I believe in ‘The Process.’ I had to.
Coach Saban would say, “Don’t think about winning the SEC Championship. Don’t think about the National Championship. Think about what you need to do in this drill, in this play, in this moment. That’s ‘The Process.’ Let’s think about what we can do today and the task at hand.”
For me, ‘The Process’ manifested itself many years earlier as I sat third string behind two Alabama greats: Jalen and Tua. “Can I compete here?” Well, the answer came in the form of a call from my dad, Gordon. He won multiple National Championships in NIAI Tennis in 1977. He shared an idea, ‘A Process,’ a list and guide to help focus on the present . I often hear how I have persevered or overcome challenges. The real crux of it is two great coaching staffs guiding me, Coach Saban and his philosophy on following ‘The Process’ and my parents, including my dad’s very tangible written list. It was a guide, a process to being not just great, but National Championship quarterback great.
As I have reflected on the seasons and the years to get here, their guidance has struck me more now than ever. Its intent was to get me physically and psychologically prepared; the result has been a process that I can follow for any challenge in life. And now presented with the single greatest physical and mental challenge I have yet to encounter via the NFL, Coach Belichick, and the New England Patriots I am reminded – you’re never done – keep evolving, challenging, persevering and winning.
All of this is a consequence of knowing that #IAMNOBULL.