Good Inside with Dr. Becky - Russell Wilson: Beyond the Scoreboard

Episode Date: February 17, 2026

Super Bowl–winning NFL quarterback Russell Wilson goes beyond game-day narratives to unpack the mindset, discipline, and mental conditioning behind elite performance. He reflects on how early expect...ations shaped his identity, including the belief of “Why not you?” — and how those lessons now guide him as a father, leader, and teammate.This is episode 4/4 of Good Inside Presents: The Playbook, a limited-edition series created in partnership with Nike.Get the Good Inside App by Dr. Becky: https://bit.ly/4fSxbzkYour Good Inside membership might be eligible for HSA/FSA reimbursement! To learn more about how to get your membership reimbursed, check out the link here: https://www.goodinside.com/fsa-hsa-eligibility/Follow Dr. Becky on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drbeckyatgoodinsideSign up for our weekly email, Good Insider: https://www.goodinside.com/newsletterFor a full transcript of the episode, go to goodinside.com/podcast.Thank you to our partners for making this episode of Good Inside possible! -Hiya: Use the code DRBECKY for 50% off your first order. -Care.com: Use the code GOOD35 to save 35% on a Care.com Premium Membership.**Offer applies to initial term of Care.com membership subscriptions. Not applicable to add-on features or non-renewing access fees or services. Expires 4/26/26. Care.com does not employ or place any caregiver. Background checks are an important start, but they have limits. Visit www.care.com/safety.On February 26, we’re hosting a live Good Inside Office Hours Q&A called “Why Do Youth Sports Feel So Intense?” Join at goodinside.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 This is The Playbook, a limited series by Good Inside in partnership with Nike. I'm going to be talking to some of the most successful athletes of our time, leaders who have had real impact in their sport. And I'm going to be talking with them about their highs, about their lows, about their mindset, about team dynamics, about what really motivates them, about the way they talk to themselves and recover from difficult stages. And I also have some of favorite moments with these athletes where we talk about their life off the field. Their early years, their family life, the things that keep them grounded, their rituals and superstitions that keep them going. We cover so much in every conversation. I'm Dr. Becky, and this is good inside.
Starting point is 00:00:46 From the outside, people see Russell Wilson as polished, professional, and yes, obsessed with winning. They see someone driven, someone who's relentlessly optimistic, guided by faith, grounded in family and fueled by a higher purpose. But what the image doesn't always show is what it takes to be that person. The discipline, the mindset, the daily work required to hold it altogether. The part of the story that doesn't show up on the leaderboard or during a broadcast. Over the past decade, Russell has built a legacy as one of the NFL's most respected quarterbacks and community figures. He's a Super Bowl champion, the Walter Payton Man of the Year, and a tireless advocate for faith, family, and service. He's also a devoted partner to his wife, Sierra, and a proud
Starting point is 00:01:44 father of four, leading his family with the same intention and faith that guide him on the field. At its core, Russell's story is about mindset over everything else, the belief that mental strength, preparation, purpose, habits, systems matter as much as talent. He spent his career seeking inspiration from great coaches, mentors, and leaders
Starting point is 00:02:09 who challenge him to keep growing on and off the field. I'm so excited for you to hear this conversation. Hi. What's up, Dr. Becky? How are you doing? I'm excited to be on your show. I am so excited to be talking to you. We have so much to get to
Starting point is 00:02:24 and I want to talk about so much of your career in sports and parenting and kids. but sometimes I feel like the best way to understand that is actually to start by rewinding a little bit. So I actually want to start, such a psychologist thing to say, with your childhood. I don't know the expectations that were set by your parents,
Starting point is 00:02:41 how that kind of shaped things. And I learned that you grew up in a family, they were pretty high standards. So just wanted to talk a little bit about your early years, what that was like. My childhood, I think what my parents did really well, they always encouraged rather than discouraged. My dad used to ask me questions like, you know, Russ, you're, you know, you're eight years old right now, but you're 25 years old.
