I was obsessed.īut prioritizing a goal over my own physical safety was a dangerous game, and the more I pushed, the more pain I felt. Whether on the field, in the weight room, running stadium stairs or doing sprints, I refused to listen when my body begged me to stop. And by the time I entered college, I threw my training into overdrive I was relentless. Growing up in Erie, Pennsylvania, I played multiple sports: basketball, soccer, baseball, and my favorite, football. My goal was to be a placekicker on an NFL team, a position that is as hard as any other but also has a unique set of pressures: as a kicker, you act alone. They’re about pushing your body to the extreme to achieve great things.Įven as a young boy I felt that need to go beyond my limits and get better and better. Professional sports aren’t about moderation.
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