| I had a chance to interview former UW Tight End Will Dissly on THE PREGAME, and now a member of the Seattle Seahawks, about Jake. He said Jake’s competitiveness isn’t just obvious – it’s beneficial. It clearly raises the level of commitment, performance and love for the game of his teammates. Our conversation reminded me what the word ‘compete’ actually means, as taught to me by Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. If you look up the definition today, you’ll find something along the lines of “strive against” But study the Latin roots of the word – com (together) and petere (seek) – and you’ll find that the word ‘compete’ isn’t about winning at all. It’s about “striving together” in the pursuit of a common goal. Browning may not win the most games of any quarterback this year, but he just might be the most competitive.
Looking ahead, this week we’re treated to one of the best rivalries in the sport, and one with incredible tradition: Stanford at Notre Dame. I grew up a Notre Dame fan. My main dream as a child was to play on that field and rock the blue and gold. I remember the day that I visited campus and worked out for their receiver coach, Urban Meyer. It was me and one other player, a 5-star recruit. At the end of the camp, it was that other player who was awarded their last remaining scholarship. I was left hurt, confused and angry. My first understanding of the word ‘compete’ was reverberating within me. My dream school said I wasn’t good enough. That day, I decided that I would go to whatever school played Notre Dame the most. If I couldn’t join them, I wanted to beat them. Badly. While it may not have been the most informed decision, and might have been pretty immature, it’s a main reason I ended up at Pitt. Two years into my career, I was finally able to play a game in South Bend. I remember running onto the field and looking at the crowd. While I wasn’t on the sideline I had dreamed about, I was so thankful for the game, and motivated to keep playing. Notre Dame games are special to me. I’ve lost two games in South Bend as a player and won two as a coach, and it’s never been lost on me how unique it is to play in one of the meccas of college football, even if the grass is three inches taller than it should be :). |
