3 Life Lessons I Learned Playing Football

In my life I've been fortunate to have plenty of teachers who left me with knowledge that I previously did not have.  Some have been family members, some friends, teammates and PLENTY of haters.  But the one teacher that left a definite imprint has been sports.  Without a doubt, Football has reinforced most of the lessons that may have fallen to the wayside that the aforementioned may have tried to hammer home.  So...since my head is so thick, it only made sense that constantly knocking it against others while trying to win a "meaningless" game would only clarity those lessons while giving them relevance.  Here are 3 of the lessons that I learnt.

1. There is ALWAYS someone bigger, badder and tougher than you....ALWAYS.

My Pops used to tell me this...constantly.  When I moved to MD from NJ, I most definitely kept my Lawnside swagger.  He would tell me to tone it done, but I wasn't having it.  This was when I was 15, 16 years old, let's fast forward to when I was a Sophomore in college.  The last college game I played in I had to cover a DIII All-American.  I talked shit all week, but my best friend Tim Gavin knew what time it was (he knew I was nervous because I talked in my sleep).  Well, long story short, I got beat for about 7 catches, 120 yards and 1 TD.
Lesson Learned: Keep your mouth shut, or someone will shut it for you.

2. Don't look for someone to save you.  If you do, you'll be waiting a REALLY long time.

I started playing football when I was in 3rd grade.  I rode the bench until I got to High School (and believe me, it sucked).  I knew I was good but never really got a shot to play.  When I went to High School I said to myself, "there is NO WAY I'm riding the bench ever again".  I decided that a concussion was a better way of going out than sitting for another 4 years.  I watched Pro's and collegiate players, studied how they played and changed my strategy.  My offensive model was Eric Bieniemy and defensive one was Eric Allen, with a splash of Dick "Night Train" Lane. Ever since my Freshman year of High and ALL through college, I started every game (yes, even as a walk-on Freshman at a Division 1-AA college).
Lesson Learned: If you want it bad enough, grab your sack, pull down your skirt and take it.

3. Tough times don't last, tough people do.

My first year of playing Varsity Football (Sophomore Year) my team was really young and inexperienced.  We went 1-8 and barely won that one game 14-7 (against another bad team, Haddon TWP).  But I loved football and didn't care if we lost EVERY game, I just wanted to compete and play.  Some guys quit during the season and some quit on the team even though they continued to play.  All that mattered to me was going out and gettin' it in (that's slang for "doing work").  Shit is going to get shoveled on you in life, just as in sports and you have to decide right then and there if you're a going to eat it or use that manure to plant something for next year.  I was fortunate enough to plant that manure and it grew into a State Champion at Linganore High School.  I never forgot how bad the taste of losing felt and vowed to NEVER taste it again.
Lesson Learned: Even a blind squirrel can find a nut (you keep trying and something good will happen).

Well, these are just a few of my lessons that I learned that were cemented through sports that I try to express through my company H.E.A.R.T Athletics.  I hope you guys enjoyed this post and feel free to share it with your friends and family members.

John H. Harris II

Nothing is Impossible

When I was just starting out in sports, I would always doubt myself because I wasn't the biggest or fastest kid on any of my teams.  It never occurred to me that there were other players on other teams that had my same situation.  It wasn't until around 7th or 8th grade that I realized that life and sports are what they are.  Which is sometimes not fair.  But really, what is fair?  Is fair everyone being equal?  If that's the case then there will never be any winners or losers.  Even if a sporting event ends in a tie, there is a team that lost (the team that should have won) and a team that won (they should have lost...and the tie is virtually a win).

It was only when I noticed other players that had my same height and weight limitations that nothing was impossible.  If they could do it, I could do.  And you know what...I could probably do it better.  Most people think that a player that plays with H.E.A.R.T is a player of lesser skill or talent.  This isn't necessarily the case.  H.E.A.R.T is something that is deep inside of you that compels you to play your cheeks off all game long, no matter the outcome or who your opponent is.  Below are a few of the players that helped me (even though they don't know it) find faith in myself as an athlete and showed me week in and week out what playing with H.E.A.R.T truly means.

Mark McMillian played Corner for the Eagles AND Crimson Tide...needless to say, I not only followed his career, but he was a huge inspiration as well.  He wasn't the biggest guy in the world.  But he played his butt off and never let his limitations define who he was.

Mario Bailey played for UW.  Now as a DB, I'm not too fond of WR's but Super Mario was different.  He went hard EVERY play.  His Senior year at Washington, in my opinion played better than Desmond Howard (who won the Heisman).  Not only did he put up ridiculous numbers (over 1000 yards receiving) but in the Rose Bowl when they trounced the Wolverines (Desmond's team)...he scored a TD and did the Heisman pose...awesome.

David Palmer was the first "small" athlete that I watched that let me know anything was possible on the football field (which is why I'm a Bama fan to this day).  He played QB/WR/RB and returned kicks.  He was literally EVERYWHERE on the field.  He made plays and there was no doubt the opposing teams were scared of his skills.

Last but not least...Rohan Marley.  Five foot nothing and full of piss and vinegar.  He started at Miami in the 90's (which speaks volumes) and he did so on a team full of four and five star recruits.  All I have to say about him is "google his ass".  Watch the videos and then make up your own mind.

These are just four of the many athletes that inspired me and let me know that ANYTHING is possible.