THE ED MYLETT SHOW - Finding Light in the Darkness - with Jake Olson

Episode Date: January 16, 2019

It's not the events of your life that define you, but the MEANING you attach to those events. WHATEVER YOUR SETBACKS, HARDSHIPS, EXCUSES ARE IN LIFE, THIS INTERVIEW WILL GIVE YOU A COMPLETELY NEW PERSPECTIVE. I am truly honored to bring you one of THE MOST inspiring human beings on the planet in this intimate one on one interview with Jake Olson. Imagine being told at the age of 12 that you would lose your eyesight and have to live the rest of your life in darkness. A cancer survivor and now completely blind, Jake has overcome every hardship to become a long-snapper for the @USCedu #TROJANS and a history-making play! This is one of the GREATEST sports stories of all time! His incredible achievements, relentless resiliency and ability to be THE EXAMPLE for how to MAXOUT every circumstance has lead Jake to lead and inspire people all over the world. We discuss how to OVERCOME ADVERSITY from a man that has experienced more setbacks and unfairness in the first chapter of life than many of us will experience in our entire lifetime. You will be moved! You will cry! You will learn! You will grow!

Welcome to the Ed Milach show. This podcast is for those who want to do more. See more and be more. Welcome back to Max out everyone. I'm Ed Milett. Today is going to be incredible just so you know. And this one is for my mom. I asked my mom a few weeks ago, I said,

mom, if I could get any guests on the spinning planet Earth, who would you want? Former presidents, what actor, what entertainer? She says, she'll call me back to the next day. She says, I want Jake Olsen. So that man is here with me today. Jake, thank you for being here brother. Thank you for having me.

I'm going to tell you guys about this young man. By the way, we also have Quebec with us. And I think Quebec is sort of bored with the interview, but he's definitely here with us today. For those of you that don't know, I asked Jake, I said, how should I describe you? He said, tell him I'm blind. So if you're listening to this on audio

and you're not singing on YouTube, you may not know this, but the young man to my left, I think is one of the most inspiring people in the world. And I've been following his story for several years. And we're going to get into that story. You're going to be moved. You're going to be crying. You're going to be laughing. You're going to learn. And our off camera stuff has been so good already. So Jake is actually a senior at USC who will be graduating here very shortly. He's also a long snapper on the football team. and what makes that even a little bit more unique is that he can't see.

And so I'm sure you're wondering how the heck that works and what your life's story is. So that's what we're gonna talk about today, brother. So thank you. Of course. For being here, I can't afford to. So you're 12 years old. You were a fan of USC football, pretty big time, right?

You grew up in Huntington Beach. Tell me a little bit about your upbringing, pre-vision loss. What was your life like? Right, so, I mean, at A1S old, I was diagnosed with a rare form of eye cancer called retinoblastoma. And obviously, at a year old,

I'm not old enough to actually remember what exactly happened, but the cancer was bilateral, meaning both eyes, so they immediately had to remove my left eye. It was too far progressed in the left eye, and the fear with retinal lestoma is it progresses to the point through the optic nerve to the brain, and then from there it's unstoppable.

So if you can't cure the cancer in the eye, you have to remove the eye. Can I just remove the, which removes the cancer? I'm curious. So the remove my left eye, it was only only about half as bad though in my right eye. So, we were able to cure my right eye with chemotherapy, some laser treatment. The cancer went away and then basically from about one year old to 12 years old, my life was, that cancer was turning eight times.

Oh my gosh. So, each time it would come back, you know, we'd go to the hospital and figure out a new way of treating it and if that was radiation, if that was chemo, if that was laser or cryo or experimental treatments, you know, whatever it was. So, all the way up to when I was 12 years old, and then in the fall of 2009, when I was 12, the cancer finally returned. And for me, it was just another return to the cancer. You know, I was, okay, what are we going to do this time? How are we going to fight it? And unfortunately the doctors had a different news for me and that was that

really that exhausted all options. And we could keep messing around with it, but the cancer had kind of become immune to the treatments and there was a great chance that it would continue to grow and if it did spread then obviously my life would be at great for us. So the removal of my ride I was then kind of necessary which obviously meant going completely blind. Amazing brother.

So I want to ask you some stuff about that. First off, I think you're unbelievable. You know that. Just so everybody knows, on our show, because of the great blessing of how successful it's been, we haven't reached out to ask somebody to be on this show in a very long time. They reach out to us, and I want you all know

I reached out to him. And myself, by the way. It was a no-brainer. It was, and well, thank you. And, but I want to know some stuff, because people are listening to this, and they have children, or they're a child listening. This is me, a lot of young people listening to this.

And they're going through stuff, you know, just adversity in their life. How did 12 years of just being in and out of chemo and radiation or whatever you were doing affect you like as a kid? Were you just in a hospital a lot? I mean, yeah, no, there was definitely a lot of times in our hospitals. And we flew to New York a couple of times, it was seems some very experimental treatment. And so there was a lot of times, you know,

again, that I was in my parents' missing school. And, you know, in that you definitely learn, I've learned in my 12 years of being patient, to be, you know, to persevere, to be resilient. A lot of the different characteristics that have helped me overcome adversity. And really, I attribute my success after blindness to those 12 years because, really?

Because although blindness was my biggest setback in my life, when I went blind at the age of 12, it was a 12 years of going through cancer that taught me how to be resilient. And therefore I can, you know, apply a lot of those lessons I learned in the 12 years to the adversity that comes with, you know, leaving a life with that side.

Yeah, you are like unbelievably composed and calm for your age. Like your presence is like a 70 year old guy, right? That's a compliment. And I wondered when we met, like, whoa, like there's a presence about you. Me too, the other thing you have, man, like you have a strength about you.

