Urban Meyer - Finish Strong: A Fathers Code and a Sons Path

I was named the head football coach at the Ohio State University in December 2011, and I immediately started to evaluate the entire program, staff, and players. Having just lost to their hated rival, the Buckeyes were preparing to play Florida in the Gator Bowl. Watching game videos of the entire season, I focused on each player, looking for tough, selfless individuals who played with relentless effort and energy. I believe that the special teams players, and their play in particular, are the window into the heart of the entire team. After hours of evaluation, I found myself a fan of one particular player, number 34.

Upon checking the roster, I was heartbroken to find that number 34 was a senior. Coach Luke Fickell told me that Nate Ebner was a former OSU rugby player who walked on to the football team and became the heart and soul of the Buckeyes special teams. This confirmed what I already knew and reaffirmed why I became a college football coach. Football is the consummate team sport, and special teams and its players average close to forty plays per game and totally embrace the team first ethos, a selfless attitude and esprit de corps. Nate Ebner is the type of player who would jump off the screen when I watched game films every Sunday to get a picture of our next opponent. If their special teams lacked energy and were not in sync, I knew that their staff and team could not control our final score on Saturday. However, if they were inspired, well coached, played hard and fast, and had elite players like Nate Ebner, I knew we would be in the fight of fights.

Meeting Nate Ebner following the Gator Bowl in January only confirmed his elite status. Not surprisingly, I met him in the Buckeyes weight room. We would meet a number of times over the next few years as he returned to train in Columbus, and I started to learn the story of his unique journey. He began his athletic journey in earnest as an elite rugby player, then a walk-on OSU football player, to OSU football captain and scholarship player, to an NFL career with the New England Patriots, to multiple Super Bowl victories, and back to rugby as an Olympian. Nate kept pursuing his dreams even when he had to step backward at times to do it. As he says here, Nothing is more motivating or crazy or holds more chances for glory or disaster than something done for love.

Love is the real subject here. Nate Ebners story as both son and athlete is, from the beginning, inspired by the power of his parents love. The Ebners were a family separated by divorce, yet kept together by a mother and father devoted to putting their children first. The power of love is crystal clear here: Jeff Ebner instilled in Nate his values by building a father-and-son relationship nurtured by tough love, hard work, high expectations, and loving encouragement to achieve. Their relationship was built on that rock, and it survived even after Jeffs tragic death, as his spirit endured during the difficult decisions and physical ordeals that were to come for Nate. Ive been honored to coach very few athletes who God blessed to know and experience the power of inspiration based on love and ownership. They disregard pain, discomfort, and injury with a mental toughness that pushes the mind and body beyond its perceived limits. This was Nates edge. His inspiration was much greater than motivation. While motivation is also powerful, it wanes as its energy, which is sourced from a combination of love, hate, and fear, is drained during competition.

This book should be a mandatory read. Parents: This is a read about how to spell love... T-I-M-E. Its about a father who devoted time to his son... quality time. It is about a mother who came to her sons rescue when his father was tragically murdered. Coaches: Read the details of the value of creating an elite organization and the impact it has on players... Jim Tressel, Bill Belichick, and Mike Friday. We are the foundation of Nates journey. Athletes: This is a testimony to the timeless truth that is overlooked today... Greatness is hard! There are no shortcuts, hangers-on, or social media platforms that lead one to greatness. Not even hard work itself will lead to greatness. Only the relentless pursuit of a vision, a never-quit-and-refuse-to-lose mentality, and, finally, the embrace of the discomfort and pain associated with greatness, will suffice. In the words of Nate and his dad, Conquer the pain and the glory will last forever.

I knew this book would be elite and I was not disappointed. It is even more. Having a dream is great, but working at whatever level is necessary to reach it is a necessity. Achieving that dream is transformational.

Urban Meyer