as an underdog I could play a little bit
but I was an underdog for the most part
but as I say right on the stage before
you tonight you know a lot of thoughts
come to mind
you know first and foremost I think
about my life and I think about
adversity and I think about opposition
but for the most part of my life I’ve
been on this quest to figure out how can
I work hard for something and my
performance is not based upon the
outcome how can I work in my effort and
my motivation in my job is not based
upon what the product would be but more
so based upon me taking pride in what I
do and so I came up with this thing
called process over product and I firmly
believe the process saved my life and
what I mean by the process I’m talking
about the way I handle my business on a
daily basis and the way I go about every
single aspect of my life I live by this
thing called empty the bucket and when
people hear it they think it’s a cute
slogan empty the bucket but what they
don’t understand it’s the unspoken law
an empty to both worked it is the
unspoken law of accountability and
responsibility to me on this earth from
my existence and everybody else
connected to me I may be crazy but I
don’t know I just believe that I
supposed to give everybody that is
connected to me the best version of me I
just believe I deserve to give my wife
or my children the best version of me I
just believe the people that it was
pursuing his hope I deserve to get them
the best version of me
[Applause]
you see the thing about chasing a
product and what the product is the
product is lundi the product is the
house the product is the car
the thing about chasing the product the
product can always change and if your
performance is always based upon the
product what happened when the product
changed and you don’t take pride in what
you do but think about loving the
process everybody won’t surprise when
nobody loves the process everybody wants
to be a champion but nobody’s willing to
put in the work that it takes to be a
champion everybody wants to hold up the
trophy and say man I did it but nobody’s
willing to put in the work that it takes
to do it I love the process I love the
thought of working for what I want and I
firmly believe you never supposed to
wish for more than you willing to work
for your expectations never supposed to
exceed your effort but a lot of people
they wish and they’re not willing to
work and the great thing about right
life has a funny way of testing all of
us and seeing how bad we really want
what it is that we say we want because
the thing I know about people people can
talk to talk and people do it very well
but life is going to hit you with a
certain level of opposition life is
going to hit you with a certain level of
that versity and life is going to say to
you you said you wanted it now let’s see
how bad you really want it but the great
thing about it if you love the process
when our position in that Bercy hit you
will have a way of embracing it and
using it not only for yourself but you
will use it to make everybody that’s
connected to you stronger because your
vision has to be larger than yourself if
everything that you do is just about you
and for your personal gain
something’s going to come up against you
that’s going to be a lot tougher than
you and it’s just about through the
moment you hit it you’re going to quit
and give up every time
but I believe in given the backstory
because I think the backstory shaped in
most situations and circumstances and so
I have to give you the backstory what
shaped and molded me into the man that I
am today I’m 29 years old my mother got
pregnant with me at 15 years old I grew
up on the east side of Atlanta about
five minutes away from the weather
Atlanta Braves play and the neighborhood
by the name of Kirkwood drugs gangs
violence you name it and I came up in a
– back when 114 people and I used to
sleep on the floor my grandmother Miss
Daisy Johnson here to come to us and she
would say one night out of the week you
all get the opportunity to sleep in the
bed
and so when I got the sleeping the bat
it wasn’t like I got the bed to myself
and I like laying I got the bed to
myself it was five more of my cousin’s
in the bed and so we slept three to the
foot and three at the head and so as the
kids pretty quick I had to make a
decision of what I wanted to do in my
life because in that same house I had
eight uncles or eight of which are still
going in and out of prison till there’s
eight because they sold drugs and they
were in game and so I looked at it it’s
kind of like that quote that says learn
from the mistakes of other people
because you can’t make them or yourself
and so I saw them selling drugs but it
also saw that outcome and so I said I’m
not selling drugs I’m not joining a gang
because I see what I wrote leads to
either I’m going to end up better in
prison I said to my best bet may be to
go to the NFL and so I went to my cousin
by the name of tomorrow said listen man
I want to go to the NFL I felt our
family deserves a better way of life
let’s work forward I said we’re going to
be patient we’re going to engage the
consistent action every night and so
every night you roll out a new race