And I think I have a little of that too, but it's almost an intimidating type of confidence and strength you have. And it's true. And it's why I wondered how did this really affect you as a young guy. And so go ahead, you're gonna say something. Well, I mean, it just, you know,

I learned, you know, going through cancer, I mean, you know, you would think, you would think by the six time, you know, when we would go in at 10 years old, it's like the cancer's back one more time, it would be devastating, but I, you just learn to say, okay, it's back, let's deal with it now, you know, it's not freak out about it, it's not, lose our minds, like it's the end of the world,

let's figure it out, and, you know, although blindness was a striking blow And it was sad and it was mad and I you know I had lots of nights. I cried in a torture in my mind Yeah, thinking about rest my life without sight You know at the end of the day is okay. This is going to happen especially I remember waking up from the surgery that took my sight Mm-hmm. I mean right then there's okay. Okay. Okay. I am blind now. It is a reality So you know there is a decision now. Let's go home and soak about it and think about

all the things that could have done with sight and how life ripped me off. Or let's go figure out how to live a life I want to live and do the things I continue want to do and love and get happy, you know. And at 12 years old, laying in the hospital, you that occurred to you. Seriously, you thought that you made that decision,

thinking, I'm sure it wasn't that definitive, but it was that thought process. Because it is, it's just across road. And growing 12, I mean, I realized that's why I try to tell people it is your, at the end of the day, it is your choice what road you want to go down. And of course, you need a support system. Did you have that you have great parents? I do. I have a twin sister who's been there for me. I have great parents and great family great friends That have encouraged me and helped me through the way and I don't know where I'd be without them But at the end day, I mean it is your choice of how you want to

Move on with your life and kind of what mindset you want to take when we're for it's incredible to me because You know, I people on my show all the time. I have great things to say about being motivated or being resilient, but like, you live this, like, into some of the most difficult times somebody could ever go through in their life. And prepping for this is, you know, I told you off camera, I have a sister who's lost most of her vision as well. And when that was happening with her, those of you that are listening, that you know here, well, someone's become blind, that could prior see. I just want you to kind of begin to move your heads around that. This is a young man who could see the world and then couldn't. And one day, I was particularly bothered by my sister's situation, and I decided to take 10 minutes with my eyes closed, awake, 10 minutes without being able to see.

And if you have any appreciation for this young man that goes through, I challenge you to spend 10 minutes with no vision, never mind the rest of your life, and you'd have an appreciation for the depth of character that this young man has. It was so difficult for me just to go 10 minutes and darkness and being awake. And so I'm curious if you don't mind me asking you,

what was the moment when you woke up, like if you recall it, do you remember waking up and you could now not see? I do, I do. And to be honest, waking up was the easiest part because it really, it was almost a burden had been lifted. I remember, I found out October 1st of 2009 I was going to go blind and I went blind on November 12th. So there was about a month and a half there of knowing this was going

to be your last month and half a scene. And so it was a huge burden on my back and my psyche of everything I was able to do a lot of cool thing, including obviously being invited to become a part of the USC family with Coach Carroll. But everything I remember, I mean literally the thought, this is the last time we were able to see a Laker game this last time, I'm able to see the sunset this last time, I'm able to see my family. You know, like those thoughts were just in my mind. A ton. And so when I finally woke up, it was like, okay, it's finished. I mean, it's it's finished I mean it's it's happened

and so and you know I I heard my parents speak to me right as I woke up and I not realize they're there and you know I you would think it was like it had been kind of like oh man now I am blind like gosh darn it it wasn't it was almost like, I guess, it was a cave. It's happened. Now, let's go back to the drawing board and really figure out. Oh, brother, please, Louise. I think something happens to people too. We've talked about other friends a month that have had some difficult or tragic circumstances happen. Everybody should hear this.

The power of the human spirit, you're all a lot stronger and resilient than you think you are. There are parts of you that are there that are so incredibly strong that if you can find them, you'll be so proud of yourself. I'm like, I've been watching you on TV for, I'm like, I'm so proud of this guy. Like, it's pretty rare for a grown man like me to watch something on TV alone and cry. Right? And it's a couple of times when I watch you, I'm like, my gosh, this is just unbelievable. So I don't get really excited about me, and most people, right?

And you, probably the youngest guy out on the show is the guy who's the most excited to meet. I'm very excited. Because I just admire the transition so much. I want to be a lot of coolness of the story too, is I mean, people have been able to grow up with me since I've, the first story came out on this 12. Yeah, maybe some of you may not know this, but this story has been really well documented

because of your relationship with the shirt you're wearing. And this is just about to get, just so you know, you're about to hear what will end up being one of the greatest movies ever released here someday probably pretty soon, because the man number one is incredible, right? What he's overcome and that difficulty, I just want to tell you, I've never met your parents, but I already know they've just got to be incredibly, you come from an amazing family because it's produced you, right? And so as a dad, I know how much strength it must have required. At least I think I do for a father or a mother to wake up and have to have a son who's lost their relationship.

Yeah, fair. We must be just thinking about that. I didn't want to imagine that. That's one thing. Yeah, that's probably not something you want to imagine. I'm sure. So, let's talk a little bit about the entire story. Is there something about, I'm curious, is there something about, this is going to be an

odd question. What's good about being blind? What's good about being blind? There's a lot of good about being blind? What's good about being blind? There's a lot of blessings in being blind. You know, a lot of it, I remember early on, right after I went blind, I was, I actually was invited to speak

and that kind of snowballed into me speaking around the country, but I was like, I don't know, 14 years old, and I remember I was flying to Utah to speak. Okay. And we were sitting there and like, there was this baby being changed, like the row of crossroads in the plane. I remember my mom's like, Jakey, there's a blessing to be

blind. And from there I was like, yep, that's exactly the thing I'm going to use and sort of points in my life. So I think one of the cool things though is people, you know, there is some oddities in how being able to see for 12 years sometimes when I meet people is like, did they look like that? And then you kind of accurate. I'm not that I really focus on it, but I do think there's an innocence of not being able to see what someone looks like just hearing their voice, hearing what they actually say, and then, you know, walking away from that and never thinking twice about what they actually look like, just kind of facing what the person is based on the personality. How does it affect your day-to-day existence now? It's been a while, right? It's been what, 10 years or so, most, right?

