Good Inside with Dr. Becky

Russell Wilson: Beyond the Scoreboard

30 min
Feb 17, 20262 months ago
Listen to Episode
Summary

Dr. Becky interviews NFL quarterback Russell Wilson about mindset, adversity, and parenting. Wilson shares how his childhood shaped his work ethic, discusses mental resilience through neutral thinking, and explains how he applies sports lessons to family life with his wife Sierra and four children.

Insights
  • Adversity is a growth opportunity, not a setback—champions embrace challenges as moments to demonstrate capability and build resilience
  • Neutral thinking (process-focused vs. outcome-focused) protects self-esteem by separating identity from single moments or results
  • Parental sacrifice and modeling work ethic directly shape children's long-term motivation and grit more than verbal encouragement alone
  • Maintaining partnership quality (date nights, presence) is foundational to family stability and children's emotional security
  • Internal dialogue and self-talk are coachable skills that determine performance and resilience across sports and life domains
Trends
Mental coaching and sports psychology becoming mainstream in athlete development and parenting discourseProcess-based goal-setting replacing outcome-based metrics in high-performance coaching for youth and professionalsParental presence and quality time positioned as competitive advantage in child development and family stabilitySeparation of identity from behavior emerging as key framework for building resilience in children and athletesFaith and purpose-driven leadership gaining prominence in athlete brand positioning and family values communicationMulti-sport participation in youth athletics being advocated as development strategy over early specializationGratitude and service-oriented parenting as intentional counterbalance to privilege and material abundanceNeutral emotional regulation replacing toxic positivity in high-performance mindset training
Topics
Mental resilience and adversity management in sportsNeutral thinking and process-focused goal-settingParental modeling and work ethic transmissionYouth athlete development and multi-sport participationParenting strategies for high-achieving familiesInternal dialogue and self-talk coachingPartnership and marriage maintenance in high-stress careersGratitude cultivation in privileged householdsIdentity separation from performance outcomesLeadership and team dynamicsFaith-based motivation and purpose-driven livingChildhood trauma and parental sacrificeSports psychology and mental coachingCoaching youth athletes with differentiated approachesSportsmanship and competitive character
Companies
Nike
Partner on 'The Playbook' limited series featuring Russell Wilson and other elite athletes discussing mindset and lea...
Dick's Sporting Goods
Referenced by Russell Wilson as retailer where his father purchased sports equipment (baseball gloves, cleats, footba...
People
Russell Wilson
NFL quarterback, Super Bowl champion, Walter Payton Man of the Year; primary guest discussing career, mindset, and pa...
Sierra Wilson
Russell Wilson's wife; discussed as co-parent and partner in maintaining family stability through weekly date nights
Trevor Moad
Sports psychologist and mental coach who worked with Russell Wilson for 10+ years; pioneered neutral thinking framework
Dr. Becky
Host of Good Inside podcast; psychologist conducting interview and synthesizing insights about parenting and resilience
Hank Aaron
Baseball legend referenced by Russell Wilson's father as example of maintaining championship mindset despite performa...
Steph Curry
NBA player cited as example of elite performer who maintains identity despite occasional missed free throws
Michael Jordan
Basketball legend referenced as example of great performer who occasionally misses free throws without identity collapse
Quotes
"Adversity is only temporary. And we believe it so much that there's a thought that, you know, we believe in positive. I'm a positive person by nature, Dr. Becky. I'm definitely positive. But what we found was that, yes, positivity works. But what we know works 100% of the time is negativity."
Russell WilsonMid-episode
"I think what neutral thinking is to me is this idea that it's not outcome based. Yes. A lot of things in life are outcome based. And I think that when you really learn yourself and really start mastering the best version of you, you realize that it's not outcome based, but it's process based."
Russell WilsonMid-episode
"If mom and dad are good, the kids will be good. So that's been a big piece to, for me and Sierra is like, let's focus on you and I extremely well."
