Lessons from Legends: Ricky Hunley, Letter to my younger self – Part 1

Knowledge

The difference between school and life: School teaches you lessons and then gives you a test. Life gives you a test, and then you learn the lesson.

You will be blinded and ignore some genuine opportunities that will come to you disguised as hard work. Knowledge is Power. Knowing what to do will be crucial, nobody wants to play next to a guy who doesn’t know what to do. When one man jumps offside, everyone gets penalized. When one guy gives up a deep ball for a touchdown, and we lose the game, everyone loses the game. Coaches see better than they hear, so don’t talk about it, be about it.

When you speak, talk with a purpose, talk to teach, talk to lead. When you listen, you learn.

Selfishness is a weakness, but loving and caring for others is a power beyond anything you can possibly imagine.

Selfishness is a weakness, but loving and caring for others is a power beyond anything you can possibly imagine.

Before you get drafted in the NFL, and you will be drafted 7th overall in the 1st round, you will meet a brilliant young record executive named John McClain, he will be wise beyond his years.

McClain will share with you many life lessons and become a lifelong friend and mentor. Listen to him! John knows what the hell he’s talking about. This man will run circles around most of the smartest people you will meet in your life.

You will also be thankful to him for setting you up on a blind date with your future wife.

Boy, you will out kick your coverage with this beautiful woman. When you meet her sister and mom, Mrs. Jeri Moore, for the first time, your immediate thought will be, ‘The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.’ I guess I can give you some credit for marrying up.  Great job Ricky!

You will date your wife Camille for a couple of years and then you’ll propose. I’m not sure your approach was a winning approach, but it worked. So don’t question yourself on what you will want to say.

Here is how ‘The Proposal’ to your wife will go down. Listen carefully, and she will impart knowledge all along the way:

“Camille, if I ask you to marry me and you say no, I probably won’t ask you again. And I don’t handle rejection well. But if I ask you to marry me, and you say yes, we gotta do it quickly because I might change my mind.”

She says yes!

Her father, Judge, H. Randolph Moore Jr., will perform the wedding ceremony. The two of you will have two beautiful daughters, Alexis and Kennedy.

By 2016 you will be happily married for at least 26 years, and your marriage will still be going strong. It is a real blessing. I guess you were not sure if you were ready, but who’s ever ready for a lifelong commitment to another person at 29 years of age, living in LA and playing professional football in the NFL for the LA Raiders? This move will be one of the best moves you make in your life, if not the best.

You will play in Super Bowls XXl and XXII. You will start your coaching career, after playing seven years in the NFL with the Broncos, Cardinals, and Raiders. Yes, you will get that far in your career.

You will be relentless in your efforts to be the best coach you can be, just like you did in the early years as a player.

Remember when I told you to listen to your wife because she will lay some heavy knowledge on you? Well, here’s an example.

One day in May, you will walk through your front door after a 3-week-long recruiting trip, and you will be talking on the cell phone with a recruit as you enter the house.

Your wife will tell you to turn around and leave.

You’ll ask, “Why what did I do”? And you will try to defend your position by responding, “I rushed home to be with you and the girls!” Camille will say, “Yeah but you’re not here, you are still at work. So go back to the office and finish your work, then come home.”

The lesson here is that you need to be where you are when you’re there, live in the moment.

The lesson here is that you need to be where you are when you’re there, live in the moment. To add insult to injury she wasn’t done, “And another thing, I want you to date me as you date them, young boys!”

You will immediately react, “What? I don’t date no young boys!”

She will continue to explain why you date young boys, “You write them handwritten notes, you fly in to see them, and you fly them in and take them to nice dinners. See, I want to be dated like that.”

She was right again; she is way smarter than you. So don’t talk, LISTEN. What she tells you on that day will hit home because it wraps all the lessons together.

It’s like this, ‘On the occasions when you give people your money you are going to give them something that can be replaced. But, when you give your wife and kids your time, you will be giving them a piece of your life.’

Must Read: Lessons from Legends: Ricky Hunley – letter to his younger self – Part 2

Stay tuned for Part 2; we hope you are enjoying your tea so far!