Starting point is 00:03:05 You know, paint a picture for me. And I would start painting this picture as my dad was driving and he'd be like, that story's not good enough. And I'd be like, what? Like, what do you mean? That was a good story. And you're like, no, no, no, I want more. Like, I want your imagination to be even bigger. But I think those early years from five to 12, 13 years old, my parents and my mom and my dad, they really both just, you know, influence.
Starting point is 00:03:28 them's me in a big way. They painted a picture that was bigger than I could even see. And I think that allowed me to create. That allowed me to dream. That allowed me to, you know, go after what I really wanted to go after. And I think that was a big deal for me. And next to you know, when I turned 12, 13 years old, I'm starting to wake up at, you know, 5, 15 of my own and say, dad, let's go hit grounders. You know, let's do some baseball. Let's do some football over the mornings before he'd go to work. So that discipline of getting up early was a big I would say proponent of my trajectory
Starting point is 00:04:02 later on. Yeah. And did, just to be explicit, you're five, you're six, you're like, no. Becky, at that point,
Starting point is 00:04:09 someone was waking me up. They're like, let's go, let's get out of bed, let's kind of get to work. Yeah, my dad would knock on the door and be like, son, wake up, let's go.
Starting point is 00:04:17 5.30, we got to go. And were you like, yeah, were you like, oh, man. Yeah, no, I was, I wanted to sleep extra and do that. But next thing you know,
Starting point is 00:04:26 as I got older, eight, nine, ten, especially when I was like 11, 12 years old, that shifted in the atmosphere. I was waking my dad like that. What? We don't. We're on to it. And so that was a big piece to it. But he instilled that in me, you know, and I always saw my mom working. She was the ER nurse. He was a woman that was helping try to save lives. And, you know, and I just saw the toughness and the grit, you know, my mom and my dad. And I feel like they would do anything, like anything to help me. And I never forget this I had this one kid come up to me and I had this kid come up to me and it's like hey you know I know what your dad does I'm like what are you talking about my dad's a lawyer
Starting point is 00:05:06 what he mean like he's like well I know what your dad does I'm like what are you talking about in front of all the kids and he was like your dad works at the gas station and I'm like huh like my dad works at the gas station I'm like my dad saw your dad and I'm like yeah that's because my dad's doing a case and he's doing an investigation and you know my dad's you you know, working extra because of that. And so I'll go home with my dad. I'm like, I'm like, devastated. All these kids are like, I'm going to this rice, you know, rich private school.
Starting point is 00:05:35 And I can't afford it. I'm like the one only black kid there, basically. And I'm like, I'm like, dad, you work at the gas station? He goes, yes, son. I said, what do you mean? He goes, well, I'm working extra hours. I said, why? He says, you want to go to go to great school, right?
Starting point is 00:05:49 Like, you want to go do all the things you want to do. I got to do extra for you guys. I'm doing anything for you. And I remember him saying, I got to, buy those books. And so I just remember. What's coming up for you now as you tell that story? I just sacrifice. I think sacrifice is everything. I think the ability to sacrifice for your kids and your loved ones. I was playing football and I was playing basketball and, you know, to buy the bat from Dick's sporting goods or to buy the new A-2000 baseball glove from Dick sporting goods
Starting point is 00:06:23 or to buy the new football cleats or, you know, to whatever I, the new football that I, I wanted to buy, you know, I always wanted this Wilson football and I was like, I want to buy that. Or if I wanted to buy some new Nike cleats, it was like, you know, I had to, my dad had to work extra. And I didn't understand that at the time, but he sacrificed. My mom, the same thing. And so I think that's taught me a lot. That's taught me a lot about, you know, sacrifice. And sometimes sacrifice in my situation is different.
Starting point is 00:06:51 And I just feel like at times, you know, no matter how much we have or how little we have, There's a point in time that parenthood is all about sacrifice. It's the willingness to do whatever it takes for your kids to have a better life than you. And I think that's something that I've learned along the way. That story about your dad working at the gas station, I can, like my heart, like it just, that hit me in such a deep, heavy way. It is amazing when we look back on our lives. I mean, think about these very specific examples that represent something so big about what our parents really. we're willing to do for us.
