Sean McVay on what has become non-negotiable when evaluating players: “There are certain things that have to be non-negotiables. What’s your football character like? I think that more than anything, especially because of some of the things I’ve gone through where I look back and say, ‘Man, I did not like the kind of leader or the caliber of person I was. I was fragile. I wasn’t resilient. The game honors toughness, but I think life and the game honor toughness, both mentally and physically. How many different ways can we measure that mental resilience?" "What have they been through, and how did that shape who they’ve become in the midst of the journey?” “When you go through each guy and have a personal message of appreciation and gratitude for him, the consistent theme is that everybody who has had any sort of success has experienced some adversity. Maybe when you’re in it, you don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if it shapes you and callouses you the right way, growth demands that discomfort.” “You don’t punish people who haven’t been through adversity, but I also think it’s important for guys to know, ‘We’re in this shit with you, too. Let’s build a relationship.’” “Chris Petersen always used to say to me, ‘It’s really important that all our players know they’ll never meet the enemy on the sideline.’ I’d like to think the connection, the camaraderie and the enjoyment of each other’s success are what you see when you watch our group play. That’s the type of people we’re trying to identify.”

Head @NDFootball Coach Marcus Freeman (@Marcus_Freeman1) with one of the best life lessons you'll hear on why your career almost never unfolds the way you expect: ⬇️ 🔭 Vision gives you direction, not certainty. Every leader imagines how the journey will unfold, but reality is always more complex than the blueprint. A vision should tell you where you're going, not have you convinced the path will be straight. Be prepared to adapt and pivot. The best leaders can be malleable without abandoning the goal of the destination. 👣 Great journeys are built one faithful step at a time. It's easy to become consumed by how far you still have to go, but growth only happens in the step you're standing in. Be fully present! Execute the next decision as well as you can. If you stack enough excellent single steps together, you'll often arrive somewhere greater than the destination you originally imagined. "The person who loves to walk goes further than the one who only loves the destination." 🤝 Who you're around shapes who you become more than what you're responsible for. Titles create authority, but people create transformation. The right room will challenge your thinking, sharpen your standards, and accelerate your growth in ways no promotion ever could. Choose environments that make you better, not positions that simply make you look important. Your future won't be determined by the clarity of your vision, the size of your title, or the speed of your progress, but by your willingness to faithfully take the next step beside people who make you better. 🔮