Almost. Yeah, so, have you adapted completely to that? And go ahead, you enter that and and I have another question for him. Just curious to see. And blindness and any change in life, I mean, you're constantly learning, right? And there's constantly little tricks you develop during activity during the day,

it's like, okay, I can do that better next time, you know? I mean, I still, to this day, when I brush my teeth at nighttime, probably have to try three times of a toothpaste on it, because it's not night at a squeeze hard enough that time. Oh, that's too much now. Like, that's one of the things, if there's any inventors out there,

if you can figure out how blind people can just put toothpaste on the toothbrush effectively, let me know. But, okay, that's good. That's good. That's good. I would never have thought about that. I know, right. There's just little things like that.

I mean, plugging, plugs into an outlet is always a difficulty. If you want to turn the lights off and try to plug a plug into an outlet in the wall, it's the most frustrating thing as it is. But, so there's like stuff for you still kind of, like just, you know, this little frustrating, but I mean, yeah, I mean,

you know, a year after I went blind, I completely was able to read braille, so it took about a year, and I'm getting around with the cane, and then obviously, you know, with the guy dog and other stuff. I mean, you've done some other incredible things. Just everybody knows, we're talking off camera. Skype to calculus and college. And you did the entire stuff in your head, right? I mean, tell them about that. Yeah, I mean, how do you do that?

Yeah, I worked with the tutor, but yeah, I mean, I don't know. I guess I think there's a blessing and somewhat, you know, through the 12 years of growing up, there's sometimes where my eyesight was better than others. And I guess I just kind of started being able to visualize things in my head. So I mean, when I was working through equations and differentiating equations and stuff,

I can kind of picture my head and where to move, what number to that side of the equation. And you say it, you say everything you do. This is the funny thing. You say everything you say so matter of factly. The interview, like, yeah, you know, I just do them all. My head, I just remember things. Yeah, I just, yeah.

I snap football in college. We're talking about a minute. He shoots, you guys, just listen to the minute. You're about to be blown away by a whole bunch of stuff. But this cat right here can't see, and he can beat you at golf. So he shoots in the mid-70s. He played varsity golf in high school.

I mean, like, we're gonna talk about all this stuff, but like, just so you know, whatever you think is holding you back in your life, whatever your lame ass excuses for why you're not getting something done or whatever pity part of you're having for yourself, this man right here takes all of those excuses away and you have no excuse. It's time for you to go win, right?

So that's just who you're all about. So one little thing I wanted to ask you, you told me I could ask you anything, so I am. I'm wondering if when you dream, do you dream in pictures, like visually, or do you dream in darkness? No, I dream definitely as if I can see. So I'm seeing my dreams.

It's weird though my mind knows I'm blind. So like I literally have a dream if I can see. So I'm seeing my dreams. It's weird though my mind knows I'm blind. So I'll literally have a dream where I can see but I still have Quebec by my side or my cane. There's also like, sometimes I'll be like stressful dreams where like I'll be driving a car in my dream and I'll be able to see, but I know I'm not supposed to be able to see. So like it's stressful because now I'm like,

I'm like, oh shoot man, I have to drive this car. I'm like, I don't know, I'm not gonna crash this thing. So, but yes, I mean, it's like, I don't know, it's like probably how you dream. I mean, when people ask me like, what you see is a darkness, it's like, no, it's not a darkness, it's just like a visual memory. I mean, if I asked you to picture, you walk through your house

right now in your front door. I mean, obviously it's a little more vivid sense you're actually doing it. But I mean, it's kind of like that almost, you know? But it's just what your mind's kind of seeing. Brother, you're amazing. Hi, let's get to the sumptuous year-volume story. So by the way, Coach Carol and I went to the same college,

the greatest college of all time, University of Pacific. I mean, no offense, but all the great ones went there. But so your coach, Coach Carol and I went to the same college, the greatest college of all time, University of Pacific. I mean, no offense, but, you know, all the great ones went there. But, so your coach was Coach Carol, and I know he was a central figure in life. So you're a huge USC fan, okay? Here we go, everybody. This is gonna get bananas.

So take us through this. This is prior to you losing your vision. When did they find out, like, hey, this guy's a big USC fan, clearly to some extent, the fact that you were had cancer at the time, kind of worked to your advantage in the sense of you getting connected to the program somehow because there was a story behind you, there's a whole billion kids you probably wanted to be involved with USC, but they fell in love with you once they met you, so tell them about that part of the story, you guys,

this is gonna get crazy right now. Okay, so I figure out like I said, October 1st, I'm going blind. Yes. My dad received his MBA from USC. So that's how I became a Trojan fan. Also, it was growing in Southern California with Carol's dominance, those are not to me. Right.

So, you know, I maybe a week or two, my August 14th, maybe was when finally we get invited up there. Through different avenues, I mean, there was literally, my story probably reached the USC athletic department like five different ways. Okay. But it reached. Through different avenues, I mean, there was literally, my story probably reached the USC athletic department like, five different ways. But it reached. So Coach Carroll heard my story, invited me up for practice. That's what parents told me.