Russell WilsonParenting section
"I don't let my teammates say that. I don't let my kids say that, for dang sure. and I'm not going to say it to myself. So as a coach or as somebody leading young kids, I'm not going to let you say that. Not around me."
Russell WilsonYouth coaching section
"We have to really watch the words we say, the words our kids say. And sure, we want to see where they're at, but we really have to pay attention to the track that plays over and over in our mind."
Dr. BeckyClosing insights
Full Transcript
Here's something I hear from parents all the time. A lot of the things that are good for kids don't always feel good to kids. It's why I love finding things that flip the script, turning a potential power struggle into a moment kids enjoy. Haya does that with vitamins. And the part kids really love? The experience. The first box comes with a refillable glass bottle they get to decorate with stickers, so it feels personal, playful, and totally theirs. Taking their vitamin becomes a small daily ritual they can actually look forward to. The vitamins themselves are chewable, not gummy, with no artificial dyes and zero added sugar. They're packed with essential nutrients to support growing bodies. And for parents, it's easy. Refills show up on your doorstep. No last-minute runs to the store required. Haya also makes probiotics, fiber, bedtime essentials, and so much more. So you can build a simple, feel-good routine for your family that runs smoothly in the background. If you want a healthier option your kids will actually be excited about, You can use my code DrBecky for 50% off your first order at HayaHealth.com. That's H-I-Y-A-H-E-A-L-T-H dot com. This is The Playbook, a limited series by Good Inside in partnership with Nike. I'm going to be talking to some of the most successful athletes of our time, leaders who have had real impact in their sport. And I'm going to be talking with them about their highs, about their lows, about their mindset, about team dynamics, about what really motivates them, about the way they talk to themselves and recover from difficult stages. And I also have some of my favorite moments with these athletes where we talk about their life off the field. Their early years, their family life, the things that keep them grounded, their rituals and superstitions that keep them going. We cover so much in every conversation. I'm Dr. Becky, and this is Good Inside. From the outside, people see Russell Wilson as polished, professional, and yes, obsessed with winning. They see someone driven, someone who's relentlessly optimistic, guided by faith, grounded in family, and fueled by a higher purpose. But what the image doesn't always show is what it takes to be that person. The discipline, the mindset, the daily work required to hold it all together. The part of the story that doesn't show up on the leaderboard or during a broadcast. Over the past decade, Russell has built a legacy as one of the NFL's most respected quarterbacks and community figures. He's a Super Bowl champion, the Walter Payton Man of the Year, and a tireless advocate for faith, family, and service. He's also a devoted partner to his wife, Sierra, and a proud father of four, leading his family with the same intention and faith that guide him on the field. At its core, Russell's story is about mindset over everything else. The belief that mental strength, preparation, purpose, habits, systems matter as much as talent. He spent his career seeking inspiration from great coaches, mentors, and leaders who challenge him to keep growing on and off the field. I'm so excited for you to hear this conversation. Hi. What's up, Dr. Becky? How you doing? I'm excited to be on your show. I am so excited to be talking to you. we have so much to get to and I want to talk about so much of your career and sports and parenting and kids. But sometimes I feel like the best way to understand that is actually to start by rewinding a little bit. So I actually want to start such a psychologist thing to say with your childhood. I don't know the expectations that were set by your parents, how that kind of shaped things. And I learned that you grew up in a family where there are pretty high standards. So just want you to talk a little bit about your early years, what that was like. My childhood, I think what my parents did really well, they always encouraged rather than discouraged. My dad used to ask me questions like, you know, Russ, you're eight years old right now, but you're 25 years old. Paint a picture for me. And I would start painting this picture as my dad was driving. And he'd be like, that story's not good enough. And I'd be like, what? What do you mean? That was a good story. And he'd be like, no, no, no, I want more. I want your imagination to be even bigger. But I think those early years from five to 12, 13 years old, my parents and my mom and my dad, they really both just influenced me in a big way. They painted a picture that was bigger than I could even see. And I think that allowed me to create, that allowed me to dream, that allowed me to go after what I really wanted to go after. And I think that was a big deal for me. And next thing