light throw the light forward and
Kirkwood
no shoes light for the light pool every
night and so one night was getting ready
to race him down the street came a big
blue pickup truck and it brought over to
the side and out of it got a white guy
first white guy ever saw in my life
q story and my uncle Bobo just got
sentenced to 40 years in prison he was
on one corner my other uncle Johnny he
was on the other corner my uncle Bobo
took off running and looked at me said
ain’t don’t talk to him standing me that
guy has to be the police Coast trade
walked up to us nicest guy in the world
he said what you kids like to play
organized sports I step to the front I
said yes sir
he said go in the house and get your
guardian my uncle JJ was that Lyndon
Houston said oh there’s a guy outside he
asked me like to play organized sports I
told him yes he said well I go in the
house to get my body and I’m coming to
get you will you please talk to him
pumps will say sure my uncle walked
outside go straight said would you like
to sign these kids up for organized
sports my uncle said yes sir
but I hate to tell you we don’t have the
money he said don’t worry about the
money you get them to the park and I’ll
take care that same guy still buys new
drawers and socks been doing this day on
Christmas and I’m 29 years old we
started with others
[Applause]
but a weird thing happened one night
you see most nights not the practice
everybody would leave to go home and I
always have to sit in the box because my
mother works that way and my mother then
you don’t work till about ten o’clock
10:30 motion nice and I’ll be sitting
there in the park and I loved it I
didn’t want anybody to take me home
because when I went home I was sleeping
on the floor like voted in right and so
any time I got in solitude the dream any
time I got in solitude to think about
what I wanted to do for my family my
community I took the advantage of it and
so most nights I’ll be sitting there in
the park and I’ll be looking up at the
light now be envisioning myself doing
things in the NFL envisioning myself
doing things in my community and just as
the lights would always go out my mother
she would pull up and used to drive the
old Buick Regal hubcaps off the car
seats torn up the car was all beat up
and she would pull up and she would put
the car in park and always hop up I went
over to my mother I would give her a hug
and a kiss I would say mommy if you
don’t mind can you please sit back in
your car I have to do some extra girls I
have to go to the NFL she would never
have to work another day in your life
and I knew she was tired and every night
my mother would say sure anything she
would sit back in that car
those clocks we hit that building here
you had a seven year old kid doing back
selling drill running sprints running
laps chasing his dream you go to the NFL
and just beyond those claw lights I
could always connect with my mother’s
eyes and so it made me dig a little bit
different made me push myself a little
bit further and make me work a little
bit harder I live by this thing for the
harder you work the harder it is to
surrender you see the reason people quit
they don’t take pride in what they do
the harder you work the harder it is to
surrender
nothing not just talking about business
I’m talking about winning simultaneously
in every aspect of life I’m not
concerned with a person that does well
in one aspect of their life and if you
hang their hats and say man I’ve made a
lot of money you made a lot of money
your public success with your private
salaries what good is there to make a
lot of money you want to go home to your
family what good is it to make a lot of
money if you don’t take care you can’t
what good is your public success with
you’re proud to tell you and so how do
we win simultaneously and say proud and
everything that we do and one night my
mother couldn’t pick me up and she’s
also straight he said coach I can’t make
you tonight can you please take inky on
and so he put me in about eight guys in
the back of his pickup truck and he said
anything I would drop you on flat and so
when he got to my house I got out on the
sidewalk and I’m standing in front of
125 more eating I look back at coach
tray
and I said why why are you doing this
because where I came from people didn’t
just help you it was i pat you on your
back you got to Pat me on my back you
remember I did that for you you got to
do this for me and I said why are you
doing this and you look back at me and
Sun Sun I want to tell you something you
said I don’t want you to ever forget it
he said son the more you make sure that
somebody else’s life is okay God will
always make sure that your life
and immediately I got
the light bulb went on I stopped being
this little selfish kid I stopped being
like my four-year-old son and for the
first time in my life I stopped thinking
everything was just about empty Johnson
and I realized my existence on this
earth is a lot bigger than me
I realized me my lineage in my family
when I step outside of my door in the
morning what I represent is a lot bigger
than men so the thing I had to
understand every day I woke up and
everything that I was a part of our
