Confidence Classic: Tackle Life’s Biggest Challenges with Eric Wood, Former NFL Player
In this episode of Creating Confidence, former NFL player Eric Wood shares his journey from a high school athlete who started late to becoming an NFL center. He discusses how maintaining a clear vision of his goals and responding constructively to setbacks—including serious injuries—shaped his professional football career. His story demonstrates the role of focus, faith, and support networks in navigating challenges.
The conversation explores Wood's transition after a neck injury ended his NFL career in 2018. Wood describes how he rebuilt his identity beyond football through executive coaching, new daily routines, and a shift to broadcasting. He details his move into sports media, including his work as a Buffalo Bills Radio Network commentator and podcast host, while addressing the challenges of career change and maintaining a sense of purpose.
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1-Page Summary
Eric Wood's NFL Path: Vision, Focus, Process
Despite modest beginnings as a high school athlete who didn't start until his senior year, Eric Wood's journey to the NFL demonstrates the power of clear vision and unwavering focus. After receiving his sole scholarship offer from the University of Louisville, Wood kept a Sports Illustrated picture of ideal NFL center measurements in his locker for three and a half years, ultimately matching those exact specifications at the NFL combine.
Mental and Physical Challenges Of Overcoming Adversity
Wood's NFL career was marked by significant injuries, including a compound leg fracture, torn ligaments, and various other setbacks. Rather than viewing these injuries as mere obstacles, Wood approached them as opportunities for growth and learning. His faith played a crucial role in his recovery process, and he credits his support network—including family, friends, coaches, and trainers—for helping him bounce back from each setback.
Transitioning After an Abrupt Sports Career End
When a neck injury forced Wood to retire from the NFL in 2018, he faced the challenge of reconstructing his identity beyond football. Working with an executive coach, Wood developed new routines centered on health and family. He channeled his competitive energy into broadcasting and sports media, launching his podcast "What's Next with Eric Wood" to explore career transitions with others.
Purpose, Routine, and Vision For Life's Next Chapter
Wood's executive coach, James McPartland, helped him define his post-NFL vision by asking how Wood wanted to be introduced by his daughter—a question that prompted him to consider his legacy carefully. Today, Wood has successfully transitioned into broadcasting, serving as a color commentator for the Buffalo Bills Radio Network, hosting his podcast, and authoring a book about achieving goals in business and life. Despite facing imposter syndrome during this transition, Wood has embraced these new opportunities to impact others through his media career and speaking engagements.
1-Page Summary
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Actionables
- Create a visual representation of your goals to keep motivated daily, similar to how an athlete might use a picture for physical targets. For instance, if you're aiming to become a writer, hang a poster of a bestselling book cover with your name photoshopped onto it in your workspace.
- Turn setbacks into learning experiences by starting a "growth journal." Whenever you face a challenge or failure, write down what happened, what you learned, and how you can apply this knowledge moving forward. This could be as simple as noting a mistake made during a presentation and the subsequent improvement in your public speaking skills.
- Develop a personal advisory board for life transitions, mirroring the support network of coaches and trainers. Identify friends, family members, or colleagues who can offer diverse perspectives and meet with them regularly to discuss your progress and challenges. This could be as informal as a monthly coffee meetup where you share updates and seek advice.
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Eric Wood's NFL Path: Vision, Focus, Process
Eric Wood’s journey to the NFL was marked by personal growth and keen vision, defying his modest beginnings in high school and college athletics.
Eric Wood's Modest High School and College Athletics Belied NFL Success
Although Not a High School Standout, Wood Aimed to Improve In College For an NFL Career
Eric Wood’s initial athletic career didn't predict his future success in the NFL. Not starting on his high school football team until his senior year and also playing basketball, Wood identified football as his likely future. Considering his height as an asset for football, he focused on the sport, put on weight, and eventually received his one and only scholarship offer from the University of Louisville.
Manifestation and Visualization Key in Wood's NFL Journey
Visual Reminder of NFL Goals Kept In Locker
Wood carried his dream of playing in the NFL throughout college. He kept a picture from Sports Illustrated of the measurables of a prototypical NFL center in his locker for three and a half years—a constant reminder of his goals and the tangible success he strived for.
