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

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Arizona Hall of Fame defensive linebacker Ricky Hunley has learned a lot throughout his life from Jr High through his professional career in the NFL. 

Ricky Hunley wanted to take this opportunity to write a ‘Letter to My Younger Self’ to offer wisdom to young athletes and to give insight into his life and how he became the man he is today.

Thi is Part 1 of 3
Your teacup is full (Empty your cup!)

“Empty your cup so that you can receive my tea. The youthfulness in the cup is in the emptiness; you must first empty your cup to taste my tea.” – Chinese Proverb interpreted

Dear Ricky,

I have some regrets in life. I always think, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if I only knew then what I know now?’ I wish I could have written this letter to you when you were in junior high school. Since that wasn’t possible, I feel it’s never too late. So, here goes… But first, you must empty your cup to receive my tea.

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Over your lifetime, you will have all these amazing people around you. You missed out on some life changing opportunities to leverage their tea. It’s the life lessons that are important. So listen clearly to what I have to say, empty your little head of everything you think you know, because, in reality, you don’t know what you don’t know.

I will share seven lessons with you, lessons of great value you can use for a lifetime.

Lesson No. 1

Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough we must do.

-Bruce Lee

This meaningful quote by The Master Bruce Lee will be valuable to keep in mind as you face life’s challenges and continue on your journey.

Your teammates, they don’t know you are playing below your maximum, but you opt out on that extra work that would’ve been the difference between good and great.  Mom always said says, “What doesn’t kill you, only makes you stronger.”

The hard work it takes to be the best at anything will be a great opportunity disguised as work.

The hard work it takes to be the best at anything will be a great opportunity disguised as work. You will get caught up in everyone telling you how great you are. Your minimum effort will far exceed your friends and a lot of your competitor’s effort level.  Don’t get comfortable being a minimum effort guy; that will be far below your capabilities.

“Attack!” Be relentless! Don’t lose that “Broke and Hungry” feeling that drives you. The Little boy in you from Petersburg, Va. will become a proud man in your future. Use that feeling as motivation to be a cut above in everything you do. NO EXCEPTIONS! NO EXCUSES! Don’t give in to the temptation being cool with average. Don’t accept anything less than your best.

Lesson No. 2 – Don’t make your problem my problem, embrace coaching.

“Stupid is as stupid does” -Forrest Gump

For 18 years, the requirements from your coaches will pretty much be the same; your coaches will be demanding you to do all the things that are in your control. You won’t realize the benefits of being humble enough to listen and learn at some critical times. Having a good attitude, playing with great effort and knowing what to do are vital ingredients to getting along and having success.

Attitude

Quitting is easy. Don’t do it! FOCUS and finish what you start.

You must embrace the process of coaching. These mentors will teach you to be more demanding of yourself because they recognize that you have so much more to give.

Quitting is easy. Don’t do it! FOCUS and finish what you start.

Don’t confuse the message from the messenger. The message will be clear, but the messengers delivery will feel like a personal attack on you. It won’t be, so take a deep breath and exhale. On occasion, this is just a practical lesson of tough love.

You will have some coaches that are very competent, confident and some just damn right in your face and LOUD. Understand that confidence speaks with volume, and your self-discipline must be lasting and meaningful.

The words that come out of your mouth you will own forever.

Be very careful with your words.

As Forrest Gump would say, “That’s all I have to say about that.”

https://twitter.com/rickyhunley/status/774715798061363200

Effort

Football coaches will tell you ‘Give me everything you got for 60 minutes.’ Compliant players buy into what coaches are preaching. So yes, you’ll believe the hype about going full speed for a 60-minute game.

So here is a quick lesson from Ricky to Younger Self Ricky:

There’s nothing you can do full speed for 60 minutes straight. Don’t believe the hype! Football is a game played in series of seconds. On average each play in football only last 3-5 seconds, play it like your hair’s on fire! Play like it is the last time you will ever get to play again.

Playing the game and not watching the game will separate you from everyone else. Have a single focus and a sole purpose. Finally, never, ever let your ‘Effort’ be in question.

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!