In 2007, JJ Watt was a 2-star TE/DE that wasn't highly recruited. He went to Central Michigan to start at TE. After 1 season of catching 8 passes, he knew something wasn't right. JJ talked to his parents about the unthinkable. He was going to leave his scholarship behind to become a walk-on DE at Wisconsin. JJ said, "I wanted to play in the NFL and I only caught 8 balls as a TE and that isn't going to get you to the NFL." His family supported him. They said they would fund him for 1 year as a walk-on and told him that he would need to commit that every day was his Super Bowl. JJ said, "It was a gamble on myself," and that's exactly what he did. He talked to Coach Bielema and transferred to Wisconsin as a DE. The famous story is from January to June, he worked at Pizza Hut to make money while he was studying at a local college before enrolling in Wisconsin. He used this time to bulk up, work hard, and commit to his craft. He joined the team and worked hard every day on the scout team. After being a scout-team all star in 2008, he earned a scholarship on the team. In his first year as a starter in 2009, he continued to improve and recorded 4.5 sacks. That was just the beginning for JJ and the rest was him making history! Takeaway 1: It is great to have dreams, but you need to show up and do the work to make those dreams come true. JJ Watt's story shows that his initial situation didn't deter him; instead, he dared to make a bold decision to switch positions and universities to follow his dream of playing in the NFL. It underscores the notion that self-belief alone is not enough; it must be combined with the courage to take risks and the commitment to do the work. Takeaway 2: The story of JJ Watt's transformation from a walk-on DE to an NFL superstar is a great example that success isn't achieved by chance but through consistent hard work and a steadfast focus on improving your skills. JJ Watt took time to build his body and skills at Wisconsin; he worked "every day like it was his Super Bowl". Not everyone would have the humility to deliver pizza or the willingness to sacrifice a scholarship and playing time to play on the scout team. But when you show up and do the work, great things tend to happen. “Success isn't owned - it's leased. And rent is due every day.” - JJ Watt - - - Follow @coachajkings for more content like this!