you know, when I turned 12, 13 years old, I'm starting to wake up at 5, 15 on my own and say, dad, let's go hit grounders. Let's do some baseball let's do some football in the mornings before he'd go to work so that discipline of getting up early was a big um I would say um proponent of my trajectory later on yeah um and and did just to be explicit you're five you're six are you like no Becky at that point someone was waking me up they're like let's go let's get out of bed let's kind of get to work my dad would knock on the door and be like son wake up let's go 5 30 we gotta go and and were you like yeah Were you like, oh, man. Yeah. No, I was I want to sleep extra. But next thing you know, as I got older, eight, nine, ten, especially when I was like 11, 12 years old, that shifted the atmosphere. I was waking my dad like that. What are we doing? And so that was a big piece to it. Yes. But he instilled that in me, you know, and I always saw my mom working. She was an ER nurse. She was a woman that was up and try to save lives. And, you know, and I just saw the toughness and the grit, you know, my mom and my dad. And I feel like they would do anything, like anything to help me. And I never forget this. I had this one kid come up to me and I had this kid come up to me and he's like, hey, you know, I know what your dad does. I'm like, what are you talking about? My dad's a lawyer. What do you mean? And he's like, well, I know what your dad does. I'm like, what are you talking about? In front of all the kids. And he was like, your dad works at the gas station. And I'm like, huh? Like, well, my dad doesn't work. He's like, no, your dad works at the gas station. I'm like, my dad saw your dad. And I'm like, yeah, that's because my dad's doing a case and he's doing an investigation. And, you know, my dad's, you know, working extra because of that. And so I'll go home with my dad. I'm like, I'm like devastated. All these kids are like, I'm like, what? I'm going to this rice, you know, rich private school and I can't afford it. I'm like the one only black kid there basically. And I'm like, I'm like, dad, you work at the gas station? He goes, yes, son. I said, what do you mean? He goes, well, I'm working extra hours. I said, well, why? He says, you want to go to a great school, right? Like you want to go do all the things you want to do. I got to do extra for you guys. I'm doing anything for you. And I remember him saying, I got to buy those books. And so I just remember. What's coming up for you now as you tell that story? I just sacrifice. I think sacrifice is everything. I think the ability to sacrifice for your kids and your loved ones. I was playing football and I was playing basketball and, you know, to buy the bat from Dick's Sporting Goods or to buy the new A2000 baseball glove from Dick's Sporting Goods or to buy the new football cleats or, you know, to whatever the new football that I wanted to buy. You know, I always wanted this Wilson football and I was like, I want to buy that. Or if I wanted to buy some new Nike cleats, it was like, you know, I had to my dad had to work extra. And I didn't understand that at the time, but he sacrificed my mom. Same thing. And so I think that's taught me a lot. It's taught me a lot about, you know, sacrifice. And sometimes sacrifice in my situation is different. And I just feel like at times, you know, no matter how much we have or how little we have, there's a point in time that parenthood is all about sacrifice. It's the willingness to do whatever it takes for your kids to have a better life than you. And I think that's something that I've learned along the way. that story about your dad working at the gas station I can like my heart like it just that hit me in such a deep heavy way um it is amazing when we look back on our lives and we think about these very specific examples that represent something so big about what our parents really were willing to do for us um and clearly that shaped your attitude toward hard work and grit and determination And so linking that to more of your career today how did some of that prepare you for this career where I mean, every moment of your professional life is taped, is analyzed, is talked about, right? I mean, the good parts, the hard parts, right? And so moments that don't go as you wanted, don't go as imagined, where a lot of those moments are very private for people. They're not for you. How do you feel like the way you were brought up helped you cope with those? Could you walk through a specific example? Yeah, I mean, I have a few examples. I think losing my dad was one. Yeah, I looked up to my dad. My dad was everything to me. He was, he's my closest friend. He was somebody I could count on, somebody I could rely on. But I just remember going to NC State. I get there. My dad says to me, he says, I want you to promise me something. I said, well, what's that? He goes, well, I want you to graduate early. I said, graduate early? Like, well, what do you mean? What does that mean? Like, graduate early from college? Like, how fast? He said, I want you to graduate in three years or less. I also think about in life, too, you go through challenges, obviously