So going to practice, which as a 12 year old fan language is the coolest thing ever. Of course. Little did I know, we come to pre-practice meetings and the, you know, I'm like, oh my gosh, that's that play, that's that play, that play. And all of a sudden, Coach Carroll gets up there and goes, hey, we have special guest today, Jake's here. And the whole team starts chaining my name. And I come down in front of the team with Coach Carroll. And he says, you know, his favorite player, which was Crystal Dow, the center of the time.

He goes, his favorite player is Crystal Dow, and it was very funny, because all the players are expecting to be like, you know, Barclay or, you know, Ron Johnson at the time. Something like that. But so it's Chris with another center, and everyone's like, who? Like, you're good. Oh, you're a good fun and crazy. Wait a minute, that's crazy part. I didn't know that. Your favorite player, prior to losing your vision,

was the freaking center? Yeah, yeah, cause I played center for my five football team. Oh my gosh, this is gonna, okay. Yeah, so that's why I saw, then I went with Chris and wrestling lineman to the O'Line meeting, actually. You were the big dude, by the way, you're a scrawny little dude.

You have to see the pictures. Yeah, so I went to the O'Line meeting, hung out with them, then went out to practice, was amazing just how many players are coming up saying hi, coach Carol. There's a place that you know, I eat at now, you know, I think they're, but it's called Little Galen. I think that's where all the athletes eat. So I eat at now with you know I think there but it's called Little Gailin. I think we're all the athletes eat so I went to dinner with the team afterwards and this

was my sister and my two parents so like a whole family you know. So then you know it's like a cool day you think it's kind of the over but all of a sudden it's like you want to come another day with us and then we get another day and then we come back and it's like, hey, you went to the Notre Dame football game? Yeah, I went to the South Bend with the team. Wow. You know, is there on the field with them?

And it really started a complete relationship with Chris, with Barclay, with a lot of different players, with Coach Carol himself, with all different coaches. I don't know what was so special about that time, it just turned out not to be a one-day deal. Well, you were special. Well, that's what it was. It was you.

So, you know, it turned out, then on November 11th, you know, I spent my last night there with that, with sight, was at the practice field, and was around the team, you know, came back a week later. Team was there for me, you know, and went to the Brawl game, you know, like it just... You were waiting, I want to understand this,

I didn't know this part of it. Your last night was sight, you were with the football team? I was, yeah. And then a week later, you were back with the football team after you lost sight. Yep. Oh, bro, this is a unbelievable story. Okay.

Okay. And so did you stay affiliated with the team for an extended period of time? Well, so Coach Carroll left obviously after that year. So he went up Seattle. And for Coach Carroll's credit, I've been up to Seattle plenty of times. I've been to both Super Bowls. I'm so very close with Coach Carroll.

A mentor of mine, he calls me his hero. He's a mine hero. Like we are very tight. So that definitely, my relationship with Coach Carroll, excited past USC. Gosh, man. So Kiffin comes past USC. Gosh man. But so Kiffin comes into USC. Yeah.

I remember he, I came up there and he like brawming to his office just me. I'm like 13 years old and you know I'm like oh gosh, like what's this gonna be about. He just want to make sure you know I'm still with the team, I'm still a fan and all that stuff. So that was my eighth grade year. You know, it was still involved, it was a little different,

but I mean, not still friends with a lot of players and coaches, whatever. So then I became a freshman in high school. Things changed a little bit because all of a sudden now I'm in high school. I was busy. Well, I'm busy here, but also with some of the recruiting things.

Oh, yeah. So was still part of the program, junior year, sorry, playing football. So hey, Junior Year, you're like, I'm gonna play football now. Yeah, so. Okay, but you say that like has nothing. Stay on this for a minute.

You're blind. Okay, this is to be clear here. So you're junior, you're like, yeah, I decided to play football. Like that's not the same as every other dude. Yeah, I'm gonna play football. Okay, so what was that like really like? So middle school I played center, right?

And I even played my eighth grade year blind, okay? But it's like football. It's a little different, but that's still impressive, but that's a lot different than, right? So fresh in the year I go to Orangewood, okay, which by the way, you know, we play Survite Modern Day, Sam Wario, St. John Bosco.

So people not in Southern California, which is the vast majority, or even in the United States, a lot of those people. This is a big time football conference, and a big time football pro. So very, you know, very physical, tackle football to the highest level. Right.

And I was like, I don't want to see a place out there for me. So I didn't play freshman software. I played golf at high school. I didn't play football. Mm-hmm. And you say that in passing. Okay, well, you played golf in high school. Okay.

But this is amazing. So I really missed the game. I remember going Friday night, so I'm like, man, I wish I was out there. You know, I see the team, the camaraderie in the locker room or, you know, in the hallways and stuff. Like, I want to be part of that. So end of my sophomore year, we had a kid named Chase,

who's a long sapper. He's graduating, really good long sapper. I actually goes to Utah to play long sapper. Their coaches, like, there's a vacancy now. They don't really have someone that's next up. So they're trying all these guys and like, okay, couple of my teammates, friends that were teammates, our team, then they were like, hey, you should probably

start working on this. Maybe you could come on and be a Long-Saper. So worked with the coach named Coach Vieselmeyer, all summer long, we've lived every day for like an hour and a half. Finally, gone fall camp, turned out as the best long sapper the team had, or my spot of our team played with the first team mentioned in your year. Brow, that's bananas.

Yeah, that's fun. What was the first time like you walk out there or run out there, whatever, you know, you get? I was, I was so nervous. It was fun. What was the first time like you walk out there or run out there, whatever? Yeah, I know you get it. What was that like? It was so nervous. It was crazy. And you sucked at first too, right? When you first started long snapping.

Oh, when I first started, yeah. And you get in the summer, yeah. I mean, I didn't know how to do it. I thought it was kind of like somewhat like centering, but it's not. I mean, it's two hands. It's got to be a lot faster, whatever. So, yeah, it was definitely a change.