Starting point is 00:07:30 And clearly that shaped your attitude toward hard work and grit and determination. And so linking that to more of your career today, how did some of that prepare you for this career where, I mean, every moment of your professional life is taped, is analyzed, is talked about, right?
Starting point is 00:07:51 I mean, the good parts, the hard parts, right? And so moments that don't go as you wanted. Don't go as imagined. Where a lot of those ones are very private for people. They're not for you. How do you feel like the way you were brought up helped you cope with those? Could you walk through a specific example? Yeah, I mean, I have a few examples.
Starting point is 00:08:12 I think losing my dad was one. Yeah, I looked up to my dad. My dad was everything to me. He was my closest friend. He was something I could count on, some I could rely on. But I just remember going to NC State, I get there. my dad says to me he says I want you to promise me something I said well what's that he goes well I want you to graduate early I said graduate early like what do you mean what does that
Starting point is 00:08:35 mean like like graduate early from college like how fast is I want you to graduate in three years or less I also think about in life too you go through challenges obviously career wise you know I won a Super Bowl and rookie the year he won the Super Bowl next year and the following we get all the way back to the Super Bowl get to the one year online and doesn't work and through that I realize that not everybody's on your side. Everybody that you think that's for you may not be for you. Like they pile on or? Just like in the sports world, you know, you carry a lot of weight and carry a lot of, you know,
Starting point is 00:09:07 weight on your shoulders and people love you one day and they hate you the next. And that's how fickle the world is sometimes. But for someone listening to this who's an athlete or their kid is or, you know, kids get in this place that say it's, you know, they're like, oh, that game didn't end the way I want or I wish I had passed the ball or how did I miss an open? net, whatever the thing is. And there's a period where maybe this doesn't happen to. I want to know where there's a period of,
Starting point is 00:09:32 you can be really hard on yourself, you kind of listen to the noise and it gets in, then maybe have to work to get it out. How does that actual process work for you? You're like, no, no, no. It never comes in or no, like it comes in and I have to work to get it out. How do you talk yourself through that Super Bowl
Starting point is 00:09:46 or through something else? Yeah, I think there's moments in life that definitely the negative stuff comes in. And I think what true champions are able to do is, it's not that it won't come in. Negativity is going to come in and come your way. And adversity is definitely going to happen. What we do know in life, as adversity is going to happen.
Starting point is 00:10:05 But we also know is adversity is temporary. And I learned this a lot in my mental coach, Trevor Moad and I. He was with me for 10 plus years. He passed away of cancer, unfortunately. And man, he was the number one sports psychologist, basically, in the world. We always talked about this idea that adversity is only temporary. And we believe it so much that there's a thought that, you know, we believe in positive. I'm a positive person by nature, Dr. Begki.
Starting point is 00:10:30 I'm definitely positive. But what we found was is that, yes, positivity works. But what we know works 100% of the time is negativity. And so we started talking about this concept around neutral thinking. And what does neutral thinking really happen? Like when things go well, can you, and you throw five touchdowns, can you stay like this? And when things don't go your way and you throw in three or four interceptions and it's the NFC championship game like how do you stay okay because it's still just a 16 point game
Starting point is 00:10:59 and we can still win this game and you got to be here and so I've always believed as a leader as a as a husband as a man um you know as a father it's like man man I just want to be here so you know what you're going to get every day and I think that's a big thing about sports in particular like there's going to be ebbs and flows there's going to be challenges and once you realize that you have to embrace that and realize that adversity is going to come your way. I think you take on those challenges and you move forward and you're able to bounce stuff off. We all think a lot about like how do I deal with adversity. There's going to be times when life doesn't go my way, right? In sports with kids, personal life, that's all true. We don't want to get better at dealing with it.