career-wise. You know, I won a Super Bowl, win Rookie of the Year, win the Super Bowl next year, and then finally get all the way back to the Super Bowl, get to the one-year online, and it doesn't work. And through that, I realized that not everybody's on your side. everybody you think that's for you may not be for you. Like they pile on or. Just like in the sports world, you know, you carry a lot of weight and carry a lot of weight on your shoulders. And people love you one day and they hate you the next. And that's how fickle the world is sometimes. But for someone listening to this who's an athlete or their kid is or, you know, kids get in this place. Let's say it's, you know, they're like, oh, that game didn't end the way I want. Or I wish I had passed the ball. Or how did I miss an open net? Whatever the thing is. And there's a period where maybe this doesn't happen to you. I want to know where there's a period of you can be really hard on yourself. You kind of listen to the noise and it gets in. Then maybe we have to work to get it out. How does that actual process work for you? You're like, no, no, no. I just it never comes in or no, like it comes in and I have to work to get it out. How do you talk yourself through that Super Bowl or through something else? Yeah, I think there's moments in life that definitely the negative stuff comes in. And I think what true champions are able to do is it's not that it won't come in. Negativity is going to come in and come your way. And adversity is definitely going to happen. What we do know in life is adversity is going to happen. But we also know is adversity is temporary. And I learned this a lot in my mental coach, Trevor Moad, and I. He was with me for 10 plus years. He passed away of cancer, unfortunately. And man, he was the number one sports psychologist basically in the world. we always talked about this idea that adversity is only temporary. And we believe it so much that there's a thought that, you know, we believe in positive. I'm a positive person by nature, Dr. Becky. I'm definitely positive. But what we found was that, yes, positivity works. But what we know works 100% of the time is negativity. And so we started talking about this concept around neutral thinking. What does neutral thinking really happen? Like when things go well, can you, and you throw five touchdowns, can you stay like this? and when things don't go your way and you've thrown three or four interceptions and it's the nfc championship game like how do you stay okay because it's still just a 16 point game and we can still win this game and you got to be here and so i've always believed as a leader as a as a husband as a man um you know as a father it's like man i just want to be here so you know what you're going to get every day and i think that's a big thing about sports in particular like there's going to be ebbs and flows. There's going to be challenges. And once you realize that you have to embrace that and realize that adversity is going to come your way, I think you take on those challenges and you move forward and you're able to bounce stuff off. We all think a lot about like, how do I deal with adversity? There's going to be times when life doesn't go my way, right? In sports, with kids, personal life, that's all true. We all want to get better at dealing with it. But what you're talking about with neutral thinking, in order to get better at the lows being less low, we actually have to watch for the potential for a high to make us feel that high. Because if winning a game makes you feel like I'm a better soccer player and I had five touchdowns in a row and all of a sudden because of that outcome, my mood goes from here to here, all that leaves me is vulnerable to when I throw two interceptions for me to feel like the worst quarterback in the world. And so you're really talking about how much does an outcome change my baseline level of thinking about myself? And I think a lot of people don't realize that the more we let the good stuff make us feel so much better than everyone else, we're leaving ourselves vulnerable to a bad game kind of plumbing us into an abyss. Yeah, it's a perfect thought process. I think what neutral thinking is to me is this idea that it's not outcome based. Yes. A lot of things in life are outcome based. And I think that when you really learn yourself and really start mastering the best version of you, you realize that it's not outcome based, but it's process based. and understanding that, hey, you know, what is the process that I'm going through? Are the things that I'm going through that are the practices and the lessons and the things happening in life? You know, am I getting better daily? And those daily incremental gains, I think, are really critical. And yeah. And so I think I've learned that a lot that, you know, I embrace adversity. I embrace the process more so than the end result. If Steph Curry is a 94 percent free throw shooter, right? And he misses a free throw or two in the NBA finals. Does that make him a bad free throw shooter? You know, if Michael Jordan misses a free throw every once in a day, does that make him a bad? Absolutely not. He's