Okay, so you finally get good. Now you're gonna go out there and actually do this. What was that like? You should see you, yeah, go ahead. It was crazy, it was absolutely crazy. And the thing was also, I mean like, one, I use this, being blind, obviously, you have to do things differently sometimes,

but it doesn't mean it can't be done. And that's what I tell people in life, if there's a will there's a way, sometimes it might not be easy for you, sometimes it might not be the simplest way, the way that your neighbor does it, but guess what, there's still a way for you to do it. So go find that way.

So powerful. So for me, it did take my holder to line me up. And so actually some of the very first snap, my very first high school snap, okay. It was actually wasn't a bad snap on my part, but it was just kind of chaotic. And it was the first time we've ever done this, actually in a game. So it was a little outside, so my holder kind of reached for it and kind of lost his balance and it ended up going up and trying to score instead of trying to get the ball to the kick. Okay, so he gets tackled, not the way we wanted to start it, right?

The problem was since it was all discombobulated, my team starts running off, and we never thought of how to give me back a sense. So I start wandering, and like, I was like, go back and get Jim. Oh my gosh. So I was like, I'm fleeing back and get Jim. Oh my god. So, always a complete disaster for a time.

You know what, whatever. That's unbelievable. Next time was easier. We got, you know, it was good. We got the point through after, you know, whatever. And we, you know, I think I sound like four other times that game and it was all fine. So, when you made the first snap that was a

executed correct, I'm just curious, like, did the crowd go crazy or were they like, hey, nice snap, or do people not know? Well, people thought it was a fake, because he kind of, like I said, because it wasn't like a snap or was like, oh, that was way off.

It just was a little far out and my whole time at the time was the same added. How he did it was kind of like reached out, caught it. I think in that moment he's like, I'm not going to be able to get my balance back or he's at the ball, so he just kind of reached out and then just got it and caught it. I think in that moment, he's like, I'm not going to be able to like get my balance back or isn't the ball. So we just kind of reached out and then just gone up and started running.

But what about the first time you actually executed like an extra point in a game? Like, what was that like? I mean, I think it was cool for people. Like, I mean, it wasn't like, where you're like, yeah, it wasn't, that's like USC nuts, but it was, it was not. But so you weren't like, there wasn't, I'm curious,

because when you're doing something extraordinary, I think sometimes I tell people this, they're even building companies or whatever. I think sometimes when you're making history or being a pioneer at something, it doesn't always feel like it. Like it doesn't occur to you that that's what's happening. It occurs to other people, right?

Right, so I'm not sure how many people that year in the world were long snapping blind in high school, but I'm pretty sure the list was small. Like, there wasn't a party that was like, holy shit, I just did this. Yeah, I mean, there was definitely probably that. I mean, it was, you know, I mean, definitely, I started receiving between people at school

and the fans, I mean, like, you know, people would come out and Friday night, like, I came here to watch you and stuff like that. So, I mean, like, there is definitely that going on. But, you know, for me, it was just fun being out there, helping my team win on Friday nights. I love this. Now we're gonna get to one of my favorite moments in the history of sports.

And that's the truth. For me, sports are an inspiring thing because overall, I think, sports is like the game of life, like watching it, right? So like to me, you're like the ultimate athlete in my mind. And so then you decide, this is just a crazy convergence of circumstances. You were affiliated with USC. They helped you kind of get through maybe the most difficult time in your life. You helped inspire them too.

Now you're a graduating senior in high school and you end up going to SC. How's that end up happening? Right, so when junior and senior year, I'm obviously considered a recruit, you know, in high school ball. So, you know, when I go up to practices, I I'd, you know, be part of the, you know, the recruit, whatever, go to games. And coach Shark Keijing was there at the time. And Pat Hayden was the 80th of the time,

along with Jake, him, okay. So, you know, I'd go up to practice, and I'd be hanging out with Shark and Pat, and they're like, you know, you're coming here, you're great, good, all right. You know, you, and this was probably my senior year, and I remember one time I went at the practice, and I'm like, you know, Jake,

you're great, you're good, you're coming here. Why are you, why don't you stop here? Oh my God, like wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, you're serious? They're like, yeah, I mean, you know, I'm like, I'm just, you know, I'm kind of to come to staff on the football team for a, I was like, no way.

So, you know, I, that was putting my mind on them. I wasn't even kind of really, yeah, my, you know, my, my, and ambition of, of ending up on the Trojan team. But after they said, I'm like, okay, absolutely. Oh my goodness. So, sure enough, I apply February of my senior year comes around. Start, they do this, I guess they do this dinner for all the big donors about after signing days, literally the weekend after signing day, the 25 guys that were coming in. So they invited me to that dinner, introduced the 25 guys at the end, brought me up on stage and said, by the way, Jake's coming to USC, here's your acceptance letter, you'll be on the football team.

And so that was very cool. So, come on, man. So starting my freshman year, you know, started started doing everything, you know, was on the team and start working with new guys and obviously everything comes with that. Let's talk about what comes with that. So you guys have to have an experience just step back just for a second. This is already a nationally very well-known story about Jake and him losing his vision of being a fieldity with the program.

And then for me, I had watched that story and then sort of it was a story I had seen it and gone away. Now all of a sudden, you land at that team on that football program without your vision is cray, cray, right? And so you end up spending a couple years in the program, but you haven't got on the field yet. Right. So it's two years just practicing with the guys. Obviously, fresh in here was kind of a lot of season,

just with what happened with obviously the open coaches. Yeah, that's how it is. So, right, so freshness off of your, just continue to perfect my craft. Do you have anything of quitting? No. You never occurred to you, because I'm pretty sure this you guys, is on the team is not playing, is doing all the practice, going to perfect my craft. Do you have anything of quitting? No, you never occurred to you Because I'm pretty sure this you guys is on the team is not playing is doing all the practice going to all the weights You went into college at what weight listen to this everyone. What what did you win?

