What We Should Learn Each NFL Draft?

Here's a lesson for you if you are open to receive it. Tonight is the 2020 NFL Draft. Many young men's dreams are about to come true in this now annual ritual. To everyone picked, congratulations! But what about those who will not be selected? For all of the talented athletes eligible, there are only 200+ slots for the annual draft. How is one selected or brought to the attention of an organization besides their need? Well usually outside of the household names most players are scouted. And there are hundreds of professional scouts paid millions of dollars in salaries to find the best talent and report back to their organizations who shows the most promise and why they should be selected. 

20 years ago Tampa Bay Buccaneer Quarterback, Tom Brady (I know it took me a few times to type that) was not selected until Pick #199 in the 6th Round. So all of the scouts and all of the paid sports analysts missed this pick. Brady if you have lived under a rock for the last 20 years has won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and is widely considered the greatest professional quarterback in NFL history if not the greatest football player of all time.

How does this happen? How do all of these paid professionals miss a talent as great as Brady? Now to this year's #1 Overall pick from Louisiana State University and Heisman Trophy and National Champion Quarterback Joe Burrow. Burrow who will definitely go #1 Overall to the Cincinnati Bengals tonight. But Joe, like Tom Terrific (that is what we call the GOAT-Tom Brady) was projected as a 6th Round Pick for this year's draft this time last year. Now he's the #1 Overall Pick. Let pundits tell it and they will say he's gotten better. That's why they notice him now. Or is it Joe has just got his shot? You see Burrow was on the football roster for THEE Ohio State University (As a Michigan fan my stomach turned typing that too). However, Joe Burrow left Ohio State to pursue the opportunity to play at LSU. And the rest as they say my friends is HISTORY!

So, again what is the lesson? The lesson is your true value may not be seen, known or understood by others or those in decision-making positions. As demoralizing as that can be or seemingly stagnating to your goals DO NOT LET IT! Sidebar, International Superstar Rapper/Rocker Kid Rock went into P. Diddy's Bad Boy Records looking for a record deal but Diddy's team laughed him out of the office. No one understood or appreciated what they were seeing. And the rest they say after 35 million records is HISTORY!

I love these stories because they offer endless hope and encouragement to try new things and continue on your own path. I live by the motto, "Do it and let everyone else catch up." Just because someone cannot see it now does not mean it's not coming. Whether you are drafted or selected, keep playing the game as hard as you can.