It’s the time of year again when season openers come at you fast and furious. There’s football on every channel. This week also saw the kickoff of two new talks shows. Tamron Hall and Kelly Clarkson aren’t strangers to the public eye. They’ve gotten new gigs to bring their personality to the daytime TV scene.

Some showbiz watchers and sport fans might still be talking about what happened over the summer. There was the NFL Hall of Fame induction of Tony Gonzalez, one of the best to have played the Tight End position. There was also Simone Biles and her other-worldly performance as a gymnastic champion.

These two, while in different sports, seem to have something in common. Gonzalez went from “shy-guy status” in high school to a major player in college. Biles went from rocky beginnings as a child to rock-solid performances as a gymnast. It’s not quite rags to riches, but sure seems like “impossible to possible.”

This helped put them on the map professionally and in people’s hearts emotionally. When Gonzalez made it into the hall of fame this summer, he had lots of pleasant memories to share. And when Biles did that first-ever ‘triple double’ routine, it sent the Internet into a full-blown pop culture “fire alert.”

They will tell you that it hasn’t all been peaches and cream. Gonzalez recently share how he dealt with being bullied in his early school days. Biles has had to deal with social media riff-raff comments after news about a family member. But they’ve showed nothing’s gonna hold them back because they go to:

1. The huddle

Every football play starts with the huddle. It’s where the next-step gameplan is shared. But the huddle isn’t limited to sports. Folks in business and media do some kind of huddle in their office meetings. Gonzalez says he even does meditation as a kind of self-huddle with mind, body and spirit in the mix.

2. The hurt

Both have had to deal with emotional hurts in their journeys. Gonzalez tells the story of hiding from his family when he realized that the bully showed up at his graduation. But he would gather himself and use that as a turning point. It’s a case of turning pain into gain, hurt into greater self-worth.

3. The hustle

Back in the day there was a song call “do the hustle” that was as popular as the electric slide is today. Biles does her own hustle in the floor routine, but not a lot of people can match it. It’s hard to wrap your head around her doing the triple-double. She did two twists and three flips in one swoop.

4. The heartstring

The hall of fame ceremony can be a tear-jerker for inductees and fans. Maybe Gonzalez held it together, but we’ve seen times when athletes reveal their soft, human, vulnerable sides. That’s where heartstrings sometimes get pulled. It’s where fans connect with their idols in ways that make them feel like family.

Gonzalez continues to shine off the field as an NFL sports analyst. The playing days of his career might be over, but his star-status hasn’t faded. Biles is a 2019 nominee of the People’s Choice Awards in the Game Changers category. They’re special in how they crush it which makes fans give them their props.

Tip: In sports, business or in everyday life people who rock the hustle, shake the hurt and rise to the occasion are special because they crush it.

Talkback: Who’s ready for those season openers that bring new goals, roles and excitement?

Tracks: Yuna ft Usher  – Crush – https://youtu.be/9SGHPQ2FVm8

Jaheim – Struggle Love – https://youtu.be/paQc_A0oPxM