still a great free throw shooter. It's just, he missed that one. And so sometimes you have to get back to the moment of keeping your elbow in. If a great golfer misses a putt, does that mean that he's not who he is? It's just, sometimes the ball doesn't go your way. And I think the big part of it is that you get back through the process of their fundamentals. And I think for me personally, that's something that I've been really addicted to and focused on, even when I'm going through my challenging times, is understanding that, hey, you know what? Like stay focused on the process of practice. Stay focused on the process of your warmup. Stay focused on the process of having the same routine every day. Yep. And that's been a big part of, you know, my continual just looking forward to the next moment. Yeah. Knowing that when I get the ball again and I get the opportunity again or whatever it may be that, you know, the next moment is going to be my best moment. You know, two things come to mind. I remember my oldest used to play baseball. I remember him coming to us after a game and he was really working on shifting some stuff in his swing to get more power, different things. And he ended up basically hitting like a lot of outs. He hardly got on base that game. And he's like, but I really felt this thing click, right? And I'm like, really, I was like very proud of myself, right? And I feel like it's just such a good example of him separating, Like the thing under his control that is always under his control, his process, his system that he really did believe would eventually help him. It happened not to get him on base that game. Right. But it actually not only protects our confidence, but it actually keeps us going back and eventually achieving more. And it sounds like that's kind of what you do, too. Yeah. There's this love and addiction for the process, for the great ones. Yeah. um yeah i think that when you love practice more than a game you know yeah everybody loves the cheers and everybody loves the moment when you get in the end zone but it's the stuff that happened before it's all the stuff when you're isolated in your room by yourself and you're laying on your back as a young kid and i'm nine years old throwing the ball up to my ceiling just to work on my spiral yep our brain is a muscle you know you got to work it you know we got to work our mental side every day. I was talking to somebody, a close friend the other day about this is like, you know, if we can work that every day and, and communicate with ourselves, like what's our own internal dialogue and you're playing baseball and you're over 17 and all you're telling yourself is I suck. I'm no good. I I'm terrible. I can't hit the ball. I can't do this. And all of a sudden you keep believing that. And, you know, versus focusing on just this one pitch, just square this pitch up, You know, just square this one pitch up and, you know, it's a home run. You know it interesting One of the things at Good Inside we talk a lot about is this importance of separating identity from behavior It when we collapse the two that we spiral I an awful baseball player Like, I'm a good player who hasn't gotten on base in a while, right? And if you know you're working on your fundamentals, separating any one moment or one behavior from kind of who you are as a person gives you a lot more freedom to get back to the fundamentals instead of kind of spiraling essentially in shame. Well, it's funny you said that because there's, you know, I do these camps with kids and talk to kids a bunch. And I even talk to our son, Future, who loves playing basketball. He's really good at football, really good at baseball, too. And it's so funny. We do these different camps. And I try to talk to the kids about, you know, has there ever been an amazing quarterback you've always loved, but he's never thrown an interception? Like every quarterback that's ever played any games has thrown an interception. Now, that person is also throwing a lot of touchdowns, too. And you have to be able to take the bad and the good and take them together. And that's why we love the people that we love, because they're able to overcome. And I think that adversity that they're able to overcome makes them great. And that's part of a two-minute drill in football. You know, you get down, and you're down 10, and you've got to find a way to come back. And those are the magical moments, and those are the moments we have to embrace. That's right. I always think sports on the field or off the field, there's no greater feeling than watching yourself do something you weren't sure you could do. Like the high you end up getting from that and every moment of adversity kind of sets you up for that moment. One thing I see over and over with parents is just how much we're carrying. The data backs this up. Most parents spend nearly every waking hour focused on someone else. So if you feel exhausted, stretched thin, or like your brain never really shuts off, that makes complete sense. I've seen how powerful it can be when families have more support. When parents have trusted caregivers, the mental load lightens and they're actually able to