I have missed getting to see any of the NFL games this weekend, but I have seen highlights on SportsCenter. Obviously the big news of the weekend is Tom Brady’s season-ending knee injury. While reading a story about Brady’s injury, I ran across an interesting section which read:
“Belichick [will be] relying on a backup quarterback named Matt Cassel, a four-season veteran who hasn’t started a meaningful football game since his senior year of high school.”
I remember when the Patriots drafted Cassel. I remember being surprised since he was just a back up quarterback at USC. Now, to be fair, he was backing up two Heisman Trophy quarterbacks in Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart, but can you imagine being Matt Cassel? For the past 8 years, he has been basically just practicing football and not starting one meaningful game!
I wonder if we are willing to be on the sidelines while still putting in the effort necessary to excel at a high level – even if we don’t get a chance to “start” for 8 years?
Reminds me of the passage from the Scriptures which calls us to “be prepared in season and out of season” (2 Tim. 4:2).
How much better would our families be, our ministries be, our companies be if we were willing to put in the hard work in the weight room, in the film room, studying the playbook, and on the practice field even when the lights aren’t on us, or perhaps especially when the lights aren’t on us? Maybe it is the work we do off the field that leads to great things on the field.
that’s exactly what I needed to hear today. Thanks for the post.