When you went in I think 184 what do you weigh now? If you wait me on the probably 232 okay 232 So this man has worked his butt off at building his body up so that he could Legitimately go out there one of one of one of one of the, one of the, one of the, when I first went there, one of the skepticism was, you know, especially with the two doctors, like we don't want him getting hurt out there.

Sure. And so, part of that was just passing the eye test of me, you know, looking at me and saying, okay, you know, this guy's absolutely big. It's ironic that you call that an eye test. We used to run his face, but I didn't see me. Yeah, well, you know that's a... You're funny, man.

So, you know, that's part of it. Yeah, getting big in the way. So ironically, you pass the ITES, which is incredible in and of itself. And so you've gained all this weight to pass that ITES, but you're sort of just grinded it away. You're not getting your opportunity. You're not on the field. And so, what happens?

So, you know, actually sophomore year, started getting a little more reps in practice. We played in the Roseville on sophomore year, and actually, Roseville practice, I had the most reps in practice I ever had. And I kind of felt like Coach was actually ramping up to even playing the Rose Bowl if the chance occurred, which was like, I didn't want to have it because I'm like, I don't know if I want my first time to be the best.

That big of a stay. Yeah, the Rose Bowl, that's right. So that game was crazy, so I didn't have to have that game, but new, obviously, my time was coming. So all the fall camp the next year was really hitting hard and the coach came to me for the first game I was like look you have taught you the other coach looks like you know you're gonna be snapping this Saturday just get your mind right whatever and sure enough you

know that time came and they have a jogger out there at home and the Coliseum and was able to get my first nap as a USC Trojan in a live game. Come on, dude! It's awesome. What the heck was that like? It was crazy. It was crazy.

I mean, it was surreal. It was just pure bliss. It was nervous like waiting to go in, but once you're running out, you're like, okay, actually, let's go do this. Let's execute this. And then once you're over the ball, and it's like, you're holding back to your, it's like, like, waiting to go in, but once you're running out, they're like, okay, actually, like, let's go do this, you know? Let's execute this. And then once you're over the ball, and it's like, your hold back,

you're like, okay, well, something we do every day, you know? It's just, you don't wanna blow it out of proportion or something like somehow you've never done before, but, you know, you just wanna get your craft done, and then after that, it just was like, oh my God. What the crowd do? So, you know, when they first announced my name,

I was going out there, obviously, they went crazy. And then it was actually really eerie because the first nap was kind of like this, the second snap, even more, the second snap was about the eerie singing ever because all of a sudden it's like a golf shot. Like everyone just quies down here. And then all of a sudden it's like, all right, well,

I don't know if I want this. That's like, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, like, oh, so, but, yeah, so then, you know, you snap it on what's the kicker kick that threw there? I was like, you know, crazy. Come on, butnatus. You teammates too. Yeah, I'm always so happy.

Brother. You guys, like, we're showing this on the YouTube right now, so everybody's seeing this. But I got to tell you, like, I go back, I think life is just so amazing, and I think extraordinary people are so amazing. But that night, where you spend the last night as a 12 year old boy with the USC football team before you're gonna lose your vision for permanently,

to think that that boy who spent that last night with the USC football team, if I'd have told you, hey man, eight, nine years from now, you're gonna walk out on the field with this football team as a player on the team and execute a snap in a game. Isn't it amazing? It's crazy. It is crazy. Like you said, I think there's a little bit. I might be numb to it just so I lived it. Yes, but I mean, it is crazy. Just so you know, I'm not numb to it. It is unbelievable. It's one of the greatest sport stories of all time, brother. It's going to be one of the great movies of all time.

And people listening to this have to be going, my God, if this young man can go through this. By the way, you've also dealt with this as a young man with all the other things that come with being an adolescent and a teenager and then going to college and all the other things that come with that. It's extraordinary what you've done. You take it for granted. I don't.

Nobody listening to this takes that for granted. It's an incredible achievement and unbelievably inspiring. So I'm proud of you. Thank you. It's so amazing to me. So let's talk about some of the keys that, I just, I'm trying to get my breath back

because now that I'm hearing it live, even though I knew it happened, that guy going into that surgery that night and all the turmoil that I'm sure to get my breath back because now that I'm hearing it live even though I knew it happened that guy Going into that surgery that night and all the turmoil that I'm sure you and your parents are facing They had to be so proud of you and I saw this clip recently on senior night where you walked out on the field They announced you did mom and dad come out with you, right? Yeah, my family they weighed out on the Half a midfield but my dad issue was able to walk me out. What was that like, man? It was so cool.

I mean, it was such a moment. I just glad my dad was able to experience that with me and something I'll share with you. Do you ever think about like, like, I've made you probably don't, but I'm gonna say it to you. So everybody hears this, because this is a trajectory of our lives.

You've come this far in roughly 10 years, right? And I said this to you before we started filming. You're in the beginning of maxing out your life even though what you've done is the exemplification of maxing something out. You have maxed out this unfortunate circumstance, right? But it's just the beginning, like your life, the trajectory you're on is going to be just, it's crazy what you're going to do in your life. But because you've done this, because you are so extraordinary, even though you don't think you are, how have you done it? Like what is great about

you? So don't be, don't give me humility. No, don't, okay. What is unique and extraordinary about you? Um, I think one of the more unique things is something my friends and family love and also just hate. And that's a stubbornness. I'm completely stubborn. You ask my friends, they'll say, absolutely, like, Jake's stubborn? No, you know, like, suspiciously, like. So, that comes with good and bad, I guess. The good is, if I set out to do something man,

like I would die trying. I mean, it's just, there's a part of me that just doesn't want to give up until I complete or just absolutely know somehow. It's just never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, going to work. Do you think that you came out that way into the world naturally, or do you actually think this circumstance

refined that and made it even more pronounced? I don't know. I honestly don't know. I don't know if you're born with stubbornness. I know battling cancer creates, like you said, a strength and a stubbornness, I guess, and not giving up. Yep. But I think that's definitely a unique thing.