be more present, not because they're doing more, but because they're not doing it all alone. Care.com makes it easier to find trusted, background-checked caregivers, whether that's support for a newborn, before or after school help, or even care for an aging parent. You can search by experience, read reviews, and find support in a way that feels safer and more intentional than social media or word of mouth alone. And do you know that you can find activities, camps, and daycare on Care.com too? For a limited time, you can use the code GOOD35 to save 35% on a Care.com premium membership. Because when you have support, you can show up as your best self for the people who need you. Okay, parents, quick check-in. If your brain feels like it's holding everyone's schedule except your own, you're not doing it wrong. You're carrying a lot. I see this all the time. School emails, activities, chores, dinner plans, and somehow it all lives in one person's head. Usually mom's. And that gets exhausting. That's why I love Skylight Calendar. It's a smart touchscreen calendar that takes everything swirling around in your brain, schedules, chores, meals, grocery lists, and puts it in one place. where the whole family can actually see it and participate. It syncs with Google, Apple, Outlook, all of it, and you can color code each family member. So there's a lot less, wait, I didn't know in your house. Plus with the free Skylight Companion app, you can add or update events, lists, and more on the go. And I appreciate this. If after 120 days, you're not 100% happy, you can return it for a full refund. No questions asked. Right now, you can get $30 off a 15-inch Skylight calendar at myskylight.com slash Becky. That's M-Y-S-K-Y-L-I-G-H-T dot com slash Becky. So question, in your home, how do you bring this to life, these lessons on the football field with your kids and your partnership? Like what, what habits do you guys have? How do you talk to each other? I mean, I'm sure stuff comes up all the time. I think that if mom and dad are good, the kids will be good. So that's been a big piece to, for me and see is like, let's focus on you and I extremely well. Let's make sure we go on our date nights every Friday. Like let's make sure. Is that something you guys do? Yeah. We, ever since we got together, I told her like, I'm an old school kind of love guy. I got, I want old school love. Like let's take it back to the old days. And I think it's important that we're able to spend that quality time with each other. And so that one on one time, like being able to put my phone down for at least an hour and say, like, let me just, you know, stare you in the eyes and talk like those moments are like what I think keeps us going at such a high rate. Yeah. And I think a big part of that is is saying, hey, let's make sure you and I are good first. I think for every mom and every dad back at home, like make sure you guys take care of you first. And I think it's so funny because I always ask C, like, who comes first, me or the kids? And I feel like for moms, there's that nurturing aspect of them. Yeah, they really want to take care of the kids first. But I think it's important that we do it together. Yeah. And that, you know, if dad and mom are good, then the kids will be good. And I think part of that after that is like, OK, now each kid's different. Especially when you have multiple kids. Like one kid may be super high energy. Other kid may be lower energy. One kid may have attitude. Other kid may not. Like, so how do you deal with that? And your approach, I always say KYP, you know your personnel. I say that in football, but I also say that in life and at home. It's like KYP, each kid's different and you got to know your personnel. And I think it's so important that we're able to understand how you talk to each one of them. But love them all the same and hold them all accountable the same. Like I'm probably the more firm one. Sierra's good at being like clear and firm, but like she's got a little more leeway. You're going to hold the boundary. But I'm like, no, my yes is yes. My no is no. If I say yes, you can stay up extra five minutes, you got that five minutes. So, you know, I'm thinking about the way you were talking about your dad. It was so clear how grateful you were for the life he provided and worked so hard. How, with the life you have, the fame you've achieved, the success, how do you think about cultivating gratitude in your kids? I always feel like when I walk into, you know, a room or if I go to the children's hospital, if I go and eat somewhere, like I want to make sure that I clean the dishes. I don't want to just leave the stuff on the table and not do it if I'm going to somebody else's house. You know, it's like make sure you make each place better. And I think that's important. And it's important lesson because our kids have it different. Our kids in particular have it different than we grew up. Yeah. You know, you know, our parents had to work for everything and we've had to work for everything, but we've been blessed beyond measure. So now how do we do that? How do we give back? And so we try to teach our kids even, you know, around the