Jun 22, 2017
Mart and Dave take special care into what enters their bodies (usually), but after a nice sit-down with Former NFL player and State Champion Wrestler Trevor Laws, it felt like they just dropped 30 dollars at McDonalds with all the nuggets they came away with. No, these weren’t literal nuggets, which while they are delicious they do little to replenish the body. These nuggets were of a different sort and they were packed with nutrients, nutrients for the mind.
Trevor grew up in Burnsville, MN and attended Apple Valley High School where he was a stand out football player and wrestler. For the uneducated Apple Valley High School has been a perennial powerhouse on the national wrestling stage for a great many years. As Trevor so eloquently put it, “Having another mind grind his fist into your forehead for an hour will make you learn what you love in a heartbeat.” As a junior in high school Trevor won the State wrestling title in the heavyweight division. However, in his senior season Trevor suffered a crushing defeat in the State finals on a very public stage. It was his first real taste of defeat and adversity, “I looked back at my previous processes and realized the faults that I had made and told myself I don’t want to feel this way ever again.”
He attributes much of the success he’s tasted on the football field to the physical and mental edges he gained in the wrestling room. After his high school career Trevor went on to play at the University of Notre Dame. If you don’t know about the history and lore surrounding Notre Dame football give your head a shake and watch ‘Rudy’. Play Like a Champion Today is the famous sign the players look at as they are about to make their final turn out of the tunnel and onto the field at Notre Dame. Not unlike Rule #76 No Excuses, Play Like a Champion (If you haven’t seen ‘Wedding Crashers’ continue shaking your head). Trevor took this sign very seriously and it meant a great deal to him. He is a true believer that playing like a champion today is something that translates across the board of life, “Excellence and Greatness are a daily and moment to moment decision.”
After doubling his tackle totals each of his last three seasons at Notre Dame Trevor was selected in the second round of the NFL draft and went on to play four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. His insights into the transitions from high school to college to the professional ranks are compelling and offer even more nuggets (extra barbecue sauce).
What was most interesting about Trevor’s story though happens after football is done and his most recent transition into life after athletics. It is a golden template to athletes who have a difficult time finding purpose and direction in their lives after sport is no longer their main pillar.
Strap in and grab a pen because the quotes come flying in fast as this 295 pound (302?) bear man dives headfirst into the FishBowl and leads us through his path to happiness and success with a big smile on his face and a belly laugh that affects all who hear it.