By David Tyree
NFL Player Engagement
On Wednesday January 30th, I was honored with the opportunity to address 450+ high school athletes in the New Orleans community at the Sports Career Expo. The idea was to educate them in careers in sports and equip them with keys to success if they choose to pursue those career paths. How can one accomplish this task of motivating or inspiring a generation to overcome the existing obstacles in life? My simple answer is to JUST SHOW UP! I did so and shared my life experiences through the acronym "V.O.I.D.S"
My desire was to expose the peril of an unfulfilled life. Life is meant to be enjoyed, shared, and celebrated. The problems arise when our heart's desires are never quenched. To see our futures glowing with promise and to never have it come to fruition. A passage that I find personally meaningful is “Hope defined makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12).
This harsh but common experience is what I recognize as a "void" in one's life. A void in this instance refers to an empty space or something experienced as a loss. The good news is this experience can be averted! All of these young students have been given some instruction on how to do so through these roadmap virtues in life.
VISION – My oldest sister Tara planted a seed in my life that would take root and give me vision beyond my surroundings. When I was seven or eight years old she said, "You know you can get a scholarship to play sports and they pay for your education!" I now had the vision to see life outside of my locale and circumstances.
OPPORTUNITY – Just as often as opportunities are given they must be created. I recognized my athletic talents and used them as leverage to achieve my goals. Football was my vehicle to a free education. I was able to recognize that I had a choice to become successful.
INVESTMENT – This is the work. Everyone has something to offer and invest. Usually we are investing our time, talents, and/or treasure with hopes to bring a harvest or some measure of increase. The law of sowing and reaping does not end with farming but brews over to relationships, education, and job success.
DILIGENCE – Defined as constant or earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken; persistent exertion of body or mind! This is a virtue that I liken to crossing the "T's" and dotting the "I's." Diligence is what ensures excellence in all that one puts their hands to do.
SACRIFICE – The surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim. Sacrifice is the measure of what is most important in an individual’s life. Since we can't do everything, we oftentimes have to ascribe value to our trivial pursuits and make a choice accordingly.
Recognizing and applying these virtues paved the way for seven amazing seasons in the National Football League, climaxing with a Super Bowl championship. Today the real fruit has arisen as I have now transitioned off of the field and these same traits and disciplines are ensuring success in my life today.
Learn more about the Sports Career Expo.