Starting point is 00:11:40 But when you're talking about with neutral thinking, in order to get better at the lows being less low, we actually have to watch for the potential for a high to make us feel that high. Because if winning a game makes you feel like I'm a better soccer player and I had five touchdowns in a row and all of a sudden because of that outcome, my mood goes from here to here, all that leaves me is vulnerable to when I throw two interceptions for me to feel like the worst quarterback of the world. And so you're really talking about how much does an outcome, change my baseline level of thinking about myself. And I think a lot of people don't realize that the more we let the good stuff make us feel
Starting point is 00:12:25 so much better than everyone else, we're leaving ourselves vulnerable to a bad game kind of plumbing us into an abyss. Yeah, it's a perfect thought process. I think what neutral thinking is to me is this idea that it's not outcome-based. Yes. A lot of things in life are outcome-based. And I think that when you really, you know, learn yourself and you really start mastering the best version of you, you realize that it's not outcome based, but it's process based. Mm-hmm.
Starting point is 00:12:55 And understanding that, hey, you know, what is the process that I'm going through, are the things that I'm going through that are the practices and the lessons and the things happening in life, you know, am I getting better daily? And those daily incremental gains, I think are really critical. And so I think I've learned that a lot that, you know, what I embrace? adversity I embrace the process more so than the end result if Steph Curry is a 94% free throw shooter right and he misses a free throw or two in the NBA finals does that make him a bad free throw shooter you know if Michael Jordan misses a free throw everyone says that make him a bad and absolutely not he's still a great free throw shooter yeah it's just he missed that one yeah and so sometimes you have to get back to the moment of keeping your elbow in if a great golfer misses a put
Starting point is 00:13:42 Does that mean that he's not who he is? It's just sometimes the ball doesn't go your way. And I think the big part of it is that you get back to the process of their fundamentals. And I think for me personally, that's something that I've been really addicted to and focused on, even when I'm going through my challenging times, is understanding that, hey, you know what, like stay focus on the process of practice. Stay focused on the process of your warm up. So you focus on the process of having the same routine every day. Yep. And that's been a big part of, you know, my continual just looking forward to the next moment.
Starting point is 00:14:18 Yeah. Knowing that when I get the ball again and I get the opportunity again or whatever it may be, that, you know, the next moment's going to be my best moment. You know, two things come to mind. I remember my oldest used to play baseball. I remember him coming to us after a game. And he was really working on shifting some stuff in his swing to get more power, different things. And he ended up basically hitting like a lot of outs. He hardly got on base that game.
Starting point is 00:14:38 And he's like, but I really felt the same. thing click, right? And I'm like, really, I was like very proud of myself, right? And I feel like it's just such a good example of him separating, like the thing under his control that is always under his control, his process, his system that he really did believe would eventually help him. It happened not to get him on base that game, right? But it actually not only protects our confidence, but it actually keeps us going back and eventually achieving more. And it sounds like that's kind of what you do too. Yeah, there's this love and addiction for the process for the great ones.
Starting point is 00:15:18 Yeah. Yeah. I think that when you love practice more than the game, you know, everybody loves the cheers and everybody loves the moment when you get in the end zone, but it's the stuff that happened before. It's all the stuff when you're isolated in your room by yourself and you're laying on your back as a young kid and I'm nine years old throwing the ball up to my ceiling just to work on my spiral. Yep.
Starting point is 00:15:42 Our brain is a muscle. You know, you got to work it. You know, we got to work our mental side every day. I was talking to somebody a close friend the other day about this is like, you know, if we can work that every day and communicate with ourselves, like, what's our own internal dialogue? And you're playing baseball and you're O for 17 and all you're telling yourself is, I suck. I'm no good. I'm terrible. I can't hit the ball.
Starting point is 00:16:02 I can't do this. And all of a sudden you keep believing that. and, you know, versus focusing on just this one pitch, just square this pitch up. You know, just square this one pitch up and, you know, it's a home run. You know, it's interesting. One of the things at Goodensight we talk a lot about is this importance of separating identity from behavior is when we collapse the two that we spiral.
Starting point is 00:16:25 I'm an awful baseball player. Like, I'm a good player who hasn't gotten on base in a while, right? And if you know you're working on your fundamentals, separating any one moment or one behavior from, from kind of who you are as a person, gives you a lot more freedom to get back to the fundamentals instead of kind of spiraling essentially in shame.
