Those who stay the course will be champions

My first day on the Arizona practice field, I was sixth on the depth chart.

My first day on the University of Arizona practice field, I was sixth on the depth chart. Third and fourth team. Nobody’s future All-American.

Then a senior linebacker went down, and I got my first start — as a freshman — against the number one team in the country. I didn’t have command of the playbook. I didn’t have the experience. I had a gut full of fear and one thing I could control: effort.

My head coach told me flatly, “It’s your job to lose, freshman.” So I played like my hair was on fire, technique imperfect, effort maxed out. Twelve tackles, three sacks, Pac-10 Player of the Week. From that game forward, I started every game of my college career.

That’s the lesson: the difference between school and life is that school teaches you the lesson and then tests you. Life tests you first, and you learn the lesson after — usually the hard way, usually on short notice.

I went on to become a two-time consensus All-American, the career tackles leader at the University of Arizona with 566 and the first Wildcat inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. None of it started with confidence. It started with staying in the fight when I had every reason to think I wasn’t ready.

You will rarely feel ready. Stay the course anyway. Readiness shows up in the doing, not before it.