Selecting Talent: Peak Performance Field Guide #5

Does character matter in professional football?

"We want players with good football temperament, ployers who have reliability, who like the game. Players who are durable, who have good football intelligence as to what's happening out there, and a good work ethic."

--Bill Polian, NFL Indianapolis Colts president.

When the Colts took running back Edgerrin James from the University of Miami, with the #4 pick in the 1999 NFL draft, many of their fans were disappointed. They had hoped for Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams from the University of Texas, but the Colts knew that with Peyton Manning at quarterback, ehey would need a strong running back and receiver, they knew that they would need someone with a strong character who would fit it well.

"We knew Edgerrin was a totally grounded guy. Ricky had other interests," said Polian.

"The most important thing is to get guys that have football character. You want guys who show up to work every day, guys that practice every day, work hard in the offseason, are smart and know their assignments. If you have a guy who is a little bit of a malcontent who doesn't show up for meetings or practice, while other players are pushing through injuries to play, you're in trouble." -- NFL personnel executive

"We're committed to smart, tough, hard-working, competitive guys that are selfless, guys that football is important to. And that's what we're going to draft."

-- Eric Mangini, first year head coach of the NFL New York Jets

Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, Lance Armstrong, Martina Navratilova............Achieving peak performance requires certain consistent personality characteristics. The athletes who have been most successful seem to possess extremely high levels of:

· FOCUS
-Intense concentration
-Unwavering need to work on routine fundamentals
-Demanding of self
-Pushes self to great performance
-Willingness to isolate and/or work alone for long stretches

·CONFIDENCE
-Self-assurance
-Positive outlook
-Great belief in their ability to meet their goals

·PERSEVERANCE
-Failure is not an option
-The ability to persist through difficulties
-Acceptance of criticism and feedback
-Determination

· TENACITY
-A willingness to pay the price
-The toughness to endure pain, suffering, and hard work
-Fearlessness and effective managing of emotions

· CLEAR, UNWAVERING GOALS
-High standards and expectations
-Striving for perfection
-Driven to high levels of performance
-A consistent focus on the end result
-Challenges self continuously to stretch

· WILLINGNESS TO PRACTICE
-Committed to be the best through hard work and sacrifice
-The ability to spend the necessary amount of time mastering their craft
-Continuous improvement mentality
-Sponge for more information and data about performance

· ABILITY TO DEAL WITH ADVERSITY AND FAILURE
-Extreme strength and emotional resilience to tolerate pressure and bounce back from setbacks
-Willingness to explore and tolerate the unknown
-Looks ahead to the future and its possibilities