On this Pro Mindset Podcast episode, Kevin Robinson, a 20-year veteran NFL agent, shares with fellow veteran NFL agent and host Craig Domann his experiences from the industry. Football is different from other sports because the physicality of the game makes it a sport of willpower. Kevin mentors his NFL clients to exert their "will" over their opponents and prepare them physically and mentally for NFL Draft day. With an emphasis on Training, a Pro Mindset® building block, Kevin prepares the NFL athletes he works with to fully reach their career's potential.
Kevin stressed the importance of a player's willingness to work. "There's a saying that effort and attitude beats talent when talent doesn't work hard or doesn't have the appropriate effort and attitude." A player's attitude influences every aspect of their career. A player must be coachable and open to critique. "That's the big part of being a professional athlete. Are you coachable? The best players want to be coached and they want to be coached hard because they want to get better. That's the way you're going to win."
Applying this to your life, your effort and willingness to work is what is going to make you stand out from others. You build longevity in your career by having self-awareness and critical of your own performance. After you identify the areas that need improvements, you can attack those areas with focus, self-discipline and hard work.
Kevin also emphasized, "Football is as much a game of will and skill. It takes a great deal of will to be involved in violent collisions. If you don't have the will to deal with those types of collisions, then you can't play football." An individual must be mentally prepared to be a part of fierce collisions. Alternately, a player can "kill the will" of their opponent. "That's why running the ball is so important in the NFL at certain points in games because you take a team's will by physically imposing your will on the other team. You can change the outcome of a game by imposing your will upon the opposing team.
To wrap up his interview on Pro Mindset Podcast, Kevin shared his top tips on how to prepare for the NFL Draft. He always looks for how much weight a player can bench coming out of college because this will reflect their work ethic and preparedness. "I don't believe in luck. I believe in blessing. That's where preparation meets opportunity; they are in a position to take advantage of their God-given ability." An athlete does not accidentally fall into success. Instead, they are blessed with an opportunity and they must put in the effort to bring forth success. As an athlete, it is crucial to put in the work and to be as prepared as possible.
Kevin also said it's essential for an athlete to take care of their schoolwork and treat their coaches and trainers with respect. NFL teams and scouts spend a lot of time on research. They talk to professors, coaches, and athletic trainers to see how they interact with others and how they handle their responsibilities. "How do you treat people? I think that's a very key part. It says something about the person." Scouts want to know how you are as an individual. Aside from your physical capabilities, they want to know how you handle your life responsibilities and how you treat the people around you.
In addition to preparing physically and treating people with kindness, an athlete also needs to maximize their techniques and spend a lot of time studying film. The top athletes make an effort to master the different methods that their coaches are teaching them. They learn how to study film and spend time analyzing their opponent's tendencies. Kevin states that these skill sets are crucial as a young man prepares to enter the NFL Draft.
The fourth element of Craig's seven building blocks to a Pro Mindset® is training. Kevin stresses the importance of a player's training regimen as they prepare to enter the NFL Draft. Discipline in their training is what will gives an athlete an edge in the NFL Draft process, not only in developing their physical skills but also their Pro Mindset.