I dared to do something I was not qualified to do… But, I was encouraged by a leader in my life to strive for greatness – even if it meant I could ultimately fail.
Back in 2006 – I was a 1 ⭐️ QB / LB / LS in high school in Birmingham, AL. But, I had an opportunity to walk on at The University of Alabama football team. It was a big chapter in my life that stretched me, strengthened me and refined me as a young man.
My Dad shared this quote with me while going through the journey…
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;
who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;
but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause;
who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
— President Theodore Roosevelt, The Man In The Arena —
Even though I was cut from the team – I will never forget the opportunity to know the feeling of the arena. Lessons learned to get back up and keep pressing forward.
I’m constantly reminded of the times my life coach & Dad (David Franklin) always pushed me into an uncomfortable state to strive for greatness since I was a little boy.
Forever grateful. Thank you, Dad!
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