Going to the dog track as a kid when he wasn’t supposed to be there and watching the “rabbits” setting the pace as the greyhounds tried to catch them gave a boy named Deion Sanders a metaphor for life. Back then, he didn’t think of the experience metaphorically; he was simply having fun and trying not to get into trouble. But the seed was planted.
“I always remember how the dogs just kept trying harder even though they would never catch that rabbit,” said the Pro Football Hall of Famer now affectionately known as “Coach Prime.”
Coach Prime came to identify with those greyhounds. “I’m always trying to get to the next level. And the way you get to the next level, you have to put something out in front of you,” he explained. “I’m not gonna catch it, but I’m gonna go get it. I’m gonna always try to attain it and go get it. And everyone has to have a rabbit … and to chase it.”
The rabbit metaphor is so much of Coach Prime’s mindset, he devoted an entire chapter to it in the book we wrote together, Elevate & Dominate: 21 Ways to Win On and Off the Field which will hit bookshelves on March 12.
For those of you who may be less familiar with Coach Prime, he is a two-time Super Bowl Champion who played 14 seasons in the NFL and nine seasons in Major League Baseball. His 1992 World Series appearance makes him the only athlete to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame.
Sanders, who dubbed himself “Prime Time” as a college superstar at Florida State University, now prefers to go by the moniker “Coach Prime,” an appropriate title after he turned to coaching, most recently at the University of Colorado.
Just as he was during his playing days, Coach Prime remains the supreme motivator, not only of others but also of himself. And this just might be his secret weapon.
In the podcast, Coach Prime reveals the mindset that keeps him highly motivated – and highly motivating – after a long career marked by much success. It’s all a matter of … let’s call it free-agency, a commitment to push himself every day and stay fired up about lessons including:
"Don is one of the best storytellers I’ve ever met. I’ve known him for a long time and every time we talk I walk away wiser and more inspired. He is the best in the business at teaching you a skill – storytelling – that will last you a lifetime.”
“The ability for athletes to get hired is carried on through you because you are putting out the message that lessons learned from sports are important in life. It is embedded in this podcast, what you’re doing is significant.”
We speak the same language. I am inspired by the stories you tell, the people you have met, and the things you’ve done. Those of us that are competitors like to follow others that have been down that journey, so it is always fun talking to you!”
“Many of the leaders I have worked with were excellent athletes, and I think there is a direct correlation. You’re one of the few people that really has pursued this study, Don. Keep up the great work. What you are doing really makes a difference.”
“Don, you have mastered the skill of interviewing and asking great questions. That is a great skill all leaders need in order to understand their team members’ thought processes.”
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