Someone was getting cut this day!

It was during my 3rd year playing in the Canadian Football League when many changes took place. Previous to when this picture was taken in 1997, I was back at home during the off-season and was a wreck! I hit rock bottom. If you want to know how that feels, I'll give you a few things that happened to me: food didn't satisfy, if I touched it...it didn't work, felt empty on the inside and all those highs that give you or me pleasure....didn't give a high anymore (not illegal btw)! I remember laying in bed just miserable and not wanting to get out.

Before I share more about "someone was getting cut this day," I need to share some of the events that led up to this particular day. After hitting rock bottom, I found myself at a Promise Keeper's in Cincinnati, Ohio rededicating my life to Jesus! Sorry if you're offended, but I've tried following a path that put people and things as my guide in life, but they never gave me contentment. This was the start of my changes that I wanted to make this year and I had to share the source of even why I wanted to change!

After choosing this new path in life, it was through my relationship with God that encouraged me to "improve my life." I looked in a mirror, dug deep, and examined my "game of life" which included my job as a football player, my relationships with peers and family, the things I did outside of my job, the weekends, etc. After my eyes were opened to many of these areas that I had neglected or abused, I was highly motivated to work on them.

I still had to get in shape for my sport as I lifted and ran more than what a normal athlete in high-school or college might do! It was either you bring your best, make plays on the field or you lose your job. Though this wasn't particularly easy, I had been playing sports all my life and been working out all my life. It was just something that I gotten used to, but the other changes in life I needed to make would prove to be more difficult. I love talking to people and felt that I had a message to others, but was afraid to speak publicly which is the reason why I wanted to enroll in a Dale Carnegie course that year. I couldn't even stand up and say my name without thoughts of wanting to be half dead in a hospital as opposed to speaking. It was that hard for me! After graduating from Vanderbilt University some years prior, one would think that I would have been ready for life, as some even joke that it's the Harvard of the South! I wasn't ready for life, but I blame that on myself. It was because of my lack of action and effort that I place blame. I just did whatever it took to get by. Because I wanted to turn a new leaf this year, I also wanted to flip a house. Wanting to do this was almost like going back to College to take a class, but this time I would put in more effort to learn! As an athlete in a small city where you are the only professional team around, there are many reasons why you think you are big time and I took advantage of those opportunities in previous years. It was all about me and whatever made me happy is what I did. Some might call this the party scene! This was the next area I wanted and needed to change and just simply needed "NO." So to clarify, I still worked hard with the weights and getting into shape in the off-season so I could make the team. The other changes I wanted to make were, to enroll in a Dale Carnegie course, flip a house, stay away from the party scene which also influenced how I treated others.

The plane touches down in Regina, Saskatchewan, ready to start training camp that May of 1997. I arrived in as good of shape as most, ready to make changes, but I still needed to make the team. Summer camp is never easy! It's hot, two-a-days is rough on the body, and there are a lot of great athletes you compete against to win a spot! It was on a hot summer day at the end of practice, just a few days before the last pre-season game against Edmonton, when one of the coaches tells 2 players to stick around! I heard my name and another player's name and knew what this meant! They were going to choose only 1 of us to go to the last pre-season game of the year (sort of making their final cut before the game). I didn't know this individual well, but he did attend the University of Cincinnati (interesting because I'm from Cincinnati) and had played in the NFL and CFL. He was a really good player! He was tall, big and athletic, but so are the rest of the players (maybe not all big as in the defensive back's cases). We both started to walk to the end zone where the coach was waiting for us.

As I stood there waiting on coaches direction, there were other players out here in order for this 1 on1 pass rushing drill to help a coach make a better decision for his team. They included a center (hikes the ball), a few offensive tackle's as well as offensive guards (they just took up space so you couldn't cheat) and the coach who was playing quarterback. For those who don't know football and want to learn, or if you do know football and want to hear how this works; this is one thing that is done in order to make a cut! The offense huddles up (coach, tackle, guard and center) as the coach tells them what the snap count is on and they get to the line. In the meantime, either myself or UC (we'll call him that for now) goes to the line (we both were playing a rush end spot/outside linebacker) and get ready for the play to start. What was I thinking at this time? I didn't have much time to think, but the pressure that gets put on is whether or not you beat the offensive tackle more times than your teammate, who was UC in this case. It's pretty simple and I've seen this same thing done before. I also might want to add this: if you finish the 5-7 second drill against the tackle and you both are just tied up, that's not a win for you! Coaches wanted to see who beats the tackle clearly and not get tied up. UC goes up to the line first. I think the snap count is on 2 and we just wait until that ball is hiked. Like I said, he's a tall, big and strong guy with years of experience. He beats the tackle and as soon as the coach gets his players set up again, I move up to my position, just right outside the offensive tackle. I'm focused, my stance is perfect (outside foot back and low to the ground), and with the corner of my eye focuses on the ball so when it moves, I can get a great start. I wasn't as tall, big or strong as UC, but I was faster and quicker and had to use that to my advantage. I don't recall what exactly the moves I did in that moment, but I beat the tackle too. We go back and forth, from the left side, back to the right side. It seems like forever, but we both deserved to make the team that day as neither one of us got beat once! I just remember that I couldn't leave any doubt with a coach, and UC was probably thinking the same.

We both walk into the locker room, confident in our abilities, and find out the next day that we both are traveling to Edmonton to play in the final pre-season game! Neither one of us were cut! We both knew however what was taking place, but our plays on the field gave us another day to prove our worth in making the squad that year.

Why do I share this story now? As I woke up today, I just felt this pressure that I needed to prove myself and make the team! 1997 was the beginning of Check Your Game. My decision to examine my "game of life" and make changes helped influence the creation of this brand, but it was the results that encouraged me to share what I learned with others. If you're interested to read more about what took place that year, you can read more when you visit www.checkyourgame.com and go to "Life Stories" and put in "Gary" in the search area under "search and filter." Also, if you are encouraged to learn more about what we're doing with our business, how we encourage ALL people (not just sports stories) through stories, and how you can impact the world, we'd love to talk to you.