Michigan Football Walk-on Walkaways

We all do it. We all are going to lose weight. We all are going to be better family members.?We all are going to bring our best selves to work.?We each want to be the best version of ourselves in the new year. We're sure we can do it. Thirty days in, plans start falling apart.?That workout we planned to do, the diet we started on day one - gone, vanished, filed in the drawer of resolutions past.?I, too, have fallen into the trap - the black hole of empty plans and so for this, my first LinkedIn article, I thought I'd share what for me matters most...it's not what I want to do, but instead what I try to be.?

The best way for me to shine a light on who I want my future self to be is to keep what I call "walkaways" ever present in my life from an experience I had nearly 20 years ago.?A snapshot of my journey as a Michigan football walk-on, along with the "walkaways" from that time that sometimes lie dormant, but which I try to pull out on a more consistent basis, are included for you (and as reminders for myself) below.??

THE WALK-ON

The year was 2000, and I was a naive, ambitious North Farmington Raiders' high school senior approaching graduation.?Although I excelled as a Wide Receiver and Safety on the Raiders football team, I started exploring being a scholar athlete at schools who weren't on the radars of elite players. I had already been accepted into University of Michigan’s LS&A program and was leaning towards “hanging up the cleats” to just focus on academics as a Wolverine. The thought of playing football for a school like Michigan would be a dream as far removed as winning the lottery. I just didn’t have that type of talent.

Along came a miracle. Unbeknownst to me, my high school football coach, mentor, and principal, Mr. Rick Jones, sent my senior year Raiders football highlights VHS film to Michigan’s recruiting coordinator, Bobby Morrison.?Having known one another from interactions of a prior Raider-turned-Wolverine, Mr. Jones told Coach Morrison that if there was a slot for another walk-on, he had a talented, hard-working Raider with a strong work ethic to be considered.?Mr. Jones pulled me out of math class one afternoon and called me into his office to deliver the news...I had been accepted as a walk-on player for the winningest program in all of college football,?MICHIGAN!?

Fast track a few months to the summer?of 2000 when I first stepped foot into University of Michigan's highly acclaimed football training facility, Schembechler Hall.?Weighing in at a scrawny 170 pounds and unassuming 5’11’’, it was my first day of summer strength and conditioning workouts.?Did I have a jersey number??Was I really on the team yet? Was I good enough? Who were my teammates??What position would I play??These were just a few of the many questions circling around in my head. Entering the freshman locker room, I see a locker with a plaque over it which read,?#36 Lafer.?Alright, I guess I'm on the team and have a number.?Some anxiety is alleviated. This is real.

After I get ready for my first workout, I step into the office of renowned football strength and conditioning coach, Mike Gittleson.?Politely introducing myself, Gittleson sternly replies with, “Have fun quitting and throwing up today.” Well, I definitely threw up that day due to the intensity of the workout and my lack of conditioning, but I did not quit!?I improved each day of conditioning, getting stronger and more resilient (and I started fertilizing the ground less).??In the coming weeks, I was assigned to the Wide Receiver "crew" and my college football journey was off to the races.?

It's now November 2003 (my fourth and final year on the team).?I'm standing on the field at the Big House in my #36 jersey next to my parents, getting individually recognized in front of 110,000+ fans?before we play Ohio State for the Big Ten Championship.?All of us seniors were out there together while getting acknowledged in the same exact fashion.?It didn't matter if we were starters or benchwarmers, scholarship players or walk-ons.?We were a team and got through the journey together. A few hours later, the whole team is celebrating our victory over the Buckeyes in the locker room, roses in our mouths as the Rose Bowl Committee members extend us an invitation to "The Granddaddy of Them All." Did I actually play in that game??Definitely not. I was one of the players who the coaches would throw in for mop-up duty with a few?minutes left in a game when we were up 20+ points.?Did I have a role on the team to contribute to our successes as a collective unit? I'd like to think so.

Now almost 20 years removed from that memorable day, I reflect on the invaluable "walkaways" - lessons learned during my journey?(as a walk-on)?on the Michigan football team and how they've guided (and continue to guide) my career as a business professional.?

