TOP INSPIRATIONAL AND MOTIVATIONAL SUPER BOWL MEMORIES

Drew Brees | Desmond Howard | Vince Lombardi | John Elway | 1972 Miami Dolphins

It was a brilliant seat to the game, arguably one of the best in the entire stadium. I mean, for heaven’s sake, he got to be on the sideline for Super Bowl! On top of that, he got free official Super Bowl gear and unlimited free refreshments during the game. Besides being the envy of any football fan, he was just like everyone else in the Louisiana Superdome, standing and watching a football game for a few hours. Well, except for one big difference.

“Alright, punt team you’re on, get ‘em Desmond!”

There were 134 plays run during the course of Super Bowl XXXI between the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots. Desmond Howard was on the field for 12 of them. But when his team was hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in victory, he was the main attraction. Though he only touched the ball 10 times that night, Desmond Howard made himself into a classic example of seizing the opportunity. He returned 4 kickoffs for 154 yards and 6 punts for a Super Bowl record 90 yards, resulting in a Super Bowl record 244 total return yards. But the story here does not lie simply in his statistics for these were not hollow yards that had no influence on the outcome of the game. At the most crucial point of the most crucial game of his life, Howard did not merely “set-up” his team for a Super Bowl clinching drive…he WAS the drive.

Everyone has heard about the phenomenon that is the momentum of a sports game. It’s an invisible force that you can’t calculate or predict.  It’s the natural by-product of a game changing event.  So when the Patriots cut the Packers lead to a one score game deep into the 3^rd quarter, Howard felt the air move in the Superdome when Packers fans collectively held their breath.  However, Howard was breathing easy at that point given the fact that he had to walk up and down the sideline just to keep his legs stretched. But this was not a new situation for him. Desmond Howard was presented with an opportunity and, 99 yards later, he effectively took advantage of it. With his stunning 99 yard kickoff return, Howard provided a picture-perfect snapshot of a life-long lesson.

Be in control of your of your own life. Run at your own pace. Don’t put pressure on yourself to be anything you’re not or do anything you’re not intended to do. But be sure, that when the moment presents itself, you will do everything it takes to seize your dream. Desmond Howard didn’t complain that he wasn’t getting the ball enough or that he was only a special teams player even though he was a Heisman-winning receiver in college. He understood that while everyone’s opportunities are different in both quantity and quality, it should not change how each opportunity is approached. Be ready for every day.  Every chance can be your chance to be great.

Yesterday’s Daily Driver (1/28)

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