Starting point is 00:16:42 Well, it's funny you said that because there's, you know, I do these camps with kids and talk to kids a bunch and even talk to our son, Future, who loves playing basketball, he's really good at football, really good at baseball too. And it's so funny,
Starting point is 00:16:55 we do these different camps. And I try to talk to the kids about, you know, has there ever been an amazing quarterback he's always loved, but he's never thrown interstable? Like every quarterback that's ever played any games That's said an interception now that person's also thrown a lot of touchdowns too and you have to be able to take the bad and the good and take them together and Yeah, that's why we love the people that we love because they're able to overcome and I think that adversity that they are able to overcome makes them great
Starting point is 00:17:26 And that's part of like two-minute drill and football, you know you get down and you're down ten and you got to find a way to come back and those are the magical moments and those are the moments we have to embrace and That's right. I always think sports on the field or off the field, there's no greater feeling than watching yourself do something you weren't sure you could do. Like the high you end up getting from that and every moment of adversity kind of sets you up for that moment. So question in your home, how do you bring this to life, these lessons on the football field with your kids and your partnership? Like what habits do you guys have? How do you talk to each other? I mean, I'm sure stuff comes up all the time. I think that if mom and dad are good, the kids will be good. So that's been a big piece. to for me and see as like, let's focus on you and I extremely well. Let's make sure we go on our date nights every Friday. Like, let's make sure. Is that something you guys do? Oh, yeah.
Starting point is 00:18:23 Ever since we got together, I told out, like, I'm an old school kind of love guy. I want old school love. Like, let's take it back to the old days. And I think it's important that we're able to spend that quality time with each other. And so that one-on-one time, like being able to put my phone down for at least an hour and say, like, let me just, you know, stare you in the eyes and talk. Like those moments are like what I think keeps us going at such a high rate. Yeah. And I think a big part of that is saying, hey, let's make sure you and I are good first. I think for every mom and every dad back at home, like make sure you guys take care of you first.
Starting point is 00:18:58 And I think it's so funny because I always ask, see like, who's comes first? Me or the kids, you know? And I feel like for moms, there's that nurturing aspect of them. Yeah, they really want to take care of the kids first. But I think it's important that we do it together. Yeah. And that, you know, if dad and mom are good, then the kids will be good. And I think part of that after that is like, okay, now each kid's different.
Starting point is 00:19:20 Especially we have multiple kids. Like one kid may be super high energy. Other kid may be lower energy. One kid may have attitude. Other kid may not. Like, so how do you deal with that? And your approach, I always say KYP, you know your personnel. I say that in football, but I also say that in life and at home.
Starting point is 00:19:36 It's like KYP. Each kid's different and you got to know your personnel. Yeah. And I think it's so important that we're able to understand how you talk to each one of them, but love them all the same and hold them all accountable the same. Like I'm probably the more firm one. Sierra's good at being like clear and firm, but like she's got a little morally way. You're going to hold the boundary.
Starting point is 00:19:57 But I'm like, no, my yes is yes. My no is no. If I say yes, you can stay up extra five minutes, you got that five minutes. So, you know, I'm thinking about the way you were talking about your dad. It was so clear how grateful you were for, the life he provided and worked so hard. How with the life you have, the fame you've achieved the success, how do you think about cultivating gratitude in your kids?
Starting point is 00:20:21 I always feel like when I walk into, you know, a room or if I go to the Children's Hospital, if I go and eat somewhere, like I want to make sure that I clean the dishes. I don't want to just leave the stuff on the table and not do it if I'm going to somebody else's house, you know? It's like, make sure you make each place better. And I think that's an important. I mean, it's an important lesson because our kids have it different. Our kids in particular have it different than we grew up.
Starting point is 00:20:47 Yeah. You know, our parents had to work for everything. And we've had to work for everything, but we've been blessed beyond measure. So now how do we do that? How we give back? And so we try to teach our kids even, you know, around the holidays, for example, making sure that we make them responsible for giving back. And I think whether it's closed or whatever it may be, those little things along the way
Starting point is 00:21:08 that are actually big things to others. I want to transition a little to think about because they're in such a unique position to think about tools and some of them probably emotional mindset tools for the next generation and especially the next generation of kid athletes who are into sports.