Clear Vision Helps Wood Achieve Ambitious Goals
This meticulous focus on his future paid off. After making the freshman All-American team, Wood learned about the high percentage of such players who make it to the NFL and get drafted, which affirmed his vision and shifted his goal to becoming a first-round draft pick. By focusing on the image in his locker, Wood precisely met ...
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Eric Wood's NFL Path: Vision, Focus, Process
Additional Materials
Actionables
- Create a visual goal board in your workspace to keep your long-term objectives in sight. Find images or symbols that represent your ultimate goals and place them where you'll see them daily. For instance, if you aspire to become a published author, you might pin a mock-up book cover with your name on it to your board.
- Track your progress with a custom app or spreadsheet that measures key personal milestones. If your goal is to run a marathon, you could use a running app to log your training distances and times, aiming to hit specific benchmarks that align with marathon-ready conditioning.
- Establish a 'home base' that anchors you in your personal ...
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Mental and Physical Challenges Of Overcoming Adversity
Wood Faced Devastating Injuries Threatening His NFL Career
Eric Wood, who never missed a game in college, faced a reality check in the NFL with his first significant injury—a compound Tibb fib fracture, similar to Joe Theismann's infamous leg break, during his first season. This was just the start of a series of debilitating injuries that would challenge his career and resilience. After his initial recovery, Wood went on to suffer a high ankle sprain in his second year, a torn ACL, MCL, and lateral meniscus in his third year, and a torn MCL in his fourth year.
From Leg Fractures to Torn Ligaments, Wood Persevered Through Major Injuries
While the transcript does not discuss how Wood persevered through these injuries, it’s clear that his career was on the line with each one. Despite the setbacks, the Buffalo Bills demonstrated their confidence in his value as a player, offering him an incentive-based contract acknowledging his potential contributions on the playing field.
Resilience and Faith Helped Wood Navigate Recovery
Injuries: Opportunities to Learn and Grow Stronger
Eric Wood viewed his injuries as more than mere setbacks; they were opportunities for learning and personal growth. Initially feeling cursed, Wood eventually started to question what God was trying to teach him and viewed these tests as pathways to a testimony. He believes that one must consider what they can learn through such experiences to come out stronger on the other side.
Wood's Faith and Support Helped Him Rebound From Setbacks
Wood learned about faith's role from observing successful individuals during his college years and upon entering the NFL. He noted that Christians often had thriving marriages, healthy families, and sustained career success, which piqued his interest in exploring faith more deeply. When Eric faced severe dehydration and shock after a leg break, his faith was not explicitly referenced as pivotal at that moment, but it became foundational in his recovery and resilience.
Heather Monahan highlighted the ...
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Mental and Physical Challenges Of Overcoming Adversity
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Actionables
- You can start a resilience journal to document your personal challenges and growth, mirroring the way Eric Wood viewed his injuries as learning opportunities. Write down any difficult situations you face, reflect on what you can learn from them, and how you can use these lessons to grow stronger. For example, if you sprain your ankle and can't participate in your favorite sport, use the journal to explore new hobbies that don't require mobility, fostering patience and adaptability.
- Create a "support squad" by identifying and reaching out to people who can offer you different types of support, similar to how Wood had a network of family, friends, and professionals. This could be a mix of close friends for emotional support, colleagues for professional guidance, and mentors for personal development. Regularly engage with them to build a strong foundation for when you face your own adver ...
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Transitioning After an Abrupt Sports Career End
Eric Wood's NFL career brought him notoriety and success, but after a neck injury forced him to say farewell to the game, he embarked on a journey to reconstruct his identity and find new purpose.
Wood's NFL Exit Spurs Identity Shift
Eric Wood played for nine years as a center with the Buffalo Bills until a neck injury in 2018 abruptly ended his career, setting him on a path to rediscover his identity beyond the football field.
After a Life in Football, Wood Seeks New Purpose
After retiring from the NFL, Wood took on his new life's work with enthusiasm, understanding the significance of an identity shift from a professional athlete to a former athlete. He discusses the vulnerability of putting out a book and facing critique, reflecting on both his NFL career termination and its repercussion on his public persona. Heather Monahan relates to his sudden career shift due to her own experience of being fired, lending insight into the mental toll such unexpected changes impose.
