A Winning Attitude

Playing Northwestern College Football was an impactful event in my life. My teammates and I accomplished one of the hardest feats in Big Ten history. We were Conference Champs in ’96 & ’97; with consecutive Rose Bowl and Citrus Bowl appearances. We accepted and shared a vision introduced by our coach, Gary Barnet. Coach Barnett inspired our imaginations by planting the seed of “bringing the Purple to Pasadena”.

Early on, thoughts of self doubt would surface; especially when we focused on our opponent’s success and negative articles that cited Northwestern’s poor record. Despite many distractions, we remained focused and hopeful; keeping our goal in site. Our team had to be the best team in order to win; a compilation of student athletes that possessed not only the physical capacity the BigTen requires, but also the mental toughness and courage to beat the odds – while performing in school. Although I was one of the fastest, as a freshman I respected the rankings of the senior receivers and contributed where I would be the most effective for the Team.

Even now, I find many opportunities to give my clients an advantage by doing what many Realtors aren’t willing to do. Each victory strengthened our confidence and we eventually gained the support of the Media who shared our journey and inspired the Country. Could we do it again? Could we do it when our competition sees us as the team to beat? How? We didn’t change our work ethic and continued to focus and adapt to the leagues evolving contenders. We went on to win the Big Ten back-to-back with a diligent training regimen supported by a winning attitude. Let’s go!