holidays, for example, making sure that we make them responsible for giving back. And I think if it's clothes or whatever it may be, those little things along the way that are actually big things to others. I want to I want to transition a little to think about because you're in such a unique position to think about tools and some of them probably emotional mindset tools. for the next generation, and especially the next generation of kid athletes who are into sports. So a couple questions along those lines. Your kid comes to you, or you're coaching a team, and a kid comes to you, I suck. I'm the worst player on the team. What do you feel like a kid needs in that moment? He needs to change his dialogue. I don't let my teammates say that. I don't let my kids say that, for dang sure. and I'm not going to say it to myself. So as a coach or as somebody leading young kids, I'm not going to let you say that. Not around me. And they hear that tone, like not around me. Like we're not saying that. Like your internal dialogue has got to be a championship dialogue. What does that sound like after a tough game? You know, it's like, you know what? Today was a tough day. You speak about your truth. Today was a tough day, but you know what? Tomorrow's going to be better. And here's why. Right? And you start painting that picture of here's the reasons why. and here's what I've done before. You know what? Like, you know, every great, like my dad used to always talk about Hank Aaron and, you know, for anybody who loves baseball, Hank Aaron is obviously one of the all-time great hitters of all time, best baseball player, arguably, of all time. And what was interesting, Hank Aaron always believed, even if he went 0 for 4, he always believed he was 4 for 4. And I think there a fundamental thought process that we have to we have to wire our own mentality and our own language our own internal dialogue It has to be has to be stronger than what the external dialogue is But you said something that's nuanced and I think it's really important. And again, I think this applies to so many things I think about with kids off the field. We have to start to connect to someone. You have to join them where they are today, some version of it. Right. And I would call that like validate where someone is. but as a coach or as a parent you have to see a more capable version of that kid than they can access in the moment this could be true at drop-off your kids freaking out at drop-off they don't want to go to school and you have to start i know drop-off's hard today and i know you're going to end up having a good day at school there's like i see you now that's true but i also see a version of you that's a little more capable and it just reminded me so much of okay today was a tough day. True. I don't have to be scared of that thought. And tomorrow is going to be better, right? Like there's this duality. Both can be true at the same time. You can have two truths at the same time. And I think part of it too is, is like you said, painting that picture. Difference quickly, difference between encouraging your kid and pressuring your kid. Encouraging to me is you're telling them what they can be. It's you're, you're, you're paying a picture for who they are. You're encouraging them what they've done and what they can, when they're capable of. I think pressuring their kid is you're putting your own mindset on them and what they have to be. Yeah. How do you balance as an athlete being really competitive, you want to win, and being a good sport? I think it's a character thing. I think being a good sport is how the game should be played. Give your all, but you don't have to be a jerk about it. you can give your all and when we're in between the white lines yeah you can be you can be the villain that day you know what I mean uh but once the whistle blows once it's over okay like all right let's move on to the next moment and I think there's a great balance to that and I think the people that really love the game and respect the game know how to do that well when your kids are older and someone just says what was your dad like what's and they can only say one sentence What do you hope they say? One sentence. Yep. So I'll put in one sentence, but I can give you some words. Okay. He was charismatic, dynamic, loving. He was passionate. And I think he was forgiving. Right now in your life, what is a quiet when you're having? Something you're proud of, you know really matters, but maybe isn't visible to other people. But I just know it matters. I'd say my favorite thing right now is, you know, living in New York, it's been pretty fun. You know, we live in the city. And on Fridays, I do all my work early on Friday morning. I go through all my plays. I highlight all my plays and all my favorites, this and that. And when practice is over around 1 o'clock, I make sure I shower up, do everything I need to do to finish the day. But I try to get out of there by 2 o'clock. And I go pick up my kids every day on every Friday. And in the past, I haven't done that as much. It's kind of been tricky to do or whatever it may be. But just be able to walk and pick up my kids and, you know, pick