Falling Back In Love With Football
Recently, NFL.com published a story on Jake Plummer’s retirement. At the age of 32 and faced with an option to make $5.3 million a season with Tampa Bay, he decided to hang up his cleats and leave his successful career. Jake had lost his love for the game — his passion had fizzled out after 20 years of playing the game.
But Jake didn’t leave football. He began coaching a local high school team and became an avid spectator of the Ducks at Oregon, which helped to revive his love for the game to which he had devoted 20 years of his life. Jake then attended a Broncos game as a guest of team owner Pat Bowlen, but moved down to the mezzanine to be among the crowd. Among the fans, he re-experienced the game as he had 20 years before, and it initiated a process of falling back in love with football. Today, Jake spends his time making what he feels is a larger impact through Heads Up Football, a nationwide program that teaches safety through proper equipment fitting, tackling techniques, concussion recognition and response, and coach certifications. Heads up Football enabled Jake to connect with young players around the country on a daily basis.
I believe it is all too common, not only in athletic careers but in the average profession, to experience burnout and find oneself experiencing a disconnect from something about which we used to be passionate. I find it can be easy to get bogged down in the sometimes exhausting details of trying to grow my young business — whether that’s managing deadlines, trying to get to all my follow-up emails in a timely manner,waking up early to be on time for a morning show, or racing to catch yet another flight. When I feel overwhelmed, it helps to go back to the roots of why I do this everyday.
Finding inspiration in Florence, Italy.
For me, wandering through a farmers market and experiencing the smells, sights, and sounds helps bring me inspiration and reignites my passion for food and cooking. Logging onto Twitter and reading your tweets in support of your teams makes me smile and reminds me why I love being a sports fan. For you, reigniting your passion could mean going to a minor sports game, connecting with someone in need through charity work, or spending time looking at the world through the eyes of a child.
The next time you find yourself begrudgingly peeling yourself from your bed to face your day, consider making time to explore the roots of your vocation. You may be surprised at how changing your perspective can change your mind.
