Lessons for an Impending NFL Free Agent

First impressions – you only get one. Unless you’re a high draft pick or have a large body of work, you need to approach each invite or combine as your Super Bowl. This is your opportunity to make a lasting impression and display the work you’ve put in. From the moment your season ends, the focus should be on how to improve for next year – mentally, physically, tactically. Preparation is your full-time job.

Time is your most valuable commodity and I suggest you try to maximize it. If this is your passion, attack it with ferocity and consistency. You can’t always control the outcome, but you can always control your effort. I have prepared countless professionals across various sports, and these are the most valuable lessons I instill in them.

• Mindset Matters.

If you ignore the rest of these tips, just at least remember this one. Success is a mindset. The complexity of the human brain goes beyond the scope of this book, but your expectations influence your reality. This is how the placebo effect works. If you give someone a sugar pill, but tell them it’s a pain reliever, they will often experience pain relief. This is simply because they expect it to work. That is how powerful your thought process is.

There’s a tremendous clip online of Tom Brady and Julian Edelman mic’d up during their Super Bowl vs. Atlanta. Down 28-3 at the end of the third quarter, they kept saying out loud what a great comeback this was going to be, that they would win this game. They expected success and we all know how it ended. While I’m not saying that’s why they won, I can assure you they would not have won without this mental resilience.

Believe in yourself and prepare to succeed. Any perceived “failure” is simply an opportunity to improve. You only lose when you quit.

• Get Faster.

The one attribute that all coaches and athletes desperately chase is speed! Often, game-changing plays are simply the result of one burst of speed. The ability to accelerate one’s body in an efficient, powerful action is a determining factor in most sports. Strength is valuable, but you need to be able to express that strength quickly.

Drop the goofy ladder bullshit and focus on increasing your ability to produce force in the proper angles with rapid execution. Improving speed will also indirectly enhance overall fitness and allow higher sustained outputs during a game. Lose your ego and find a qualified coach who understands the demands of your sport and how to prepare for it. Yes, it costs money, but it directly impacts your performance and chances of being signed. It’s well worth it.

• Consistent Nutrition.

Look at any of the NFL players with long-lasting careers and you will see people who understand the importance of proper nutrition. You have more leeway when you’re young, but that doesn’t mean you should take advantage of it. Remember, your body is your job, and what you put into it directly affects your output.

Increase your intake of whole, natural food sources – lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, quality fats. Make sure you are getting the requisite protein to recover from your training. If you are training frequently and undereating protein, your body will break down muscle tissue to make up for this. A common formula for determining protein intake for anaerobic athletes is around .8-1.0g per lb. of bodyweight. If you are 200lbs you might need 180-200g protein per day depending on your goals.

Body fat does not help you produce force and can upregulate inflammatory processes in the body. Follow a sensible nutrition plan to increase muscle mass, limit fat gain, and prepare for your sport.

• Keep Learning.

I speak for all coaches when I say this – our favorite athletes are coachable and hard-working. Once you stop learning, you stop improving. Even after 10+ years in the NBA and multiple championships, Kobe Bryant worked with Hakeem Olajuwon one summer to improve his low post moves. Study your sport, ask questions, and constantly look to improve. This is what separates good from great.

If the greatest players in the world find time to seek out experts, study film, and work on their skills, how can you possibly beat them without doing at least that much?

• Build Relationships.

As a free agent, you need to convince a group of coaches that you would be an asset to what they are trying to build. How do other players or coaches speak about you? Have you had a positive effect on your teammates? Will certain people vouch for you? While this might seem trivial, every little bit helps.

You never know what you can learn from someone or how they might be involved in your future one day. Be on time, be accountable, and show respect. Humans are inescapably driven by bias, if someone views you in a positive light, it will positively affect the way they treat you.

Final Remarks

In closing, it’s quite easy to see who has prepared and who hasn’t. From your body language to your performance on the field, you are always being evaluated. Control what you can control! Train hard, dial in your nutrition, and keep growing. Knowing that you have checked all your boxes will lead to the confidence needed to succeed. Good luck.