Life is about takin’ what God has blessed you with and maximizin’ it. Accordin’ to my wife, not everybody gets everything. The old school coaches would always say, “Son, you don’t choose the sport, the sports chooses you”. I never understood what that meant until I went off to college.
I was a standout tailback at Gary Roosevelt High School in the mid 1980’s. I finished my career as an All-Conference performer after leadin’ the team in rushing and carries my senior year. I set the school record for the longest kick off return of 97 yards at the time. I was also the team’s MVP and received the school’s highest football award called the Leonard B. Douglas Trophy. It was named after one of the legendary coaches at the “Velt” as it was so affectionately called.
Keep in mind that the “Velt” was one of the best athletic powerhouses in the country at the time that produced several professional athletes across several sports. It also produced countless division 1 athletes in all sports. I say that to make a point that if I was good enough to be one of the best durin’ my time at the “Velt” the sport must have chosen me, right?
Well… not exactly. What I didn’t tell you is that I only stood 5’7″ and weighed only 140lbs soakin’ wet and ran a 4.59 forty yard dash as a senior. More importantly, I was born with only one full arm. I was only recruited to play at Butler University even though I was one of the best in a city that probably had more talent than anywhere else in the state. I didn’t want to go to a small school because I had too much talent to play with guys that, in my opinion, couldn’t play. So I walked on at Purdue.
I learned real fast what, “You don’t choose the sport, the sports chooses you” meant. Even though I was talented I didn’t have the genetics that the other guys had. It comes down to bein’ born with somethin’ that not everybody gets, size, speed and athleticism. Those things can’t be taught or coached. Duns were running 4.3’s that were 4 to 6 inches taller and 40 to 60 lbs bigger than I was with 39 inch verticals at the same position and that just blew my mind. The first time I ran the ball in a scrimmage a linebacker ran me down before I could turn the corner and he was 100 pounds bigger than I was.
They weren’t diagnosin’ concussions back then but I’m quite sure I’ve had several looking back on it. If you got blown up the coaches would say, “you just got your bell rung, you’ll be alright.” It was at those moments that I fully understood what the phrase “You don’t choose the sport, the sports chooses you” meant.
Of course, I could’ve gone to Butler but I’ve always believed that if you’re not competin’ at the highest level then it’s a complete waste of time. I learned in the spring of 1987 that I needed to find somethin’ else to do. It was difficult to come to grips with but it was necessary. I wasn’t goin’ to stand around on the sideline just to say that I was on the team. So I transferred to Indiana University and used the lessons that football taught me to become a student leader includin’ pledgin’ and becomin’ the President of the Epsilon Iota Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. I became a resident assistant (RA) in the dorm which opened all kinds of doors for me as a student leader that eventually made me marketable enough to land my first sales job right out of college.
I’ve become just as successful in the corporate settin’ usin’ those same lessons that sports has taught me. I’ve consistently been a leader both nationally and globally in the field of sales and marketing winnin’ multiples national sales championships durin’ my 28 year career. And you already know what I’m doin’ with TheJayGravesReport! Understanding, “You don’t choose the sport, the sport chooses you” can be a mind blowin’ experience. Don’t ever try to force round pegs into square holes.
God doesn’t make mistakes he makes masterpieces. He made me just the way he envisioned me to be. It was up to me to see what he saw in me and I had to learn how to appreciate it. Everybody’s got something wrong with them. Many were raised without fathers, others may suffer from mental disorders or have visual impairments, you name it. God has a tendency of usin’ flawed people. Moses was an inarticulate murderer and Noah was a highly intelligent alcoholic. Whatever it is, you’ve got to over come it. So embrace the philosophy of “you don’t choose the sport, the sport chooses you” and then find out what actually chose you and do it. Then I guarantee that you’ll find success! And now you can stop me when I start lyin’!
Playas Thesaurus:
1) Dun: noun – the person in question, dude, guy, etc. It’s whoever I’m talkin’ about and its non-gender specific.
The G is excluded from the endings of all words because the G is near and dear to my heart because I’m from “The G” which is Gary, Indiana. So I only use the G when I’m talkin’ about “The G!”
The caption under the photo is real talk today!