Cooley Joshua - Believe it: my journey of success, failure, and overcoming the odds

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Believe It: My Journey of Success, Failure, and Overcoming the Odds

Copyright 2018 by Nick Foles. All rights reserved.

Cover photograph of Nick Foles copyright Elsa/Staff/Getty Images. All rights reserved.

Photographs of Nick Foles in Eagles uniform used with the express permission of copyright holder Philadelphia Eagles, L.L.C.

Interior photograph of quarterbacks copyright Michigan State Athletic Communications and used with permission.

Interior photograph of Nick Foles and family copyright by Kasz Photo Creative and used with permission.

Photograph of Nick Foles with Mike Hansen used with express permission of copyright holder The Los Angeles Rams, LLC, photographed by Newman Lowrance.

All other photographs are from the family collection and are used with permission.

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ISBN 978-1-4964-3649-8

ISBN 978-1-4964-3652-8 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-4964-3651-1 (Kindle); ISBN 978-1-4964-3653-5 (Apple)

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To my wife, Tori; my daughter, Lily; and of course, our furry child, Henry. I am grateful beyond words for all of you, especially my wife, Tori you are my heart and soul, and you motivate me to be better every day. Thank you for constantly believing in me and being there for me to lean on in the tough times. Lastly, thank you for your countless hours in helping to make this book as special as possible.

Where did he come from?

Its an easy question to ask in the wake of Nick Foless amazing playoff run in the 2017 season. In other circumstances or from the sidelines I might have asked it myself.

When we suddenly lost our starting quarterback right before the playoffs, much of the sports world was convinced we were done.

But we knew Nick Foles. We knew where he came from. And we knew he was ready to play the game.

So when Nick led our team to an incredible Super Bowl victory and stepped into the national spotlight as the MVP, those of us who had worked with him werent the least bit surprised. Its the rest of the world that was stunned, asking, Where did this guy come from? How did he do it?

I got to work with Nick for only one season. But in the football business, time is like dog years: a year in the football trenches feels like seven anywhere else. Nick has a sense of confidence tempered by humility that every football coach looks for in a leader. That combination stems from the fact that hes secure in his own identity. On the football field, hes one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and he has proven twice on a very big stage that he can play at an elite, championship level. And as a follower of Christ, he knows that his first job is to serve others, which makes him a great teammate on the field and off.

As for humility... even as I write this, Nick still doesnt know where hes going to play next year. In fact, he may end up being the first guy ever to go from Super Bowl MVP to a backup role. A lot of guys would gripe and complain about that change of fortune, but not Nick. Whatever hes called to do and wherever hes called to work, hes going to be all in, 100 percent. More than anything, what he cares about is serving the Lord and making an impact for good. Wherever he is, hes going to pursue excellence.

In many ways, Nicks role this past season has been reminiscent of the story of David in the Bible. When David had to face off against Goliath an ordinary man against an intimidating, larger-than-life foe David likely thought, Hey, killing this giant isnt going to be a big deal. Ive already killed a lion and a bear. Been there, done that lets go. In that spirit, the idea that anyone would be surprised or shocked by what Nick did is downright comical.

Heading into the 2017 postseason, Nick had an unbelievable track record. Hed already thrown twenty-seven touchdowns in a single season, played in a Pro Bowl, and had countless other successes. Hed proven his skill and his character time and time again. When it came to football, hed killed his lion and his bear.

So in Super Bowl LII, in the biggest game of his career, with the whole world watching, Nick took a chance. He pulled out his slingshot and ran the Philly Special a risky trick play and he defeated that giant in front of everyone who had underestimated him.

Above all else, Nick is a man of faith, and his faith is what gives him both his confidence and his humility. It also makes him dangerous. Theres a quote from C. S. Lewiss Narnia series that describes Aslan the lion this way: Who said anything about safe? Course he isnt safe. But hes good. God isnt safe. But he is good. So why should we mere humans play it safe? There should be a boldness and fearlessness to our actions and our speech. Sometimes we think its dangerous to make a move or take a new job, but we also know its just as dangerous to do nothing.

Nicks faith, confidence, and humility made him dangerous in the Super Bowl and theyre what make him a winner every day in everything he does.

Frank Reich

SUMMER 2018

Everything in my life changed in the span of sixty seconds.

It was March 10, 2015, the official start of the NFL calendar. The 2014 season was already a distant memory, which was fine by me. After enjoying a record-setting second season with the Eagles in 2013, I had regressed some during my third season. My accuracy wasnt as sharp, and my overall statistics were nowhere near my earlier Pro Bowl level. To make matters worse, I had suffered a broken collarbone in a week eight win over Houston and missed the rest of the season.

Nevertheless, I was filled with excitement heading into 2015. Despite my statistical drop-off the year before, I had led the Eagles to a 62 record, and we had a solid core of players returning to a 106 team that had barely missed the playoffs. My collarbone had fully healed, and I was feeling better than ever. Hope abounded.

That morning I headed to Equinox, my off-season gym in Irvine, California, to play some basketball and work out. I had been a decent high school basketball player in Texas, and it was always nice to dust off those skills between NFL campaigns. I felt fluid and sharp as I played a little pickup and a couple of rounds of H-O-R-S-E with some gym buddies. Steph Currys roster spot was by no means in jeopardy, but I was nailing some pretty crazy half-court shots. Everything was clicking.