first had to understand I was
representing a lot more than myself I
first had to start living my two words
on the religious scene and what I mean
by honor and legacy you are little ones
that pave the way for you and you leave
a legacy for the ones that’s coming
behind you we just have it right now
while we’re a part of something right
now
somebody has gained of course and fades
away and somebody will come after us and
so while we haven’t how could we do it
in such a way that we leave a legacy for
the ones that’s coming behind us and we
honor the ones that paved the way for us
and so everything I did I took a certain
level of pride in it people thought I
just wanted to build great football
players but they didn’t understand about
Enki jobs one says I could have watched
cars I guarantee you I would have been
the best for Washington was in the world
because the things I understood I wasn’t
just representing myself it wasn’t just
about me everything that I did I just
had my mind set for me to week now I was
operating with a spirit of collective
character meaning it didn’t matter what
I did individually if I didn’t represent
my mother in the right way it didn’t
matter if I didn’t represent my lineage
in the right way if I didn’t represent
my team in the right way who cares what
I did individually I didn’t care if we
won a game and I scored 40 points
individually who cares I shifted from me
to we
and so everything I started to do I was
thinking about my family I was thinking
about my community and I was thinking
about my friends in a different way and
I will never forget I got to high school
and nobody in my family had ever been to
college they all dropped out ending up
in prison my high school his name of his
crew my school in Atlanta they used to
call it climb hottie shoe teachers and
my first day I walked through the metal
detector and a cop was standing on the
other end of the metal detector and he
said what is your plan little man
I said my plan is to go to Division one
he said now you’re probably go to
cellblock D 1 I said now you got the
wrong box he said I heard that before
your uncle’s came through and said the
same thing I said now I’m telling you
you got the wrong guy
you know the first person I went to see
when I got my scholarship paper
but you know the most amazing thing
happened it wasn’t that I went to
college I had three little cousins
sleeping on that same floor that went to
college I saw friends in my community
come off the corner from selling drugs
and go to college that’s how friends in
my community come out of game and go to
college all because I shifted my mindset
and it wasn’t about me
I broke generational curses in my
community because it wasn’t just about
me I didn’t care so much about me going
to college I wanted the ones coming
behind me to get and I’ll never forget I
went on an airplane and my first time
riding the airplane I was a senior going
to a football game and I went in the
restaurant of airplane and as I was
washing my hands that was a sign on the
wall and I’ll never forget it my first
time on the airplane and wash my hands
that was a sign on the wall and as I was
walking out the restaurant a sign said
as common courtesy to the person that’s
coming behind you can you like to think
I’ll leave it better than you found and
I said as common courtesy to the
generation that is coming behind me in
life everything that I touch everything
that I’m a part of I vowed to God that I
will leave it better than I found and so
now it wasn’t even about me
[Applause]
and I got my scholarship up to Tennessee
and they looked at me when I first said
campus 135 pounds kids soaking wet in
the SEC and the first reporter he asked
me he said inky johnson we even think
you’re going to play at the University
of Tennessee
[Music]
that year 135 pounds
not only am I going to play I’m going to
start I said you made a mistake I said
see what you don’t understand and this
is what most people do they base
judgment off of what they can see what
they don’t understand the moments that
make you who you are the moments that
they can’t see you see anybody can be on
their best behavior when somebody is
standing over their shoulder watch them
seeing if they’re going to do it that’s
supposed to do but what they’re reported
in cuc hit to see I came from cream
heist we could see I was 135 pounds you
could see i was 5-9 you can see all of
the stats you can see all of that but
what he never saw was when I was in the
park of my mother when I was seven years
old she was sitting in that Buick Regal
at 10:30 at night but he didn’t see was
every Saturday morning at 5:30 I was up
running two miles to a fire station in
two miles back home what he didn’t see
was every time I slept on that floor
with ropes and backs with my cousin’s I
got up every morning went to school and
never made one excuse what he didn’t see
was all Christmas Eve when I got when a
guy came through me and my cousin’s
window he stuck the nine-millimeter in a
45 and built five feet and took all of
our Christmas gift and we had to spend
on the carbon our mother told us y’all
just be great he didn’t see that and
those were the moments that made me wild
