Nov 21, 2017
The question this week is … how
are you going to respond when adversity strikes? What about what it
strikes again after that? And again after that?
How
many times are you willing to get back up?
I
would have been 20 years old when today’s guest, Jerod Ward, was
named the Naismith Player of the Year award in 1994. That means
Jerod was ranked as the #1 high school basketball player in all of
the United States.
That’s a big deal. And a lot of
pressure.
I
remember it. I followed US College Basketball pretty closely at
that time, and I well remember when Jerod chose to attend the
University of Michigan, a basketball power in that era. Jerod
seemed destined, not just for college basketball stardom, but for a
long NBA career as well.
It didn’t quite work out that way.
Injuries derailed Jerod, time
and time again. After multiple knee surgeries Jerod described
himself as not only physically but also mentally broken down. He
gives a vivid account of those days in our
discussion.
Amazingly, he somehow persevered, and went on
to play professionally for 14 years at the highest levels
worldwide
Through it all, the adversities
have taught Jerod to never give up. He now has gone on to motivate
and educate people with his keystone philosophy of NBA: “Never Be
Average.”
When
Jerod talks about eating adversity, he means “EAT” as an acronym
for Embrace, Act and Thrive.
In addition to his speaking, Jerod still stays close to the game he loves. He is a college basketball analyst with networks including ESPN.
Some of the key takeaways from this chat with Jerod include:
- The
kids are watching - Please listen closely to what Jerod shares
about his dad, and how what he learned carried over into his own
journey. If you have kids of your own, please consider what they
may be seeing and learning from you. In Jerod’s case, it sounds
like he had a pretty exceptional teacher.
- “You’re not going to get it all at once” -
Again, Jerod’s father played an important role in showing him that
the way things unfold is a process. Whether it’s in achieving a
goal or looking at the arch of our journey through life. But you’re
not going to get it all at once. Nor should you.
- Life will take you where you’re supposed to go - Though Jerod suffered through near unbearable disappointment and physical and mental pain through the injuries that disrupted his path to the NBA, his path diverted him to one of experiencing different cultures internationally and uniquely shaping him to empower other people to overcome adversity in the manner that he does today. He also mentions how it was predicted early on, in his church, that he may well someday be doing something similar to what he’s doing now (“on a platform”) but he admits to, “Running from what he was told.” It’s interesting, how life works out.
This really is a remarkable
story, and Jerod does such an incredible job to share it so openly
and transparently. I know you’re going to enjoy
it.
©2017 Kevin Bulmer
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