up all three that are in school right now, future Cena and Wynn, and to walk with Sierra and do that. Just to see my daughter's face light up when dad's at the end of the step. She's like, dad, you know. And, you know, and they always scream mom's name. But when they're like, dad, you know, Wynn's like, daddy, you know, future dad, what's up, man? and they all run over like that's probably the loudest win internally but probably the most quiet i don't think anybody recognizes i'm just like by myself you know i'm like but i feel like that's like i feel cool today i love that my favorite time i love that all right welcome to overtime this is my rapid fire questions you like rise to the adversity of overtime right everything matters right now okay so short questions whatever comes to mind first best piece of advice you got as a rookie from a veteran take care of your body such good advice do you have a superstition even if it seems silly you know it's superstition that you kind of believe on the field i'm not superstitious i believe in good habits great every stadium i go into i find a spot in the stadium like when i play in metlife stadium for example where we won the super bowl i i look at the sign where it says life and just thinking about man what everything i've been through um and think biblically too and the scriptures around that and so like i'm like find a spot in the stadium I can look at to bring me back to ground zero to bring me back to neutral beautiful proudest moment of your career so far winning the super bowl I think was definitely pretty cool yeah um to win it here and just win it in New York like just pretty cool to hold that trophy um and uh I'm striving to find a way to win another one amazing parent who's listening has kids in sports one piece of advice for a parent with a kid playing sports right now my piece of advice is let them play as much as they can man like what football did for me because i played multiple sports everybody said i was too freaking small i couldn't do it and there's no way he's only 5 11 maybe 5 10 like you know like there's no chance he's going to play different position you know i've been fortunate to throw for a lot of yards a lot of touchdowns and win a super bowl and a lot of games and just knowing kind of internally what got putting you and go for that. Well, thank you for this conversation. Thank you for sharing so much of your story. And this has been awesome. Thank you guys. It's so much fun. Appreciate you. You're amazing. I have so many takeaways from this conversation with Russell, but there are three that are really loud in my mind. So I want to share that with you. Number one, adversity is where growth happens. Russell talked about a type of joy he has in adversity. And if you really have a long-term mindset, if you're really focused on growth, then adversity is where you actually have the most opportunity. And that's kind of exciting. Two, watch yourself talk. I love when he said, not around me. Like we have to really watch the words we say, the words our kids say. And sure, we want to see where they're at, but we really have to pay attention to the track that plays over and over in our mind. And three, look for the ability to be addicted to the process instead of the outcome. And I think this is really true in our own lives. We can get so caught up in the outcome and what something looks like to someone else and to a compliment someone gives us. All that makes us feel good. But what's so protective for our own self-esteem and confidence and grit and resilience is to gaze in. What do I love doing? What are my systems? What are my habits? Can I become kind of addicted to the way that lights me up or gives me purpose? because that will protect me from kind of my mood being at the whim of the latest outcome in my life. This was an amazing conversation and I am so excited for the next one with another Nike athlete. Let's end the way we always do. Place your feet on the ground. Place a hand on your heart. And let's remind ourselves, even as we struggle on the outside, we remain good inside. I'll see you soon. Okay, parents, quick check-in. If your brain feels like it's holding everyone's schedule, except your own, you're not doing it wrong. You're carrying a lot. I see this all the time. School emails, activities, chores, dinner plans, and somehow it all lives in one person's head. Usually, mom's. And that gets exhausting. That's why I love Skylight Calendar. It's a smart touchscreen calendar that takes everything swirling around in your brain, schedules, chores, meals, grocery lists, and puts it in one place where the whole family can actually see it and participate. It syncs with Google, Apple, Outlook, all of it, and you can color code each family member. So there's a lot less, wait, I didn't know in your house. Plus, with the free Skylight Companion app, You can add or update events, lists, and more on the go. And I appreciate this. If after 120 days, you're not 100% happy, you can return it for a full refund. No questions asked. Right now, you can get $30 off a 15-inch Skylight calendar at myskylight.com slash becky. That's M-Y-S-K-Y-L-I-G-H-T dot com slash becky.