AUTOGRAPHS

A Football Player’s Standpoint – How To Take Your Game To The Next Level

It was August 2003 and my team at the time, the Pittsburgh Steelers, was holding the first live scrimmage for training camp. As a rookie in the NFL I had practiced quite a few times with the team, but this was the very first time I was going to suit it up for a “full contact and tackle objective line scrimmage”. The set up was straightforward. The very first and second team offenses would go against the very first and second team defenses. The offense had four downs to score a touchdown. If they scored, they won; if they failed to score the defense won.

The very first team offense and defense took the field very first. The offense included Jerome Bettis, Hines Ward, Plaxico Burress, and Tommy Maddox who went against a defense consisting of Joey Porter, James Farrior, and Kendrell Bell. The opposing sides lined up against each other, the referee blew his whistle to start the play clock, Tommy Maddox referred to as out the cadence, then the ball was snapped… from that instant, the phrase “The Next Level” was defined for me.

“The Next Level” is a phrase generally thrown around by athletes referring to the capability to play in a professional arena such as the NFL, NBA or MLB. To me “The Next Level” is not a title you gain, e.g. Expert Football Player; it can be more a state of mind, an attitude and way of thinking when competing. Consequently, I’ve come up with 3 characteristics that I think all athletes should posses in order to attain “The Next Level”.

1. Play, Practice and Feel with 100% Effort. It’s as easy as that. You ought to have 1 speed and one speed only – Fast! There is no such thing as “half speed” or “walk thru”. Regardless of what people say, which is how we practiced and prepared in the NFL. Mike Holmgren said it best 1 day while practicing in the middle of December although preparing for the playoffs, “We run plays at full speed in the course of the week so when the game comes it will be second nature and all you have to do is react.”

2. Be Able to “Flip the Switch” As soon as the Whistle Blows. This is probably probably the most mental of the 3 characteristics. Just picture inside your mind a Cheetah stalking a gazelle and how meticulous, careful and alert it can be as it sets up its approach. As soon as that Gazelle notices it is becoming hunted and starts running, the Cheetah “flips the switch” and accelerates to extraordinary speeds. Inside seconds it has the Gazelle in its grasp and the hunt is over. This will be the same way you ought to approach every play. An average football play lasts an average of 10 seconds or less, but when that ball is snapped a literal switch really should be flipped in your mind and each and every ounce of energy should be released at that moment (If you are interested, see this site for more information regarding custom footballs.

3. Dominate. This 1 word sums up every single high quality of people who accomplish “The Next Level”. To dominate simply indicates competing to be the most effective. Does it mean you must be the most effective? NO! It just indicates you’re working, preparing, practicing and believing You’ll be able to be the most beneficial. You may by no means attain it and if you do there will constantly be somebody that may be greater. But should you compete and approach every thing with 100% effort, dedication, commitment, and hold your self accountable, you will dominate. Even though I was playing with the Philadelphia Eagles in the course of our run up to the Super Bowl in 2004, beginning tight end and 3-time Pro Bowl selection Chad Lewis would always tell the team, “Time to DOMINATE!” That’s literally how you need to approach each conditioning drill, lift, practice, meeting and play as an athlete. You approach it no other way!!

When I witnessed the explosive power, speed and attitude that my teammates displayed that late summer day in Pittsburgh, I came to the conclusion that “The Next Level” is not a title you gain whenever you make it to the NFL, it is really a state of mind and way of life for those that achieve greatness in athletics.

Hines Ward & Kym Johnson – Argentine Tango

Verdi: Don Carlo [New York -- November 11, 1950; Jussi Bjorling (Bjoerling), Robert Merrill, Fedora Barbieri, Cesare Siepi, Jerome Hines, Delia Rigal, Lucine Amara; Fritz Stiedry (including some of the commentary by Milton Cross)] and Audio Excerpts From the November 6, 1950 Telecast with the Same Cast [First Release Ever] [2009 Reissue on West Hill Radio Archives; Remastered By Ward Marston] $49.97 On West Hill Radio Archives 6021; 3 CD’s; The amazing New York production which brought “Don Carlo” back into the public view in the United States. Recorded live, these performances feature splendid singing by all concerned, capturing a special afternoon and evening telecast in operatic history!!! Bjorling and Merrill are an incomparable duo, while Siepi and Hines make for a frightening King Phili…

Popeye Cartoons, Vol. 1 [VHS] $9.99 …

Popeye Volume 1 [VHS] $14.95 …

Off Limits [VHS] $12.98 …

Young Winston [VHS] $19.98 …

Doctor Who – The Five Doctors [VHS] $4.99 Yes, “The Five Doctors” is the one that gathers together Hartnell, Troughton, Pertwee, Baker, and Davison, dumps them on some moorland, and lets some of the Doctor’s greatest enemies take potshots at them. Except, of course, William Hartnell had passed on by the time this series was made in 1983 (although his replacement Richard Hurndall does an excellent job), and Tom Baker was only featured as a…

NFL Hines Ward Vinyl Wall Graphic Decal Sticker Poster $99.99 Hines Ward is a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since 1998 he has earned three team MVP selections and he has four Pro Bowl selections. The dimensions are 3’2″W x 6’7″H.Fathead….

NFL Hines Ward Vinyl Wall Graphic Decal Sticker Poster $99.99 Hines Ward is a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since 1998 he has earned three team MVP selections and he has four Pro Bowl selections. The dimensions are 3’1″W x 6’5″H. Fathead….

Fathead Hines Ward Pittsburgh Steelers Wall Decal $99.99 The officially licensed 6.5′ x 3.5′ NFL® Player Wall Graphic is made of tough, tear- and fade- resistant vinyl and is designed with high-resolution 3D graphics. The team-colored player graphic includes additional, “mini” graphics featuring the player name, team logo, and a smaller image of the player in a circle “frame”. Fathead wall graphics use a low-tack adhesive and can easily be moved and re…

The Blind Side $5.79 The Blind Side takes the true story of a young man who went from abandonment to success as a pro-football player and treats it with respect. The movie doesn’t oversell what is, on the face of it, already compelling. It’s almost impossible to describe the plot without sounding painfully inspirational: Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron, Be Kind Rewind), a hulking but gentle African-American teen in Tennes…