nfl draft

Fernando Mendoza Talks ‘Underdog Status’ While Azzi Fudd Takes on ‘Wings’ at the Top Spots in Their Respective Drafts

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In the space of just over a month, we saw the sports world light-up like a fireworks display. Back in March when the slate of teams was announced for the men’s and women’s NCAA Championship, there was another marathon happening in the background. This was between the WNBA league and players’ Union.

The previous Collective Bargaining Agreement had expired at the end of last season and a new one needed to be in place for the next season. Many issues were being discussed but the sticking points were revenue sharing and housing. The good news is both sides signed a new CBA on the dotted line.

Then, sports media coverage jumped to the drafts in the WNBA and the NFL. On the basketball side, Azzi Fudd was the #1 pick, joining the Dallas wings and her former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers. The football side saw Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza secure the #1 pick by the Las Vegas Raiders.

As they get more of the spotlight, Mendoza reflects on his underdog status as a player. He plans on staying in character and on skillset for what he’ll face in the pros. While Fudd enters at a time of the league’s new CBA with excitement and dollars to go with it. They’re focused on further realizing their:  

  • Greatness:- Mendoza and his Hoosier teammates were undefeated in the season by winning the big game. That’s not easy to duplicate but is a reminder of what it takes to level-up in any field.
  • Witness:- His faith is a big part of how he rolls. While he’s often seen as a witness for his belief system, his edge prob comes from his system of beliefs. A witness and fitness in life and game.
  • Uniqueness:- Some might feel Fudd isn’t a high-flying star player in the UConn tradition. But clearly, she maximizes her uniqueness on the court in how she delivers as a high-impact player.
  • Wholeness:- What they’ve come to know as athletes and individuals is that if their game has a ‘hole’ in it, it will take the ‘W’ of wisdom to fill it, and the ‘W’ of winning to build on it.       

The UConn women’s team was on track to have an undefeated season. They fell one game short of making it to the championship. Even though UCLA won it all, it was Fudd who landed the #1 spot in the draft. So, in life even if you lose sometimes, that doesn’t mean taking an ‘L’ makes you a loser.

For Medoza and Fudd, a new learning curve has begun. They’ll be working on making their greatness come through at the pro level. What they do to continue being a witness on and off their field of dreams will draw on their individual uniqueness and strengthen their wholeness as ambassadors of the game.

Talkback: Does it matter if some feel Fudd wasn’t a high-flying star player in the UConn tradition?

Tip: Don’t get hung up on what others say about you. What you say and do about you speaks for itself.

Tracks: Alicia Keys – Underdog – https://youtu.be/izyZLKIWGiA?si=FyyakKvi638ChXjo

Agent Sasco – Winner Right Now – https://youtu.be/yrNe0eqoEPg?si=pashp9oqeo3_-WiA

Drew Brees Retired, Justin Fields ‘Bout to Get Hired; How Career Moves Can Involve a Leap of Faith

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It’s been a different kind of NFL off-season as Covid-19 is still on many minds. Since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won their first Superbowl ever, eyes have been on Brady and whether he’s up for another season. It’s something Drew Brees had hoped to pull-off as he leaves the game after 20 seasons.

With Brees retired, the rumor mill had folks thinking Russell Wilson was about to get hired. Well, the jury is still out as NFL Draft buzz picks up. Lot’s of QBs on the list of choices, including Ohio’s Justin Fields. Some sports junkies think he’ll be in the top 5 while others see him further down in the top 10.

No matter where Fields ends up, he’s sure to get hired. Teams often have eyes on the QB spot because it’s so central to a well-run offense. Fields isn’t losing any sleep for now, while Brees hopes to get more zees and maybe time at home with the fam. As he likes to say, “it’s not the end but a new beginning.”

That’s because he’s already been locked-in by NBC as a commentator in the primetime booth. For him, It’s a shift from playing on the gridiron to being an analyst around plays, passes and points. He was on a winning Superbowl team during his time with the Saints, so he’s got the goods and receipts as well.

Fields and Brees find themselves at the start and end of their pro football playing days. But both have to approach things like taking a leap of faith. This means moving forward as if it’s a done deal while looking around knowing your chances for success are for real. How they move through this phase comes with:

  • Revelation

It’s not clear what was the ‘writing on the wall’ that made Brees throw-in the towel. Was it the 20 years, or the offer from NBC or the mid-season injury? Sometimes there’re are clues going into a decision and cues in the process that give you a picture of what’s possible or a feeling of peace whether win or lose.  

  • Promotion

At first when Brees got traded from the Chargers to the Saints, he probably wasn’t sure how things would play out. He became starting QB for the Saints and as the saying goes, the rest is history. This wasn’t a decision he controlled but was a career move that led to promotion and Superbowl XLIV MVP.            

  • Coronation

Fields has seen his college career go from contender to coronation. He was a Heisman Trophy finalist, even after having to transfer schools to land the starting spot at Ohio. Now he’s hoping that being drafted in the first round would be one more feather in his cap as another elite player headed to the pros.        

  • Validation

A leap of faith is sometimes preceded by validation. This is when you’re fairly certain about the next move to make. But other times the validation happens after when what you envisioned for yourself comes to past. Fields is working with some of this from his college days and hoping for more of it in his NFL days.

Soon, fans will know where Fields will go. Then in a few months we’ll hear Brees breaking down his game. Brees has to kinda reinvent himself from player to announcer while Fields has to up-level his game from college to the pros. For both, it’s just a matter of stepping-into the moment.                

Tip: A leap of faith requires stepping-into the moment that presents itself and living in the moment that elevates yourself.  

Talkback: Is Fields a top 5 or top 10 pick or does it even matter?

Tracks: Lupe Fiasco Ft Matthew Santos – Superstar – https://youtu.be/hVkBlsgthLg

Common – Don’t Forget Who You Are – https://youtu.be/mp2681a91NM