Junior Year Box Set

Something else he did that simply blew me away was to have his own lawyer. I’d never had a quarterback question my help. He was savvy enough to make sure he wasn’t breaking any rules. David also realized that my coaching wasn’t cheap. I think he worried he might be beholden to someone for them paying for it. His lawyer was able to tell him that there were no strings attached.

When I finally had to leave, I gave him a training guide and coaching videos. I figured he’d never even look at them and that would be the last I would see of David Dawson. Man, was I wrong.

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I think back, and it seems like only yesterday that I met this kid. The two of us have gone through a lot together. He has actually become one of my biggest successes. David fits the mold for what you find in successful high-level quarterbacks.

It was more recently, though, when reviewing some stats pages I’d been working up, that it really came home to me how many key attributes he has in common with the NFL’s top quarterbacks.

In a recent draft, there were 15 quarterbacks taken, the most ever. An NFL team asked me to help them look at these quarterbacks in greater depth than the typical measurements of height, speed, arm strength, and the like. They gave me the opportunity to interview all 15 of them and tasked me with determining what particular life experiences appeared to be predictors of success.

When it comes to the quarterback position, you hear the word ‘intangibles’ a lot. Yet we rarely discuss where they come from, or how a quarterback goes about acquiring them. Some are obvious; for example, they all tend to work hard and love football. But what helps make them that way? What I found surprised me:

 

13 of the 15 quarterbacks selected grew up in two-parent homes, with the majority of parents having college degrees.

13 of the 15 lived in homes that were at least average, if not above average, in value for the area they lived in.

The average age at which they started playing the position was nine. Only two took up the position in high school.

12 of the 15 received individual quarterback coaching outside of their local high school coaching system. Most traveled great distances and paid significant amounts to get coaching, and attended camps and seven-on-seven competitions.

My analysis showed that the top-tier quarterbacks had a lot in common, and it centered on resources. They had family support, and most lived in upper-middle-class homes. Having resources meant they had the means to obtain specialized and/or individualized coaching. While I’m not saying that you have to have all of that to succeed, I’m also not saying they guarantee success. The 15 guys drafted all had in common traits you might expect, such as having an incredible work ethic and ability; these were part of what made them successful.

But what I also found was that they were problem-solvers. When one of the quarterbacks couldn’t find a seven-on-seven league in his area, he formed one himself.

In David’s case, what was clear was that he has a good support system in his family. He has the physical attributes and work ethic. That’s where the comparisons end. David Dawson is not just a football quarterback. He has taken his whole life to the next level. What kid do you know goes out and gets a part-time job modeling and makes the money he needs, without parental help, to go and get the outside coaching he needs to be an elite quarterback? What kid knows to surround himself with people that can help him achieve great things? My opinion is that a lot of that is the way he was raised.

For example, there’s his uncle who sat him down and helped him figure out what his life goals were. When I was a freshman, I was a lot more worried about losing my virginity than having life goals.

What David also did that was highly unusual for a high school freshman was to take those goals and begin to work towards them. To this day, he has an uncanny ability to set a goal, focus on it and work on it, marshaling the people and assets he needs, until he achieves it. That is what sets him apart.

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So, I’ll catch up on what happened over the summer. During spring break, I arranged for him to be evaluated at STIC (Sports Training Institute of Chicago). That’s where I send my other quarterbacks to find out how they’re really doing physically. The staff gives them a complete checkup to determine what needs to be worked on. That can range from proper nutrition to health issues including past injuries. Then they evaluate the mechanics of how they run, jump, and throw. Their goal is to prevent injuries and get an athlete in the top physical shape.

Then, when David and I met up at Ohio State, it was evident that he’d been working hard. I wanted to see how he stacked up against other quarterbacks. Ohio State’s camp attracted some of the best in the country. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, but he was significantly better than I expected.