and so now his opinion didn’t matter his
opinion would never become my reality
and my freshman year I played special
teams sophomore season King broke the
starting lineup you know the first
person I went to see at media day
[Applause]
he quit he was so embarrassed and I’ll
never forget my sophomore season I
finally made it to the point in my life
where I felt as if everything in my life
was lining up spiritually I was getting
the sight life is in shape on track to
graduate in three years life is in shape
education I still remember the day I was
in the film room watching film and I was
watching the California bears in my
defense the back to coach lavish lady
came in the room he said empty Johnson I
got some good news for you and I dropped
the clicker I said coach what is it he
said son your projected top 30 drives
thing he said all you have to do is play
these next 10 football games your
automatic multi-millionaire I ran out of
the room I got on the phone I called my
mother my grandmother said listen I said
after this season we were never
struggling I said we would never miss
another mill but after this season our
lives are about to change forever and
liver done – our lives are really about
to change first game we come out play
against California bears I get an
interception we shut them down we get
the victory second game we’re playing
against air force’ gets late in the game
found ourselves in the dogfight
quarterback drop back you release the
ball to the running back coming down my
solid now post the tackle like I
approach any other tackling the way I’m
approaching it he’s gonna knock you out
are you gonna knock me out of 165 pounds
I can’t play with anybody but at the
point of contact when I hit this guy
something different Avenue never
happened to me before my life I hit him
and it seemed as if every breath in my
body left my body was completely limp I
fell to the ground I blacked out I never
forget with my eyes open my teammates
ran over to me my first guy that was
over with to rob me or the middle
linebacker for the Patriots one of my
best friends and he said hey get up
let’s go
I said I can’t
and said what do you mean you can’t
you’re on lockdown Mona we need you
let’s go I said I can’t move so there’s
a shot went through my whole body I
can’t feel anything when the scariest
moments of my life and the shock you’ve
instantly left they stayed in my right
arm in hand I remember as I was lying
there settling in to the left not to see
the docs to the trainers where in order
to the filled up that my head up to God
not to God but surely nothing has
happened in this moment that can alter
my life I flipped my head back over to
the left here bringing the spine board
out I flipped my head up to the sky said
God said that’s precautionary measures
right they get me up on the spine board
they’re willing me off the film and I
looked at the doctor because I couldn’t
feel my right arm they had poked me with
all kind of needles inky can you feel
the skin you feel I’ve come full of
things now – doc – you can you lift my
right arm in hand he said sure and he
raised it up and I lifted my left and I
pumped the top supporters I don’t
believe in using the word fans I think
it’s arrogant Ernie who am I to call a
person fanny pay to see you play the
support and he was bringing my arm down
I looked at the doc guys they don’t get
said I’ll be back
never thinking that would be the last
game that I would ever play in my life
they give me an analyst things turned up
but not that still don’t pay any mind
they get me over to the hospital st. I’m
going to take you back away from cast
and they took me back they ran the cash
games and they rolled me back into my
room and I’ll never forget it all in
about a 15-second timeframe I was lying
here in my bed and I could see over my
right shoulder and I looked at my father
and we caught eyes and my father he went
to take a step in and he looked at me
said son I can’t do it he walked out my
mother she came in she was running she
kissed me on my forehead she said a
friend she said think everything’s going
to be okay and she ran out and as soon
as my mother stepped outside of the room
Rustom from the opposite side and a get
in here we got Weston’s got back to
emergency surgery he’s about to die I
said what my mom just told me
everything’s going to be okay like this
total obviously you talking about him
left to die
I said what happened he said selling
what happened you have busted up two
Flavian artery in your chest you’re
bleeding internally
you have to rush you back and take the
main vein out of your left leg and plug
it into your chest and orally save your
life and when I woke up in recovery the
same doctor and a no means that inky had
some good news and some bad news for ya
so you got some bad news for me at the
time about to die I’m still alive how
bad can it get to it so the good news is
some you saved your life I said thank
you sir you said the bad news is you
have nerve damage in your right shoulder
just a cold instead we got to fill up to
the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota
so cool he said what the problem is Inc
you probably can never play the game of