Starting point is 00:21:22 So a couple questions along those lines. Your kid comes to you or you're coaching a team and a kid comes to you. I suck. I'm the worst player on the team. What do you feel like a kid needs in that moment? He needs to change his dialogue. So you coach. I don't let
Starting point is 00:21:40 I don't let my teammates say that. I don't let my kids say that or dang sure. And I'm not going to say it to myself. So as a coach or as somebody leading young kids, I'm not going to let you say that. Not around me. And they hear that tone. Like not around me.
Starting point is 00:21:57 Like we're not saying that. Like your internal dialogue has got to be a championship dialogue. What does that sound like after a tough game? You know, it's like, you know what? Today was a tough day. You speak about your truth. Today was a tough day, but you know what, tomorrow's going to be better. And here's why. Right, like, and you start painting that picture of here's the reasons why.
Starting point is 00:22:14 And here's what I've done before. You know what? Like, you know, every great, like my dad used always talk about Hank Aaron. And, you know, for anybody who loves baseball at Hank Aaron, is obviously one of all the time great hitters of all time. Best baseball player, arguably, of all time. And what was interesting, Hank Aaron always believed, even if he went 0 for 4, he always believed he was 4-4-4.
Starting point is 00:22:35 And I think there's a fundamental thought process that we have to We have to wire our own mentality and our own language our own internal dialogue It has to be has to be stronger than what the external dialogue is But you said something that's nuanced and I think it's really important and again. I think this applies to so many things I think about with kids off the field We have to start to connect to someone you have to join them where they are today some version of it right? And I would call that like validate where someone is. But as a coach or as a parent, you have to see a more capable version of that kid than they can access in the moment. This could be true at drop off. Your kid's freaking out at drop off. They don't want to go to school. And you have to start, I know drop off's hard today. And I know you're going to end up having a good day at school. There's like, I see you now. That's true. But I also see a version of you that's a little more capable. And it just reminded me so much of, okay, today was a tough day. True. I don't have to be scared of. that thought and tomorrow is going to be better, right? Like there's this duality.
Starting point is 00:23:37 Both can be true at the same time. You can have two truths at the same time. Yeah. And I think part of it too is like you said, paying that picture. Difference quickly, difference between encouraging your kid and pressuring your kid. Encouraging to me is you're telling them what they can be. It's you're paying a picture for who they are. You're encouraging them what they've done and when they're capable of.
Starting point is 00:24:01 I think pressureing their kid is you're putting that you're putting your own mindset on them and what they what they have to be. Yeah. How do you balance as an athlete being, anyone, being really competitive you want to win and being being a good sport? I think it's a character thing. I think being a good sport is how it's just how the game should be played. You know, give your all. Yeah. But don't, you don't have to be a jerk about it.
Starting point is 00:24:30 You can give your all. And when we're in between the white lines, yeah, you can be the villain that day. You know what I mean? But once the whistle blows, once it's over, okay, like, all right, let's move on to the next moment. And I think there's a great balance to that. And I think the people that really love the game
Starting point is 00:24:47 and respect the game know how to do that well. When your kids are older and someone just says, what was your dad like? What's? And they can only say one sentence. What do you hope they say? One sentence? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:25:01 And so I'll put in one sentence, but I can give you some words. Okay. He was charismatic, dynamic, loving. He was passionate. And I think he was forgiving. Right now in your life, what is a quiet when you're having? Something you're proud of. You know really matters, but maybe isn't visible to other people.