THE WALKAWAYS

1.??Don't get too high, don't get too low

Some of you may have seen Tom Brady's current ESPN docuseries,?Man in the Arena.?In Episode 4, Brady mentions his favorite championship ring is the "next one".?Although I missed out on playing with Brady by one year, I'm positive he got the "next one" quote from legendary Michigan football equipment manager, Jon Falk, who used to preach this line throughout the season to keep us focused on playing one game at a time. I love this quote because it shows that you shouldn't spend too much time patting yourself on the back and celebrating prior successes.?As a sales executive, I'm used to many highs and lows. When something doesn't go my way or a deal falls through, I've always tried my best to get over things quickly and?channel my energy into what I can control moving forward.?Are you still celebrating your 2021 victories, or are you focused on the next goal you want to accomplish???

2.?"Begin with the end in mind"?

You might be familiar with this quote which is Habit #2 from Stephen Covey's,?The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.?Legendary Michigan football coach, Lloyd?Carr, used to stress to the team that "nothing good happens after midnight." Coach Carr told us that we were under the microscope, and one bad decision could ruin our reputations or careers.?In the business world, this advice has helped me ensure that the daily activities I execute are aligned with the desired results I'm hoping to achieve.?Are you on a path to who you want to become, and what's your plan to get there??

3.??Don't expect anything to be given to you?

Coach Carr was always creating a?sense of competition amongst the players.?Nobody on the team felt like our jobs were safe, but rather we needed to improve each day in order to move our way up the depth chart or maintain a starting position. As a walk-on, I never took for granted that I'd have a place on the team for four years.?While I knew the chances of me ever getting significant playing time?were bleak, I tried my best to make sure I was providing value to the team wherever I could. In?my first job out of college as a commercial real estate office broker, I was tasked with tedious activities such as canvassing each floor of a tall Chicago skyscraper and writing down every tenant. Everyone has to start somewhere, and you have to go out and earn what you ultimately want to achieve. Do you find yourself becoming complacent, or are you getting better each day??

4.??Those Who Stay Will Be Champions

This is the saying that was prominently posted directly outside the locker room at Schembechler Hall, seen by the players each day we took to the practice field. Does this mean that if we stay on the team, it's a foregone conclusion we're going to win the Big Ten Championship??Some people might interpret this only in a literal sense, but it's up to each of us to decide for ourselves.?Maybe staying true to your morals and values is your definition?of being a champion??For me, running out of the Michigan stadium tunnel, earning a scholarship my senior year (I'll tell you about that later!), and getting a chance to play made me feel like a champion. Michigan won two Big Ten championships during my 4 years, so I took this in the literal sense as well!?What makes you feel like a champion at work? Is it the feeling of hitting a goal? Is it someone on your team who gets promoted??It's for you to decide.

5.??The Team, The Team, The Team??

If you aren't familiar with legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler's "The Team, The Team, The Team" speech , I highly encourage you to take a listen. Coaches at Michigan empowered the players to make important decisions such as voting for captains and aligning on our goals for the season. If a player who caught a touchdown was celebrating by himself in the?end zone, Coach Carr would not so kindly call out such behavior.?That touchdown doesn't happen if one of the linemen misses his assignment and the quarterback gets sacked. The expectation was to hand the ball to the official and celebrate with your teammates. One of my roles during?game weeks was to help the starters prepare for their upcoming game as a member of the scout team. In order for our defense to be as effective as possible during the actual game, it was key that I give them a "good look" by mimicking the routes of a Wide Receiver on the opposing team.?As a way to recognize my sacrifice, my commitment, and my focus on the team, Coach Carr awarded me with a full scholarship second semester my senior year, even after I decided not to come back as a?fifth year player because I was on track to graduate. Carr could have awarded it to someone still on the team who had more to "give to the program," but instead his actions showed how much he valued my contributions to the TEAM. I'll never forget that. What are you doing to recognize the contributors on your work team - even those whose impact might not be so obvious?

Shoutout to my brother-from-another-mother and fellow Michigan walk-on,?Jeremy Read , for gifting me with the?Melin WALK ON Hat ?which inspired me to write my first LinkedIn article. In the photo, you'll notice two shiny Big Ten Championship rings and, guess what...every player got the exact same hardware - scholarship or walk-on, starter or benchwarmer.?We each mattered. We each were an integral part of the success of the team.?We all did it. We all had to focus not just on what we had to do, but also who we had to be. Not just in January but in April, June, and October, is what you're doing matching?who you want to be? You, too, can go out there and be a champion.

Walking away for now,

Brian Lafer?

?#walkon

#walkonnation?

#michiganfootball?

#goblue

#theteamtheteamteam?

#thosewhostaywillbechampions