Trust Your ‘Next Man Up’: Learn From the Eagles and the Military
On fourth and goal with under one minute to go in the first half of the 52nd Super Bowl, Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Nick Foles runs to the sideline and asks Head Coach Doug Pederson, “You want Philly Philly?” After a brief pause, Coach Pederson nods and replies with confidence, “Yeah, let’s do it.” Foles runs back onto the field and executes the trick play to perfection for a touchdown.
To me, this moment, etched in history as the “Philly Special,” sums up the trust Coach Pederson and teammates had in their back-up quarterback, against all odds and on the biggest stage. The Philadelphia Eagles would go on to win the this Super Bowl on the shoulders of their ‘Next Man Up’.
Frequently referenced in sports, ‘Next Man Up’ is defined as the next person on your roster, ready to play when his or her number is called. From my days as an Air Force Officer, I remember embracing ‘Next Man Up’ — it was necessary to ensure consistent capability and continued success in the battle space.
In Afghanistan, I was a member of a rescue unit flying medical evacuation for US service members and coalition forces. Our mission was 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, rain or shine. Our 3 crews would take turns flying throughout the day and night, and our unit’s ability to execute never faltered. We had a “Duty Crew”, or back-ups, that stepped up if a crew member was sick, injured, or worse. Our unit relied on the ‘Next Man Up’…sub-par performance, or even worse, failure, was not an option because lives depended on it.
The same holds true for the units we supported who had service members being evacuated. The war did not stop when they lost their best Airman, Soldier, Sailor, or Marine. There is a ‘Next Man Up’, and a long line after him, of men and women trusted to step-up because there is no other option.
‘Next Man Up’ means more than just mission preparation and being technically capable and physically ready. In our unit, ‘Next Man Up’ meant building rapport with teammates, instilling mutual trust with the Commander, and having confidence that you will do your job and your teammates will do their’s. These things take time in a military unit, are fostered by leadership, and happen long before going to combat. I assume the same occurred for the Eagles, that leadership embraced the ‘Next Man Up’ mentality; Nick Foles had confidence and was trusted by his team prior to his number being called in Week 14 — well prior to winning the Super Bowl.
‘Next Man Up’ starts in practice by providing second-team players first-team repetitions. It transitions to execution by affording those same players real playing time — prior to the game being an inevitable win or loss. Allow your ‘Next Man Up’ to build rapport, develop trust, and gain confidence. Remember, this takes time and must start well before you need him or her to perform.
In all the uncertainty, one thing remains true: you will always have a ‘Next Man Up’. Make sure your players are ready and trusted when their numbers are called.
Special thanks to friend and Brother in Arms, john graham, for his support in writing this post. And many thanks to Alexandra KM and Jat Thompson for their continued thought leadership.
