I’d like to share with you a short story of perseverance and mental toughness…
I recently talked with JJ Birden, a track star in college at the University of Oregon, who walked on as a football player. He turned his college career into a 9-year career in the NFL.
Birden was really pegged as a track star destined for the Olympic trials, but decided to try out for college football. One problem: Others told that he did not have the size to play Division I football.
But what people said about his size didn’t stop him. It gave him more motivation to rise to the challenge…
He went to University of Oregon to run track. But his coach helped him walk on to the football team while competing in track (that’s an unselfish coach). He made the team and it took him only two weeks to move up to the number two position on the team.
Not only was Birden small for a football player at 5’10”, but he was really a track athlete, not a football player. He knew he’d have to gain acceptance as a football player coming from the world of track. He’d have to learn how to catch, run with the ball, and take a hit from bigger players.
He earned a starting position on a Division I football team at Oregon. “The label about me as a track athlete started to change. ‘This guy is a football player that happens to run track too’,” Birden said. After college, he was drafted by Cleveland Browns and enjoyed a nine-year career in the NFL.
“I recognized football was a mental game and realized the more I knew and understand the game, it gave me an edge. When I got to the NFL, I studied the game so much that mentally I had an advantage, not only over other bigger receivers, but the defenders as well,” Birden said.
But as a small player, the pressure to be on top of his game was always present…
“When I got to the NFL and became a starter in 1992, that’s when the pressure really started to build. I did well, but because I was only 5’10” and they wanted a taller receiver, I felt the constant pressure that someone else was going to get my job. I had to give the coaches a reason to play me and not the other guys,” Birden said.
But the pressure he felt served as a positive motivator to excel instead of a mental handcuff…
The pressure to be a starter pushed Birden to work harder and smarter to keep his position, especially in the off-season. He wanted to be a step ahead of everyone else. He’d train harder in the preseason to be a step ahead of everyone else. He wanted to be fully prepared and not give others a chance to take his job.
The pressure on game day was often unbearable because he wanted to perform at his best–as if his job was on the line every game. But like any great athlete, he found his stride once he got in the game. At game time, he’d rely on his superior training and preparation to perform at his peak.
If you are a Peaksports Network member, run over and listen to this interview with Birden and get inspired by his story:
Inspiring Mental Toughness Story in Football
Or demo the membership program to learn more about my online mental training program:
Online Mental Training Program
Your Mental Coach,
Dr. Patrick Cohn
p.s. You might not know that as an exclusive member you get 30 percent off the popular Confident Athlete CD series and most other Peaksports.com programs:
Members Get 30% Off Peaksports Mental Training Programs
Boost Your Self-Confidence With Mental Game Coaching!
Master mental game coach, Dr. Patrick Cohn, can help you or your athlete(s), ages 12 and up, overcome mental game issues with personal coaching.
You can work with Dr. Patrick Cohn himself in Orlando, Florida or via Skype, FaceTime, or telephone. Call us toll free at 888-742-7225 or contact us for more information about the different coaching programs we offer!
What are our students saying?
“WOW!!! What a week I had. I was able to perform with a confidence that allowed my style to shine through–no more entering the arena with that “deer in the headlights” look or feeling. I stopped evaluating myself while I was performing, and I actually left the arena after my patterns feeling like I had experienced a lot of fun. Thank you so much.”
~Julia Dreyer, National Champion Equestrian
For All Athletes – Learn Confidence-Boosting Techniques!
D you have a negative self-image of yourself as an athlete that stifles confidence?
No matter ow positive you try to be, are you unable to shake the doubt that rushes into your head when you size up your competition?
Have you labeled yourself as a loser, poor closer, or mediocre athlete and these labels keep you stuck in a rut of self-pity and indecision?
If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, check out The Confident Athlete!
The Confident Athlete CD and workbook program is a 14-day plan for ultimate self-confidence. This program is ideal for any athlete or coach that wants to discover proven confidence-boosting techniques guaranteed to drastically build self-confidence and improve sports performance.
Learn more about one of our most popular CD programs in The Confident Athlete Series…
The Confident Athlete: A 14-Day Plan For Ultimate Self-Confidence
Check out all of the products in The Confident Athlete Series!
