This Player Changed My Player Development Trajectory
The Story That Made Me Hang Up My Whistle
There’s always a moment.
A turning point.
A story that flips the switch and makes you see the game—and life—differently.
For me, it happened at an alumni event for the Houston Cougars football program.
I saw one of our former stars—an absolute legend from the 1990s. His jersey still hung in our building. His cleats were displayed in the hallway. His name was etched in our record books. But when he returned that day… he was unrecognizable.
He was homeless.
He was massively overweight.
And he cried the entire time.
His teammates—many of whom had found stability—didn’t know what to say. They just watched. Hugged him. Tried to help. But no one had answers.
I stood there, completely wrecked.
And I kept asking myself:
How does this happen?
How can someone give their body and soul to a program and end up alone?
Even if poor choices were made, where was the support?
What could have changed his story?
That moment stayed with me. It haunted me.
It became the reason I walked away from coaching and into the work of player development.
Because developing the whole person isn’t optional. It’s essential.
And I made a promise to do whatever I could to make sure stories like his become the exception—not the norm.
Now, I serve not only athletes, but the professionals who serve them.
Because impact multiplies when the right people are equipped to do the right work.
And it all started with one broken moment that led to a lifelong mission.
📘 Grab the book that came from this story: The Player Development Guide
🎧 Listen to the full episode on The Player Development Pod