Hard Work Really Pays Off

Yesterday I wrote an article about athletic leadership. I really stand by what I said too.

So today I’m going to talk about how hard work really does pay off. In college athletics the Transfer Portal is an easy way out for the athlete. I think it can either be real good for a specific athlete or just flat out a career killer. For example, when Kenneth Walker III transferred from Wake Forest he was a key player there. But they use a multiple back set and he wanted to run the football team like Lorenzo White did at MSU. So he entered the Transfer Portal and came to East Lansing and won the Doak Walker Award as the best running back in the country. That tells me he really put in the hard work and didn’t expect to be entitled to any special treatment. This is just a brief example.

My father and mother taught me at an early age to work hard, harder than anyone around you. They instilled in me one helluva a work ethic. Today’s younger generation seems not to understand this concept.

Listen, I work with a lot of younger people and they are very hard workers because they get it! But if you play a sport in high school, college or pro don’t complain. Be accountable and put in the work.

The late Kobe Bryant always stressed to everyone you have to put in the hard work. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is another prime example. He transferred from Ohio State to LSU. In one year he put in the very hard work and it paid off. Burrow threw 60 touchdowns, won a National Championship and was the first pick in the NFL Draft. He also helped take the Bengals to this past Super Bowl only in his second year in the NFL. All I can say is when things get tough, don’t get going. Dig in and grind it out.