What are customers saying?
“I first purchased The Confident Athlete to see how the program went and immediately saw results. I then purchased the rest of the confident athlete series and have noticed a dramatic improvement in my level of play or should I say consistency. I currently play NCAA Division 1 baseball for Lamar University, and even my coaches have noticed a change in the way that I approach the game. My attitude and confidence at the plate.”
~Tylor Prudhomme (Listen to his success story)
“I am a ASP world qualifying professional surfer and after beginning the ‘The Confident Athlete’ I had an almost instant change in attitude about my own surfing ability and my mindset going into competition. By using the Confident Athlete strategies, my confidence has done a complete 180 degrees. I won a local pro/am a few weeks back, and just had my best result of the year in one the last big events on the world circuit this last week in Brazil! It is my secret weapon!”
~Shaun Burrell, Professional Surfer (Listen to his success story)
For Young Athletes and Parents – Learn More About How to Help Kids Improve Confidence Quickly!
We’ve got a great program for you called “The Confident Sports Kid: A 7-Day Plan for Building Ultimate Self-Confidence.”
The Confident Sports Kid is a 7-day program for sports parents and kids to boost young athlete’s performance, happiness and success… in sports and life!
The Confident Sports Kid is two programs in one. There’s a manual and CD for parents/coaches, and a workbook/CD for young athletes.
Packed with mental strategies that you and your kids can start using immediately, this program teaches your athletes how to identify confidence busters, proactively deal with them, manage expectations that undermine confidence, and mentally prepare to stay confident when faced with adversity.
What’s more, our program teaches you, as sports parents and coaches, how you may be hurting your kids’ confidence and gives you instructions for changing your behavior in ways that will improve your athletes’ performance, confidence and enjoyment.
Learn more about one of our most popular CD programs in The Confident Sports Kid Series…
The Confident Sports Kid: A 7-Day Plan for Building Ultimate Self-Confidence
Check out all of our products in The Confident Sports Kid Series!
What are parents and coaches saying about our program?
“I appreciate the advice to parents as to how to help your child become more mentally resilient to bullying in sports. The specific advice and scenarios are extremely helpful for any child on a team and very helpful in guiding parents, coaches and administrators in how to deal with bullying in sports. I cannot thank you enough for your input, and I am so reassured to know that there are people like you who are writing articles and doing interviews on such timely and important matters.”
~Julie Goot
“Dr. Patrick Cohn and Lisa Cohn are to be congratulated! Together, they offer a wealth of knowledge, information, and practical mental tools for sports parents on the substantial “mental game” challenges and pressures facing today’s young athletes.”
~Marc D. Anderson, LCSW, MGCP, Mental Game Coach
For Mental Coaches – Add More Value To Your Mental Training Programs!
This workbook series was designed for coaches and mental coaches to use with their athletes.
The Athlete’s Mental Edge workbooks complement your existing mental training program. Each of the 15 workbooks in the Athlete’s Mental Edge System teaches your athletes a specific mental skill to improve their performance.
For mental coaches, this system is ideal for between session education.
For sports coaches, you’ll be able to conduct 15 team seminars using the workbook system.
In the Athlete’s Mental Edge workbook system, you receive 15 easy-to-read, practical Mental Edge Workbooks on PDF, as well as 16 coaches’ game plan MP3 audio files.
Athlete’s Mental Edge Workbook System
What are coaches saying?
“I am really pleased with the Athlete’s Mental Edge workbooks – they are fitting in really well with my coaching! I find they offer a great framework for doing workshop sessions. I have also used the workbooks with a few individual athletes – for the younger ones (12 and under). They are giving a good structure and framework to our sessions. The workbooks have worked well with all of them!”
~Kerri Morgan, Mental Game Coach
“I am impressed with the willingness and openness of Dr. Cohn to share all of his assets (intellectual, products, etc.) with the MGCP students. You have developed an incredible model/package for mental training. Even though we are paying for your service, you are passing on a legacy built on your contribution to the world of sports. Thank you for that.”
~Tony Melito, MGCP