It is hard. It's hard when you're young to wake up in the off season at 6 a.m. to go train and

work out, knowing that all your friends are sleeping in and eating pancakes. It's hard when you're on

your way to practice, way down with all your gear, and it's 90 degrees out and all the other kids are at the pool or at the beach

It's hard to throw catch block and tackle and hit kids when they're way bigger and way more developed than you only to go home that night bruised and battered and strained

But no one you have to show up again the next day for just the chance to try again

but understand this life is hard no matter who you are there are bumps and hits and bruises along the way.

And my advice is to prepare yourself.

Because football lessons teach us that success and achievement come from overcoming adversity.

I remember being downstairs for like the fourth round and I came and gone.

And the fifth round, you know, was coming and going and all these other guys were getting

picked.

And it was hard.

I remember taking a walk with my dad and mom around the block.

Sorry about that.

It was just a tough day, you know.

You know, finally when the Patriots called, I was so excited.

You know, I was like, I don't have to be an insurance salesman, you know?

All those experiences that we think are the hardest things in our life end up being the best experiences in our life

because if you approach it with humility and you look inward, they become the best opportunities

for growth and learning.

Because I developed this work ethic in high school and I realized, man, if I want to be good,

I got to wake up in the morning and I got to do the extra work and I got to show up when other

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