The Bison into the Storm

While doing some scouring on the internet recently, I came across some interesting information. Get ready for this one because it’s an extremely interesting thought involving the process and adaptation from a certain animal. Here it is: bison turn into storms because walking into them helps them get through the storm faster. This is something that bison adapted to over time and developed as a result of instincts which is an adaptation that cattle don’t have. As a result, cattle usually end up taking the brunt of the storm while bison use the smarter road.

Similarly I believe a lot of people can learn from this adaptation that bison have. Instead of taking the easy road short-term and being forced to struggle long-term, it’s much better to have difficulty short-term and have it easy in the long-term.

Now NFL players are people too and many especially have to overcome adversity both on and off the field and get through their own storms. On the field they are forced to overcome them head on, it’s their only option. However it takes true character and thought to fight their storms head on off the field. This is especially true when they can take the easy road now and worry about it for a long time leading up to the storm’s reckoning.

Nowadays, we see a lot of NFL players overcoming the odds and outdoing the true form of adversity in order to play the game they love. However, there are a small number of players that go one step further by fighting their fight head on in order to invest into their future success. In this blog, I’ll be displaying a couple NFL players and how they attacked their struggles head on like a bison does when a storm approaches.

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦

#Shells

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

Tyrann Mathieu

Tyrann Mathieu was well-known in college for his heavy marijuana use, which led to his dismissal from the LSU football team. His path to the NFL wasn't easy; he had to work his way back into the draft after being suspended for a year. However, he has since proved that his third-round pick was not only worthwhile, but also a bargain. He is looked at as one of the best players at his position in the league now and is a Super Bowl Champion.

Tyrann grew up aware that his father was a career criminal who killed many people both inside and outside of prison, despite the fact that none of his biological parents were present in his life. His mother abandoned him, and he was fortunate enough to be adopted by his aunt and uncle. Tyrann honed his athletic abilities and overcame hardship while growing up in their household and led himself to where he is today.

It is easier to write than obviously go through but Tyrann’s faced his struggle head on multiple times. Aware that he had no father and mother to go to, he worked hard to make his uncle and aunt proud. He knew they would have accepted him anyway but he understood that he must face the adversity head on and become a world-class athlete.

Immediately after, another major struggle rammed like a train into his face. His time in college introduced him to the usage of marijuana which ultimately led him down an unfortunate path as mentioned before. Kicked off the team, without much other guidance on what was next, most people would have quit on their dreams. However, he knew the type of player he was and the mentality that he had. So once again like a bison running into the storm, he faced head on the challenge of overcoming his addiction. He invested in his future, and he was right.

Now nicknamed the Honey Badger, Mathieu has proven to himself, his family, and everyone else that he has the mentality to overcome multiple major forms of adversity for a better future. Who knows? Without the experience of overcoming such issues, Mathieu may not be the player he is today. Tyrann will always serve as a prominent example of what it means to fight your battles head on like he does both on and off the field.

The Bison into the Storm.

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

Dez Bryant

Dez Bryant is no stranger to adversity as he has been described as having a really horrible upbringing and path to success. From not having a father figure to having a rather ignorant and trouble-making mother, Dez didn’t have anyone to exactly lean on during his childhood. Yet now we all Dez for the receiver he was on the Dallas Cowboys and the success he had with them as a star receiver for years.

Unlike Tyrann, Dez never exactly had people to lean on besides friends. In fact, Dez wasn’t even so secure on the home he was living in for the year. You see at a young age, Bryant's world was turned upside down when his mother was sentenced to 18 months in jail for crack trafficking. Bryant spent his teenage years in eight separate foster homes due to the lack of a father figure in his life before he was offered a football scholarship at Oklahoma State.

Bryant's journey from a crack-infested neighborhood at the height of the urban crack epidemic to a college scholarship; an opportunity to enter the NFL would be impressive even if his football tale ended in college. But it didn’t end there, he went on to become the star receiver for America’s team after slipping in the draft and led his team to multiple playoff appearances.

Although Dez may be out of the league now, his fight against his own storm head on led him to the respected position he is in today. With his childhood and upbringing, he could have easily succumbed to the many negative influences around him. Instead, he fought through it all like a bison into the storm and had an illustrious career as a football player. Funny enough, the thought of Dez was only put into my head because I met him at my local gym and got a picture with him. It’s safe to say, he looks happy and content with how his life has turned out.

The Bison into the Storm.

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

Jimmy Graham

Jimmy Graham as we know is among the most dominant tight ends in NFL history. However, he also most likely has one of the toughest backstories at his position as well. Graham grew up loving football but with no one with love to share for him. He was treated like a responsibility instead of someone to be cherished.

Jimmy Graham had no true family for the first 13 years of his life. His father was never a participant in any of his decisions nor did he really get any input. His mother often abandoned him, leaving him with friends and family , many of which he had no connection to. One of his ex-step father’s discovered that Graham's mother was receiving $98 a month in child from Graham's father while living with him. Because Graham was living under his roof, he demanded the money. The ex-stepfather turned him over to social services after she refused to hand it over. Because of $98 he was abandoned.

Graham's mother would come in and out of custody. She'd leave him with social services, neglect his calls, and then come back months later to claim him like he was some sort of yearly summer camp. However, Jimmy Graham found someone that truly cared for him, an adoptive mother. At the same time, he knew he had to be something in life even with all the misgivings he had to deal with. Graham's adoptive mother was a local church volunteer by the time he was in high school.

Jjmmy Graham was an all-pro player because he fought through his own childhood storm like the other players in this piece of writing. He fought his issues head on in order to define himself as anything but a mistake. Most people would not be able to overcome Jimmy’s plight and upon finding someone that cared for them, may give up their drive. However Graham stayed true to his path as he knew that he would be out of the storm soon.

The Bison into the Storm.