AJ Hawk on Family, Hard Work and The Heart of a Champion

I met today’s guest (for a second) 10 years ago on one of the biggest days of my football career: Pro Day at Ohio State.

I was super intimidated by the amazing athletes on the field, including the incredible AJ Hawk.

I had followed his awesome career and wanted to be like him both on the field and off.

Little did I know that ten years later I would be interviewing him on my podcast The School of Greatness.

Needless to say, I was PUMPED I got to meet and talk to AJ (who also interviewed me for his podcast!).

It turns out we have a lot more in common than just being two Ohio boys who played football.

AJ is one of the hardest working, most humble guys in the League and I could have talked to him for hours (this episode goes on for a while as is).

We talk about family, what his kids have taught him, how he navigates the mental highs and lows of playing pro sports, and what he wants to create next in his life and career.

We go deep at the end (defying the stereotype that all football players are meatheads).

And I even try a little beatboxing, so stay tuned

It is a huge honor for me to welcome NFL Linebacker AJ Hawk to Episode 149.

“Whatever morals and standards I have in life, I want to take to the field.”

Some questions I ask:

• What did you learn about yourself on Pro Day when you got tested on everything you’d worked for?
• When was the moment you decided you were going to be in the NFL?
• What have been your training rituals through the seasons (high school, college, pro)?
• What are the top 3 lessons you’ve learned about yourself in the 9 years you’ve been playing in the NFL?
• If you could write the last chapter of your NFL career, what would it be?
• Is there a common thread among the best elite athletes?

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• The power of giving your all to a situation that matters (instead of pulling back and rationalizing)
• How athletes now pick their college based on their likelihood of getting drafted from there
• Why he enjoyed early morning workouts in high school
• How his kids empower him
• Why every athlete has to take care of his body (even if he’s naturally talented)

“The talent that you’re born with is only going to last so long.”

• The mental/emotional highs and lows of being an athlete
• The importance of having variety in your friend pool
• Plus much more…

Interested in learning how to build a life and business around doing what you love? So am I. Let's connect.

This post was originally posted as blog post Lewis Howes.com. View original post here.

Lewis Howes is an online marketing expert, sought-after business coach, hugely popular speaker, podcast and webinar host, and lifestyle entrepreneur. A former Pro Football player, Collegiate football record holder, two-sport All-American, and current National Champion in Team Handball, he is the host of The School of Greatness podcast, which has been downloaded by over 5 million people since it first went online in January of 2013 (and receives 750,000 downloads per month). He was recognized in a 2013 White House ceremony by President Obama as one of the top 100 entrepreneurs in the country under 30. He is an author, angel investor and advisor to start up companies. He has built a multi-million dollar online businesses and named by Details Magazine as one of 5 Internet Gurus Who Can Make You Rich.

Lewis Howes is a Lifestyle Entrepreneur, sought-after business coach and host of the popular podcast The School of Greatness which gets 750,000 downloads a month. He is a former Pro Football player and current member of the USA Men's National Handball Team. He was recognized in 2013 by the White House as one of the top 100 entrepreneurs in the country under 30 and Details Magazine calls him one of "5 Internet Gurus Who Can Make You Rich.”