I think also another unique thing is just taking certain circumstances, it's almost like a running back who is able to bounce off hits. When life throws hits at you, you obviously feel it, but you're able to bounce off and continue moving forward. Get your arch after contact, which is not going to completely devastate you and let yourself move forward and become a person that you want to be or continue to do the things you love to do. I mean, it breaks my heart when I see people go through adversity and go through hardship and their lies are never the same. They never find happiness in what they do anymore. It's just sad because it's,

the other day, no circumstance should ever let you do that. I mean, no circumstances has the power to have you do that. You know, at the end of the day, it really is you. And I'm not saying go live in a happy, go lucky life and be ignorant to the struggles that you face and just completely ignore your emotions. But at the same time, don't let it just completely rule your life and take you out of the joy that you feel when you do certain activities or hang with certain people or you're mission in life. Brother, it's so good. It's just so good. Like, oh boy.

You, you know, people are watching this, so like, okay, what I'm worried about or what I'm stressed about is pretty late right now. Like, that's what most people are thinking. But then there are people that are going through something real. You know, they've just lost a loved one or they had a business set back or they're getting divorced or, you know, they're young and they're watching this

and they're like, man, I'm at a college two years, I have no idea what I'm doing. You know, what advice would you give to somebody who is going through some struggle right now, some difficulty or adversity? What would you say to them? Well, I mean, obviously, you know, one of the things is obviously finance supports system around you.

Do you have that? I do. I do. I, you know, I, like, some of my friends and family, I've mentors and people that you can just talk to. I mean, I think talking to people, not trying to carry the whole burden by yourself is a powerful thing. I have people there for you.

You know what you said with a setback, when I go speak, a big part of that is I call it finding the setup in the setback and then every setback there's a setup way to happen. And you know what that comes, obviously patients and perseverance, you know, I'm not saying that setup comes right away, but I'm saying that if you treat that setback

as permanent and movable, it will stop you. But if you see that setback is something that is waiting to be a set up, you can use it and leverage it and believe that it will bring you to new heights. So, you know, that they're, you know, look for that set up, prepare for that set up. You know, it's all about finding the winner within knowing, knowing your worth, knowing that, you know, even if I do lose my sight, I'm still a great athlete. I still have a worth of being a football player. I saw the worth of being a great golfer. I know I'm a winner inside that can go out there and still achieve great things.

Letting those voices dominate your mindset rather than like, hey man, you're blind. You probably can't go play football now. Hey, you're blind. You probably can't play golf now. You know, so what voice you listen to, and then finally, the thing that I guess the last thing I'd really say, which is the most powerful thing in my mind is really, when people say I have a positive attitude it's such a cliche, you know.

And the problem is when I think most people say, have a positive attitude, well, okay, well, how? And for that, how really is me is just being grateful. And like, you know, the gratitude is just such a powerful thing in life, and the coolest thing about gratitude is actually a skill, and it's a skill you can practice. It's not your, no one's born more grateful than the next person.

It's just that it's something you actually can practice and get better at by recognizing what's grateful in life. When you start to focus on, hey, a list of three things of damn grateful for, your mind actually rearranges itself to start focused on things in the day that you can be thankful for. So, and the powerful thing in being grateful is, you know, I can sit here and say, I'm blind. And there's a lot of hardship that comes with blind. There's a lot of adversity that comes with blind. There's a lot of frustrations in the day

where it's like, man, if I could just see this would be so much better. And there's a lot of sad times. You know, I don't get me wrong. There's times I'll cry and like, realize I'll never be able to see what my wife looks like or kids, you know. You know, there's time when you're talking about the ocean,

you know, I can't see the ocean there. And then it's sad. But also, I'm here being able to be with you, and I'll be in the honest pocket. I'm grateful for the opportunity. I got this guy down here, so I'm grateful for the opportunity. I have an athletic body, I have a great mind, and I have a good sense of humor.

There's so many things God has gifted me. If I were to focus on the one thing I don't have, which is my eyesight, I think that'd be shameful. Man, brother, the best sentence ever said on my show. The last, like the best, like because you live it you're not just you know writing it down and this is a tip like you're living this. And I love what you said about listening to the voices too. I've not heard somebody say it that way before where it's like you choose what voices

you're going to listen to in your head. And we all do do this by the way. We do begin to magnify the one or two bad things in our life to this extent, which minimizes all the things we should be grateful for. You're freaking extraordinary. But I didn't know I was gonna ask you, but I'm just curious, just because you've gone through

this journey, I think some people would be curious about this. Has your faith played any role in your success in your life, in your peace of mind, in your gratitude? Absolutely, I mean, you know, when I your biolverses is the JMI 2911. You know, probably know the plans after you do clear your lower plans of proffering not to harm you with the UV hoping in future. And I mean, that's, that's on my walk home and, you know, as it, especially growing up as a kid, you know, after perceiving news that, you know,

the cancer is back for the emptiest time. Like it's, it's okay. You know, obviously God has a plan for me and then plan for my life. And I said it after I snapped. My first time in the call, I was like, oh, you know, if you can't see how God works,

things out, you're the blind one. I mean that. Oh boy. God. See, I just, yeah. Wow. Yeah. I don't, I'm never speechless in these interviews.