football again in your life I said no
way
you see ya ain’t you got some pretty bad
nerve damage yesterday no I said doc no
disrespect man but I’m I’m eight games
away like doc don’t disrespect but this
is about to change our family’s life doc
I’ve been working for this ever since I
was seven years old doc there’s no way
God not now ah like let me make it to
the NFL so I can help my family first
like heaven we miss mill and you’re
talkin about my career to end right now
like no way and I snap out of it I said
man I never cheated I said there’s no
way I’ve never cheated I’ve never
cheated myself I gave everything I had
to it and I respected it I never cheated
there’s no way that my career could be
over I said pick me up to the Mayo
Clinic and at the supper business I’ll
never forget this is when reality set in
it was me my mother my father in the
room and the doctors came in it’s an
empty Johnson ears to do it’s a son you
have torn all the nerves and you’ll
break your flexors and say you break
your flexors are the nerve roots that go
from your spine and they come down they
control your shoulder your arm in your
hand they say you have tournaments all
left
it cannot be reblocked it’s the
something we hate to tell you but your
arm it would never be the same again
your hand it would never be the same
again son you can never play the game of
football again it says son here your
surgery options we can take a muscle out
of the back of your left leg plug it
into you right on but there’s a
possibility that you’ll be left with the
weak left leg of the week right along
the rest of your life or we can take a
nerve out of your left arm reroute it up
to your chest down into your right on
but there’s a possibility that you’ll be
left with two weeks ons to rest of your
life or we can take another body and
left rib reroute it up to your chest
down into you right on but there’s a
possibility that you’ll be left with a
breathing problem and then we ride on
the rest your life by the way tell us
what you want to do in the morning
and the next morning I walked into the
doctor’s office they said son what
option did you choose I said no
disrespect to you doctor I’m not
choosing an option my situation is out
of your hands it said cut with the cute
tall I said no disrespect to you doc cut
me where you got to cut me my situation
is out of your hands I’m not choosing
enough I said I know I will come out of
this situation okay and as I stand right
here on this stage thank you as I said I
own the stage before you today they cut
them six times down my left eye they cut
me two times cross my right thread they
cut me two times cross my right PEC they
cut me one time across the left side of
my neck one time of course the right
side of my neck they cut me from the
bottom of my armpit all the way down to
the bottom of my hand and after they got
through cutting on me they said son
you’re going to be in this hospital for
the next 40 days I walked out of the
hospital in the third day they said you
broke a record how did you do it I said
first and foremost the thing I want you
all to understand I will never let a
circumstance or situation define my life
[Applause]
but most important we know what I had
invested
I had sweat equity I had been working my
whole life and what I didn’t understand
by being determined to chase something
by being committed to it and what
commitment is commitment to stand true
to what you said you were going to do
long after the mood that you have said
it in has left you see people saying
commitment is saying yes I’ll do it on
the days when it felt good but I’ve been
committed to everything that I ever
started in my life and I never stopped
and I never quit it and so by being
committed to everything that I started I
finished it it built a certain type of
spirit it built a certain type of
mentality it built a certain type of
individual and so now I couldn’t quit
even if I wanted to I couldn’t lay in
the bed even if I wanted to I couldn’t
stop even if I wanted to I had too much
what equity in my life and everything
that I was doing because I understood my
existence wasn’t about me I went from me
to we a long time ago I understood the
process is more important than the
product it wasn’t about the outcome for
me what I needed to the NFL or not don’t
think consequent doing God’s plan for my
life but I was wonderful in love with
that process because I understood by
falling in love with that process it was
going to turn me into a machine
[Applause]
[Music]
you see a lot of people need things to
get motivated a lot of people need a
little extra money to get motivated a
lot of people need you know whatever the
case may be a little bonus to get
motivated I don’t need anything but rest
of my body and life and every day I wake
up I understand I got two children
depending on me understand I got a wife
depending on me understand I got a world
that needs me the reason that go a life
with the passing of the bill that I go
at it with is because I understand every
day of my life it’s somebody in the
world that is depending on me it may not
be you and if it’s just about you you’re
in trouble because they’ll tell you
you’re gonna hit something in life