Routine, Vision, Mindset: Keys to Successful Transition
Eric Wood established a fresh daily routine centered on health, family, and discovering new passions. Eric recognized the need for excitement and nervousness in his post-football life—emotions that once fueled his pre-game adrenaline—parlaying those into his new ventures in broadcasting and sports media.
Wood Created a New Daily Routine Centered on Health, Family, and Discovering New Passions to Replace Former Athletic Pursuits
In his transition, Wood worked with an executive coach, which played a significant role in defining his new routine and mindset. His subsequent new passions and vocational directions sought to replace the rush of playing at the highest level. Through his podcast "What's Next with Eric Wood," he focuses on interviewing individuals about their career transitions, showing his dedication to navigating and understanding the challenges of change.
Although the daily routine specifics are not detailed, Wood shares glimpses into his life post-football through social media, showcasing his priority is now on being a dedicated family man and devout C ...
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Transitioning After an Abrupt Sports Career End
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Actionables
- You can start a personal growth journal to track your evolution beyond your current role, noting down new skills, interests, and goals each week. This habit will help you visualize your progress and identify areas where you want to grow, similar to how someone might transition from a career in sports to a new field. For example, if you're in a tech job but have an interest in art, dedicate a page each week to exploring art techniques or industry knowledge you've gained.
- Create a "transition team" of friends, mentors, or colleagues who can offer diverse perspectives on your career and personal development. Meet with them monthly to discuss your aspirations and challenges, much like an executive coach would do. This could involve a mix of people from different industries or life stages who can provide unique insights and accountability as you navig ...
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Purpose, Routine, and Vision For Life's Next Chapter
After an impressive NFL career, Eric Wood has sought guidance to define his life's next chapter. Through the help of executive coaching, he has transitioned into a role where he leverages his experiences to thrive in media, speaking, and entrepreneurship.
Coach Helped Wood Define Future Vision and Roadmap
Eric Wood hired an executive coach, James McPartland, prior to his last NFL season to assist in creating a vision for his life after football. The coach's probing question about how Wood wanted to be introduced by his daughter was pivotal in him contemplating his future vision and legacy. It nudged Wood to work backwards from the vision of how he wanted to be perceived, establishing routines and habits that would lead to that outcome.
Coach's Questions on Wood's Legacy and Impact Charted a New Path
The executive coach provided both nudges and affirmation, aiding Wood in building confidence in his post-NFL path and helping to map out his life after football. This process highlighted the importance of a coach's role in shaping one's future vision and preparing the roadmap for life's next chapter.
Pursuing a Multifaceted Career in Media, Speaking, and Entrepreneurship Fulfilled Wood
Wood did not explicitly discuss certain aspects of his transition in the provided transcript chunk.
Leveraging Nfl Experiences, Wood Thrives As a Broadcaster, Podcast Host, and Author, Sharing Wisdom Widely
Bringing his wealth of experience from the NFL, Wood has smoothly transitioned into broadcasting, hosting a podcast, and becoming an author. He serves as a color commentator for the Buffalo Bills Radio Network and hosts a podcast called "What's Next with Eric", where he interviews various individuals to gather and share wisdom. Additionally, he has authored a book, "Tackle What's Next, Own Your Story, Stack Your Wins, ...
Here’s what you’ll find in our full summary
Purpose, Routine, and Vision For Life's Next Chapter
Additional Materials
Actionables
- Reflect on your legacy by writing a "future eulogy" from the perspective of someone you admire, detailing the life achievements and character traits you aspire to be remembered for. This exercise can help you clarify your long-term goals and values, similar to how envisioning a legacy can shape personal development. For example, imagine your child or a dear friend speaking about you and the impact you've had; this can be a powerful motivator to align your actions with your desired legacy.
- Create a "transition journal" to document your journey through significant life changes, noting both the challenges and the wins along the way. Use this journal to track your progress, reflect on your experiences, and remind yourself of the lessons learned, much like compiling stories and insights can lead to a greater understanding of personal growth. You might start by writing about a recent change, such as starting a new job or moving to a new city, and how you're adapting to it.
- Start a "wisdom exchange" ...
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