Reaching the Summit
How a weekend trip to Big Bear impacted my thoughts on the upcoming 2025 NFL Combine
Standing at the top of Big Bear Mountain in Southern California, I found myself staring at the majestic Big Bear Lake and also trying to navigate snowboarding down a hill as a below average snowboarder this past weekend.
It was a little getaway for our family after what has been a turbulent start to the offseason with new hires, tons of movement and the growth of the GM position in major college football. Bottom line – it felt incredible to take a breath and I needed one.
While I was trying to meditate at the top of the mountain, our almost 10-year-old, Zayn, was racing down the slopes like he was prepping for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, getting more and more air on each run. I watched his confidence grow with each rep and by Sunday afternoon, he felt like he was well on his way to a podium someday.
Our 4-year-old, Makaiye, did what most younger brothers do – attempt to be like their big brother. Down the slopes he went and with each run he picked up speed. He was going so fast that my wife and I were left in his powder and a “perma-grin” was on his face.
Once we completed our day, I asked both kids about their performances over the weekend.
“Were you ever scared?” I asked our eldest son.
“No Dad, I just went for it,” said Zayn.
“Even on the Black Diamond slopes with the jumps?” I replied.
“It didn’t matter the slope, I just went for it,” he said.
“How about you Makaiye, were you scared at all going down the mountain?”
“Nope. I just told myself to ‘Believe,’” said Makaiye.
“You told yourself to believe!” I asked.
“Yeah, but you couldn't hear me. I just said it to myself the entire time down the Black Diamond," replied a proud 4-year-old as if he was being interviewed post-Olympic Gold.
That night as they fell asleep, I stood in their room listening to them breathe in synchronicity and this time I had the “perma-grin”, smiling at that core memory. Then I started to think about this week and the NFL Combine.
329 players will descend upon Indianapolis this week, at the peak of their football mountain. After all, this is what they have all dreamt of. Some will throw, some will run, some will only talk. Regardless, they are at the summit and to achieve a dream, they must deliver.
I wondered how each of those athletes were navigating pressure. How the 15 quarterbacks will talk to themselves prior to each drill, each throw, more importantly - after each miss.
It got me thinking about good friend and high performance psychologist Dr. Michael Gervais. He speaks to the Elite 11 QBs each summer and we always lead with the same question.
“Where does confidence come from?”
The answers vary. From past experiences to what your coach says to social media to your family and so on. Rarely does a player say what our 4-year-old son said.
Dr. Gervais then gives them an absolute gift.
“Confidence comes from self-talk, how you talk to yourself.”
My hunch is that most kids start with good self-talk, especially when it comes to doing challenging things. But as they get older and gain more exposure, that self-talk changes and fear grows. We’ve seen it impact athletes in powerful ways, both positively and negatively.
This week, as 329 of the world's greatest athletes will perform on a massive stage, I’ll be wondering how they are talking to themselves.
Other things on my mind:
What Matters Most for QBs? Thankfully former USC and NFL QB Mark Sanchez helped answer that on the latest from the Y-Option podcast.
How does a QB prep for the NFL Combine? Tap into my recent conversation with former Oregon Duck QB Dillon Gabriel from last week.
Spring Games - they continue to get canceled around college football. What do you think? Let us know on social media at Y-Option. I’ll dive into that this week on our show with Roddy Jones of ESPN and SiriusXM.
The Great Outdoors is still a hilarious film. I forced my family to watch it one night in the mountains and I was crying laughing. 90s movies for the win!
Finally, I hope you’ve been able to unplug after the Super Bowl. I’ve never felt more refreshed and enthused about college football and we are so proud of the community we have built here at Y-Option. To our paid subscribers, thank you! To those a part of our daily community, we are grateful for you all.
As always, much love and stay steady.
Yogi
Yep, confidence starts from within. The power of positive thinking with a healthy dose of practice!