Okay, I'm never speechless because you are unique to me in that you live these things every single day. And you're an exempl- you exemplify something that I really believe strongly, which is that it's not the events of your life that define you. It's the meaning that you take from the event. And you took an event that most people would take a meaning from that was devastating or tragic. And there's parts of that you've acknowledged that have hurt you but you turned it into meaning the

right things for you. So I'm so blown away by you and by the way everybody listening to this is too. And so this is just the beginning of the story everybody and what I want you to do as I want you following Jake so you can watch the next chapters be revealed. So what's the best way for the entire max out universe to continue to follow your journey? How do they find you? They can find me. I'm on Twitter, Instagram, and Jake Olson 61, Olson's OLS-O-N. Absolutely, you can find me there.

I love to play golf. I love to speak, anything that we can do in the future. Can you imagine being able to have this man come out and have him talk to your group or play golf? And so that's the one thing like, you know that golf is a pretty central thing in my family. I just have to understand this before we finish. When you first decided to hit a golf ball, okay? By the way, so if he and I played golf straight up right now, he would beat me straight

up, which just kind of blows my mind. You had to be terrible at first. Like, what was that like? Well, so I mean, I played my dad's big golfer, so I grew up playing golf. And actually right around probably 10 or 11, I really almost made a decision like, this is what I actually want to pursue in life.

I want you to see how could I get this game. I was actually decent as 12 year old, but I went from a 12 year old that was decent to a 12 year old that couldn't make contact with the ball. Yeah. And it was frustrating. And talk about learning mental toughness and perseverance and what voices listen to men.

I was a month of trying to make contacts every time. Chipping is not being like at the ball in the air. Just real tough to the point where it's like, okay, I don't know, you maybe make good contact every one in three shots, and the other ones are just awful, and then you continue to keep going, and going, and going until you make a matter of contact,

better shots, until you're playing better than you ever did with sight. And a lot of it's just training your swing. I mean, the problem also was, once I went blind, I was like six inches, so my swing was just always that's the worst thing for golf or growth. So, behind after not being able to sit right, but growing is not easy.

I don't know, maybe growing was more, too. I don't know. Basically, you just learning how to just continue to provide that swing over and over again, you know, muscle memory and execute, you know, the same motion over and over and over again and feel, you know, a lot of feel, a ton of feel. It is. And so, you know, it's happened to that feel. And honestly, I think that really helped me lock down too, because I really had to feel

my swing. And when it became to learning how to feel ball rolling off your fingertips and how hard to throw, part of my mind that probably was accustomed to feeling my body and that muscle memory was probably built up because of golf. I think that everything we've talked about today is the most powerful metaphor of maxing out, because I'm going to tell you why, not only the golf, the stuff you the stuff you done with long snapping, your grades, everything you've accomplished in your life. A lot of people lack vision in their life. And they feel like they're in a dark place in their lives that listen to my show.

They don't know how they're gonna get out of their end despair. They don't know where they're gonna go. And you've given them the playbook to get out of darkness. You've given them the playbook of how to turn their life around. The main thing I think of when I think of you is just resiliency. It's the word that comes to my mind every time I think about you. And so I think you're an extraordinary young man, obviously. And what is next for you?

Well, I played golf before. I want to continue to play golf, see how far I can take that. I want to continue to start playing competitively again. So I want to win a couple of blind golf championships. And then see where I can even take it on some type of tour, maybe. I think after loving sports and growing up in sports, and playing sports my whole life, I don't want to venture far from sports. So definitely maybe you've and shut off an analyst for the NFL or whatever. I'm gonna be fun.

I'm doing a lot of cool, different things with books and other stuff that's gonna be coming out. But I've actually started a business as well that's called Engage. Okay. And it's at lessengage.com. Okay. And basically it's just an online platform

where you can book speakers. It kind of really digitizes the booking talent industry. And so, you know, for speeches, that's exactly where you can find me. And definitely, it's a business that we feel it's very appropriate for a lot of people that are in my position of wanting to be out there and booking someone for speeches or an experience like I said, a lot of up you want to play golf with me or go snap with me or surf with me whatever you know, it's a lot of cool things you can do. You can engage with this guy there, you also find him on his social media like we've talked

about as well, and by the way I'll make a prediction. You're already doing a lot of it, but you're going to be one of the most sought after speakers in the world. You're going to absolutely be because here's the thing. It's one thing to give a speech, nothing to live it and talk about what you're doing. It's one of the reasons I hope my content is good because people feel like I've built a real life and a real business and you've built an extraordinary what I call first chapter of your life. It's a maxed out first chapter. My challenge to you as your friend now is that you don't rest on those laurels. But everything we've talked about today is your old story.

And now it's time that you're doing it. You're going to turn the page brother and it's time for you to write the next chapter of your life, which is going to be even more fun for me to watch. Because I if the past is any predictor of where you're going, it's going to be bananas for you. So thank you so much. Thank you. Yes. Of course. I loved today. And I know all of you are just blown away. So please follow Jake. If you're watching this, you already follow me.

And make sure you subscribe to the YouTube channel or to iTunes if you're listening to this or whatever platform you're listening to it on. Because if you're listening to the audio, make sure you subscribe to the video version video. Make sure you subscribe to the audio. And I want to just challenge you. Remember every single day on social media, I run the max out two minute drill on Instagram. What that means is when I make a post in my main feed, if you make a comment within the first two minutes with hashtag max out, I do a daily drawing. I pick a winner and they get coached by me often. They get max out gear. They get to meet my guests. All kinds of crazy things happen. So all you got to do is make a comment the

first two minutes. If you miss the first two minutes at the end of the week, we pick somebody who just made a comment every day at any time. So just comment on my stuff on Instagram. You're probably going to win something eventually. So I hope you enjoyed today's program. It was a life changer. I know it was for me and I'm sure it was for you. God bless you and max out your life. This is the Ed Milett Show. This podcast is for those who want to do more. See more and be more.