Very few players have as much experience playing in the NFL as Chris Chester. His NFL journey began in 2006 when he was drafted in the second round by the Baltimore Ravens. This was a start to a 10-year career for Chester, who started in over 140 games, played for three different teams, and reached the Super Bowl with the Atlanta Falcons in 2016. Chester attributes his success in part to the leadership traits he learned while in Baltimore, playing with multiple Hall of Famers including the likes of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. He explained these are the players that taught him about the different kinds of leaders, and how important it is to be yourself and be authentic when leading your team. Chester also had a lot of motivation off-the-field. His first child was one year old during his first season in the NFL and Chester states that this lifestyle of accountability and responsibility to his family carried over into his football career. From Chester’s interview with veteran NFL Agent and Pro Mindset® Podcast host Craig Domann it is obvious that Chris Chester has a very refined professional mindset, not only about football but also about how he goes about his own life. He lived a lifestyle of accountability to his family, and to his teammates. He is a great example of how a well refined mentality can enable players to enjoy long and successful careers.
“I really began to value the importance of being accountable and being reliable. If I couldn’t play, I felt like I was letting the team down. If there was a chance, I was gonna play, I was gonna play.”
When talking about how he was able to maintain his consistency for so many years, Chris Chester goes back to his days of high school football and gives credit to his high school coaches for teaching him accountability and reliability. Chris developed a mindset very early on in his NFL career that he was not just playing for himself but also for his teammates and eventually his own family as well. His mentality was to never let his teammates down. This drove Chris to push himself to train and work as hard as he could to always play at the level needed from him by his team. Purpose is a key element of Pro Mindset. Chris Chester is a prime example of just how much meaningful purpose can motivate a person.
“Be who you are, because your teammates can tell if you are sincerely passionate about what you are saying.”
Chris Chester emphasizes the importance of being a genuine leader. He shares that leaders need to be passionate about what they are doing and saying in order to be successful. During his time playing for the Baltimore Ravens, Chester played alongside Ray Lewis, a player known for his rousing team speeches. Chester reflects that Ray Lewis was one of, if not the most important player in the locker room for the Ravens. However, he notes that not everyone can be the exact same kind of leader as Ray. Ray’s speeches worked because everyone on the team knew that Ray was being sincere when displaying his passion for the team and that passion bonded the team together. Chester learned that not every player is going to make speeches like Ray Lewis, and they do not need to. It’s authentic passion that comes from a genuine place that allows a player to lead their team to success.
To hear more of Chris Chester’s interview, how he found the right lifestyle to allow himself to be successful, and how to build a Pro Mindset, listen to this Pro Mindset Podcast here, or search your favorite podcast platform, including Apple & Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and many more.
