Grit: A lesson from the NFL draft

The NFL draft is segmented into three days. Days one (round one) and two (rounds two and three) are aired in primetime and draw the most attention from fans; mainly because that’s where the most recognizable players from college football are selected. These prospects usually have the most impressive stats, but can also run the fastest, jump the highest/farthest and have just the right measurableables (height, weight, wingspan, hand size, etc.). While it is exciting to add a player with elite talent to the roster, many 1st round draft picks “bust,” never developing into the player that fans and teams believed they could be.

My favorite day of the draft has always been the third and final day. There is usually something “flawed” about the prospects selected here, however players selected in rounds four-seven or who go undrafted make up 65% of NFL rosters. Everybody likes a good under dog story, but what is it about these overlooked players that allows them to succeed? How did the best player in NFL history, Tom Brady fall to the 6th round? What is it that NFL teams are failing to correctly evaluate? The answer is: Grit.

Angela Duckworth defines Grit as the ability to persevere with passion to achieve long-term goals. In my experience, “grit” is a commonly used buzz word to describe mental toughness; however few actually know how to identify or measure it. Utilizing diverse populations including college students in the Ivy League, cadets at The United States Military Academy, and participants in the National Spelling Bee, Duckworth developed a Grit scale (https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-scale/) to see how “gritty” a person actually is and found that grit is a significant predictor of success over and beyond intelligence or raw talent.

Pete Carroll who became coach of the Seattle Seahawks in 2010 believes in Grit so much that he had Duckworth speak to his team. In fact, in 2016 it was made public that the Seahawks utilize a “Grit Test” with players at the NFL combine. While draft analysts poked fun at these test, perhaps they should review Carrolls resume (playoffs 8/10 seasons, two Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl win).

Regardless of where a player was selected or his physical abilities, the research is clear: He’ll need grit to achieve his true potential.

Coach Nelson serves as a high school football coach who is pursuing his doctorate in Sport and Performance Psychology. He has worked for division 1 athletic departments, professional sport franchises, a Fortune 100 Company and has won numerous awards for his LEADership abilities. Most recently coach Nelson was hired as a trainer for the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) and as a mental performance coach for Mindurance.

His mission is to positively influence the world through Love, Effort, Attitude and Discipline (#LEAD). To learn more about the LEAD philosophy follow him on Twitter Levi Nelson or reach out via email at rln10@zips.uakron.edu He’d love to learn about or help you in your journey!

PCA: https://www.positivecoach.org/team/nelson-levi/

Mindurance: https://mindurance.com/viewAdvisor.asp?ic=51819&catID=