Call Me, Maybe

Hello, friends! It’s been a bit. As a reminder, Full Court Press is using sports to remind us of what once was good, and what could be again. Today, we’re revisiting the NFL Draft. You’re on the clock!

First, could you please share what you’ve liked so far about Full Court Press?

I’ve been MIA lately. Sorry!

Transparently, I’ve been bouncing between trips and the day-job not knowing what’s worth writing about. Your feedback is incredibly valuable as I continue to find the mix between what I want to say and what others want to read.

Send me an email with any other feedback at [email protected]

Hope is one of the strongest feelings. When you feel hopeful, the outcome of your situation hasn’t been determined yet. You’re allowed to dream big.

I could apply for a job and get an interview.

I could apply to a school and get accepted.

I could go on a trip and have the best time.

But, until I actually do the dang thing, it’s all in my head.

As you could tell from the poll above, I’ve been thinking about what I want this newsletter to be. An outlet for creative expression. A place to share inspiring stories and encourage self-reflection for the reader.

But, until pen is put to paper¹ it’s all in my brain. Nothing good or bad can happen.

The moment of action is where hope dies and reality sets in - good or bad.

I go back to when I was in high school and wasn’t sure where I wanted to go to school. Texas A&M was my top choice and I got in automatically. I was accepted to some other schools and had an open mind. It wasn’t until I got denied from additional scholarships that I realized it made no sense to spend more money going to any other school. With that, my fate was set. I became an Aggie - something that ended up being one of the biggest blessings of my entire life.

It was the moment that I got the final scholarship rejection that made me realize my fate.

Very much a thought of “well… I guess I’m doing it!”

I love watching the NFL Draft for this reason.

20-24 year olds that have been working for this dream for over a decade. The place they get drafted could have an immeasurable impact on their future earnings, where they’ll meet new friends and/or a future wife, where they’ll retire and impact the community.

Going into draft night, every player has a gut feel for where they’re at. Agents get scoop from front offices - teams have needs at certain positions and their scouting grades dictate where they might fall.

Even with that intel, your future isn’t set in stone until you get the call².

Caleb Downs going to the Cowboys was widely considered one of the best moves of the 1st Round. His defensive prowess will immediately impact a franchise looking for stability on that side of the ball.

But, in this moment, he’s just a guy who had hope. Probably a little bit of anxiety about where he was going. His entire life was going to change in an evening.

He very well could’ve ended up with the worst team in the league, like the Jets, or slid back further than he hoped and been disappointed⁴. Hope is a funny thing like that - we can’t guarantee what’s going to happen.

At risk of sounding very 2010’s Philadelphia 76ers, all we can do is let go and Trust the Process. Trust in the work leading up to this moment.

The below look at how the Cowboys traded up one spot to land Downs was scintillating³.

Put yourself out there and you might end up getting rejected, losing a negotiation, or feeling silly.

Or, you might get a phone call where you hear:

“Caleb? This is Jerry Jones. You’re a Cowboy.”

Thanks for reading my newsletter! It had been a while and it felt good to get something out again!

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Blessings,

Brandon