Starting point is 00:25:25 But I just know what matters. Yeah, I would say my favorite thing right now is, you know, living in New York, It's been pretty fun. You know, we live in the city. And on Fridays, I do all my work early on Friday morning. I go through all my plays. I highlight all my plays of all my favorites, isn't that. And when practice is over around 1 o'clock,
Starting point is 00:25:49 I make sure I shower up, do everything I need to do to finish the day. But I try to get out of there by 2 o'clock. And I go pick up my kids every day on every Friday. And in the past, I haven't done that as much. It's kind of been tricky to do and whatever it may be, but just be on to walk and pick up my kids and you know, pick up all three there
Starting point is 00:26:07 in school right now, Future Sienna and Wynn and to walk with Sierra and do that just to see my daughter's face light up when dad's at the end of the step. Yeah. She's like, Dad, you know. And they always scream mom's name. But when they're like, Dad, you know,
Starting point is 00:26:22 Wynn's like, Daddy, you know, Future Dad, what's up, man? And they all run over. Like, that's probably the loudest one internally, but probably the most quiet. I don't think anybody recognizes. I'm just like by myself, you know, I'm like, but I feel like that's like, I feel cool today. I love that. Let's probably my favorite time. I love that.
Starting point is 00:26:40 All right. Welcome to overtime. This is my rapid fire questions. You like rise to the adversity of overtime, right? Everything matters right now. Okay, so short questions, whatever comes to mind first. Best piece of advice you got as a rookie from a veteran. Take care of your body.
Starting point is 00:26:57 Such good advice. Do you have a superstition, even if it seems silly? You know it's superstition that you kind of believe on the field? I'm not superstitious. I believe in good habits. Great. Every stadium I go into, I find a spot in the stadium. Like when I'm playing MetLife Stadium, for example, where he won the Super Bowl,
Starting point is 00:27:11 I look at the sign where it says life. And just thinking about, man, everything I've been through. And think biblically, too, in the scriptures around that. And so I'm like, find a spot in the stadium I can look at, to bring me back to ground zero, to bring me back to neutral. Beautiful. proudest moment of your career so far. Winning the Super Bowl, I think was definitely pretty cool.
Starting point is 00:27:31 Yeah. To win it here and just win it in New York, like, just pretty cool. To hold that trophy. And I'm striving to find a way to win another one. Amazing. Parent who's listening has kids in sports. One piece of advice for a parent with a kid playing sports right now. My piece of advice is let them play as much as they can.
Starting point is 00:27:51 Man, like what football did for me because I played multiple sports. Everybody said I was too freaking small. I couldn't do it. And there's no way. He's only 511, maybe 5.10. Like, you know, like there's no chance. He's got to play a different position. And, you know, I've been fortunate to throw for a lot of yards,
Starting point is 00:28:06 a lot of touchdowns that win a Super Bowl and a lot of games. And just knowing kind of internally what God putting you and go for that. Well, thank you for this conversation. Thank you for sharing so much of your story. And this has been awesome. Thank you guys. It's so much fun. Appreciate you.
Starting point is 00:28:22 You're amazing. I have so many takeaways from this conversation with Russell, but there are three that are really loud in my mind, so I want to share them with you. Number one, adversity is where growth happens. Russell talked about a type of joy he has in adversity. And if you really have a long-term mindset, if you're really focused on growth, then adversity is where you actually have the most opportunity. And that's kind of exciting. Two, watch yourself talk. I love when he said, not around me.
Starting point is 00:28:51 Like we have to really watch the words we say, the words our kids say. And sure, we want to see where they're at, but we really have to pay attention to the track that plays over and over in our mind. And three, look for the ability to be addicted to the process instead of the outcome. And I think this is really true in our own lives. We can get so caught up in the outcome and what something looks like to someone else and to a compliment, someone gives us. All that makes us feel good, but what's so protective for our own self-esteem and confidence and
Starting point is 00:29:24 grit and resilience is to gaze in. What do I love doing? What are my systems? What are my habits? Can I become kind of addicted to the way that lights me up or gives me purpose? Because that will protect me from kind of my mood being at the whim of the latest outcome in my life. This was an amazing conversation.
Starting point is 00:29:43 And I am so excited for the next one with another Nike athlete. Let's end the way we always do. place your feet on the ground, place a hand on your heart, and let's remind ourselves, even as we struggle on the outside, we remain good inside. I'll see you soon.

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