This episode of the Hard Men podcast is brought to you by Backwards Planning Financial, Keep Wise Partners, Farmer Bills Provisions, Livingstone Studio, Mount Athos was a rising star at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas.

As a junior quarterback, he had led his team deep into the playoffs,

showcasing a promising future. However, during the quarterfinals of the state playoffs,

tragedy struck. Breeze suffered a torn ACL in his right knee, a devastating injury that

ended his season and cast doubt on his athletic future.

The timing couldn't have been worse. The injury prevented Breeze from participating in pivotal college recruitment camps during the summer,

leading many top programs, including his dream schools, the University of Texas and Texas A&M to overlook him.

Concerns about his knee and his modest six-foot 175-pound stature led many to doubt his

potential at the collegiate level.

Undeterred Breeze, a Christian, underwent surgery in January 1996 and committed himself

to a rigorous rehabilitation process.

By the start of his senior year,

he had made a full recovery and gained almost 20 pounds of body weight.

That season, Breeze led the Westlake chaperoles to a perfect 16-0 record,

culminating in a dominant 55 to 15 victory in the Class 5A Division 2 State Championship game.

He completed 11 of 18 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns in the final game,

adding a rushing touchdown as well.

Breeze finished his senior year with 3,528 passing yards and 31 touchdowns, earning the Texas High School

5A most valuable offensive player award.

Despite these achievements, he received only two scholarship offers, ultimately choosing Purdue

University, where he would continue to defy expectations, setting numerous school and

Big Ten records at the

...