Dr. David Burton, Jr’s Transition Triumph
Between the messages sent by professional sports league leaders and the commentary of sports fans, society has attempted to convince professional athletes that they are nothing more than athletes. While longstanding, this mistruth continues to resurface and is consistently integrated into conversations since 2016 when Colin Kaepernick made the controversial decision to kneel during the national anthem before a preseason game. His actions led to a multitude of professional athletes banning together to protest the systemic racism that continues to exist in America, despite the election of the nation’s first African American president. While systemic racism is not necessarily the basis of this post, there is a connection to what I believe is the ultimate Jedi mind trick.
This effort to reduce professional athletes—individuals remarkably skilled at their sport—to one-dimensional entertainers adds to the sense of displacement experienced at the close of an athletic career. When transitioning from the NFL, participants in my research study described one phase of their experience of “no man’s land”, during which many expressed apprehensions regarding what to do next as a major challenge that led to feelings of insecurity and doubt. Some participants confessed they had only focused on football while playing and few admitted that they had no plan B, which led to uncertainty about the future and as a result, became a major source of distress. This singular focus on football is often encouraged both internally, within the NFL ecosystem, and externally, within the player’s larger world. To insist on this myopic approach, particularly at the expense of all other interests and hobbies, is another example of a Jedi mind trick.
Players who refuse to buy the lie that they are only an athlete tend to transition from the NFL and achieve tremendous success in less time than those who might fall prey to this misconception. One example of this is Dr. David Bruton Jr., who left the football field and entered the medical field after an eight-year NFL career that included participating on the 2016 Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos team. In his pursuit to complete a doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Colorado, Dr. Bruton acknowledged difficulties he experienced while transitioning, but not the typical difficulties that are reported to be the result of leaving the game of football Dr. Bruton believes that the medical field needed and needs more people like himself. He explained, “I feel like I speak in a certain way, and at times, I felt like I had to assimilate how I talk to speak a certain type of way to fit in. I wouldn’t necessarily be myself because there weren’t a lot of people who looked like me or came from the same background.”
It’s clear that Dr. Bruton held onto his dream of a medical career even during his playing career, refusing to buy into the myth that competing on the NFL field was the extent of his capabilities. There is a common belief and narrative that athletes must be 10 times better than non-athletes that are competing for similar positions. Even more pervasive is the belief that African American professional athletes must be 20 times better because they will always be held to a higher standard than those around them.
This reality is not shared to discourage, but rather to encourage players to face their NFL to NEXT journey with the confidence, discipline, and work ethic that helped them to do what only twenty thousand of the almost 8 billion people on the planet have ever been able to achieve. It is also shared to encourage fans, league leaders, and future potential employers to view professional athletes as the multidimensional individuals that they truly are, with skills that exist far beyond a playing field or court.
Finally, I l close with words from author Robin Sharma who said, “You were born into the opportunity as well as the responsibility to become legendary, however, becoming legendary is never easy. Real greatness and the realization of your inherent genius is meant to be a difficult sport. The suffering that happens along the journey of materializing your special powers, strongest abilities, and most inspiring ambitions is one of the largest sources of human satisfaction. The place where your greatest discomfort lies is also where your largest opportunity lives.”
So players, be legendary as you transition from the NFL to the NEXT phase of your life. Don’t let the opinions of others serve as a Jedi mind trick to keep you stuck. And those who are in the position to hire, work with, or otherwise support these athletes—know that these men have demonstrated a level of discipline and resilience that will serve them well in future endeavors—I think you want them on your team.
