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What separates the successes from the failures
Written by Duane Long   
Thursday, 04 June 2009 11:36
Some back and forth has cropped up about the statement from my contact that "Keith Wells needs to get his priorities in order or he will never play here. He could not be more unfocused." That is about off the field and it is everything in this.

First, define off the field. That means a number of different things. It means weight room. It means film study. It means eating properly. It means getting rest. It means hitting the books because if the grades are not in order it all falls apart. It does not mean being an automaton. Enjoying life is essential for anyones well being. What I am talking about is living the life of an athlete. It is not just something you do. Those that end up being great accept it as a way of life. Look at how many athletes these days look like they could step right back onto the field or into the ring years after their careers are over. The root of all success is focus. Getting ones priorities in order. Nothing is more important than that for these young athletes. We talk about five-star athletes and lament settling for a three-star player. The difference between them is really not that great. All that does is give us some idea of what we call "upside." The one thing I have found to be the most important factor in projecting at athlete is work ethic. A three-star kid that works harder than a five-star kid is going to push closer to his ceiling. I can cite some examples. Back in the Cooper years there was a back from Massillon named Travis McGuire. At the end of his senior year at least one national service had him the top back in the country. He came here and played as a freshman. Left the program, bad-mouthed Cooper and ended up at a school in the northeast. I can't remember off the top of my head which school. He left that school too. Bad-mouthing everyone along the way. I read a story about him a few years ago. He was a golf pro in Florida at the time. I have it around here somewhere but can't lay hand to it right now. He said John Cooper did him no wrong. His biggest problem was he looked over his shoulder at a back in the next recruiting class. He saw the hardest working guy he had ever seen in his life. He knew he could never outwork him. That guy was Eddie George. Maurice Clarett was always a royal pain. He was a high maintenance guy from day one. You will never hear any of his teammates dog him. That is because he was such a worker. At the time every player was required to come in a do a very strenuous workout once a day. The staff held 2 sessions a day to make sure everyone could get there. I was told the workouts were just a killer. Surviving it was all they were trying to do. Clarett came in every day and completed both workouts. Do any of you remember Dareus "Superman' Hiley? Forget about Troy Smith. Forget about Donte Whitner. Forget about Ted Ginn. The best athlete to come out of Glenville was Dareus Hiley. If you ever run into Ted Ginn ask him. He will tell you Hiley was the best. He was a Buckeye for a short period of time. He did not get it.

The reason some "sure thing" players fail and the kid that gets forgotten when trying to remember who was in a particular class becomes a star, is focus and work ethic. What every happened to such and such seems to be a great mystery. It is rarely a matter of those in the talent evaluation side of the business making a mistake. Measurables don't lie. 4.4 is 4.4. Film doesn't lie. The eye in the sky tells no lies. What is often the culprit when a big time player does not pan out is the result of being so much better than anyone on the field that they never had to work for it. When hard work is called for they fail all too often.

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Comments (5)Add Comment
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written by Buckeye Warrior, June 04, 2009
How true. I am glad a guy like Pryor is a team leader. When everyone sees him working the hardest, they will follow and do the same.
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written by MacAuley, June 04, 2009
I'm reading a book about success and I can sum up the difference between the "world-class elite" and "the very good" in three words. Two thousand hours. By the time they are about 20, those that are considered "world class" in most endeavor, music, hockey, soccer, will have logged about 10,000 hours of practice. Those that are considered "good" to "very good" logged about 8,000 hours. Very consistent. Very predictable.
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written by a guest, June 04, 2009
Work ethic, kinda the difference between Darius Hiley and Anthony Gonzalez?
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written by marksgforce, June 05, 2009
Guys from every position group crap out -- BUT it seems to me it happens more with the bigs. I think weighing 300 pounds AND having a high octane motor is tougher than we'd like to make it. Heck, I overeat on vacation and can barely force myself to do a 30 minute workout at the Y.
re:
written by Duane Long, June 05, 2009
Work ethic, kinda the difference between Darius Hiley and Anthony Gonzalez?


As well as focus and maturity.

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