that’s a lot tougher than you it’s going
to test your will is going to test your
heart if it’s just about you and it’s
just about the product it will cost you
every day I get up I understand it’s
somebody in a free world that’s looking
at me to see if I’m gonna keep going and
so I can’t quit and so I went back to
school the next week after they had just
saved my life I was back in class I had
to learn how to write all over again had
to learn how to walk all over again
either on top of shoot all over again I
have to learn how to raise all over
again I can learn how to live life all
over again never one time did I say let
me go home I need a great nap one time
without going through the training room
said I need some time off can you all
just give me a little lead time I need
to go back home I need some time off my
life just changed last week and they
came to me and they say ain’t you go
home we know how much the game of
football meant to you I said yeah you
know how much the game of football meant
to me but you don’t know how much
lightning you see the thing we have to
understand about everything that we’re a
part of first and foremost it’s a
blessing by God and when it’s a blessing
you can’t help but to give everything
you’ve got to it her life got sick I got
spared my life
I almost died the doctor came to me on a
bill it was on one name he rapped my
recipe said son you don’t have a post I
don’t even know why you’re still living
and my last doctor’s visit they came to
me they said sorry inky johnson you will
never be able to use this on my hand
again in your life
I said no disrespect to you doc but I
will use this arm in his hand every day
for the rest of my life by the way that
I live my life every day I’m going to
impact someone’s life every day I’m
going to empower someone every day I’m
going to inspire someone every day I’m
going to encourage someone the thing we
have to understand what business are we
in
you know protocol they called me in the
world they say Inc is a speaker Inc is a
motivational and whatever the case may
be inking whatever or whatever it is
what they don’t understand I’m in the
people’s business not a speaker I’m a
server anybody that has direct contact
with people on a daily basis that is the
opportunity to change someone’s life
I don’t ever pass up an opportunity to
be of encouragement to other people
don’t ever pass up an opportunity to
inspire someone who never pass up an
opportunity to empower someone who never
pass up an opportunity to show someone
love because the thing about it my room
like you precede it you can see my arm
my wound is better but it’s a lot of
people in this room that are wounded and
you can’t see this internally and so the
opportunities that we pass up to be a
blessing to other people we can save
their life is just one encounter when we
talk about need and we when we talk
about process over product when we talk
about sweat equity when we talk about
better together do we really understand
what that means because sometimes the
thing about life life always comes along
when we make up our mind and try to
distract us but truth be told we all
know that we’re stronger together and
that’s in every aspect of life whether
it be sports whether it be business
whether it be a marriage whether it be a
family we’re always stronger together
town like the Planet of the Apes movie
when Caesar and his guys ever going
crazy they were going bananas and Caesar
stood back on the hill and CZ was trying
to calm him down everyone calm down they
were listen to him and the way he got
their attention was phenomenal the way
he got the attention he picked up a
piece of strong one silly piece of
strong she’s the picked up one silly
piece of straw and he has being held it
up in front of him he picked up one
strong rope and then he picked up two
hands full of Stroh’s anyways and what
he was telling them along we can do
nothing together strong unstop can
change the world
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
you
but I was an underdog for the most part
but as I say right on the stage before
you tonight you know a lot of thoughts
come to mind
you know first and foremost I think
about my life and I think about
adversity and I think about opposition
but for the most part of my life I’ve
been on this quest to figure out how can
I work hard for something and my
performance is not based upon the
outcome how can I work in my effort and
my motivation in my job is not based
upon what the product would be but more
so based upon me taking pride in what I
do and so I came up with this thing
called process over product and I firmly
believe the process saved my life and
what I mean by the process I’m talking
about the way I handle my business on a
daily basis and the way I go about every
single aspect of my life I live by this
thing called empty the bucket and when
people hear it they think it’s a cute
slogan empty the bucket but what they
don’t understand it’s the unspoken law
an empty to both worked it is the
unspoken law of accountability and
responsibility to me on this earth from
my existence and everybody else
connected to me I may be crazy but I
don’t know I just believe that I
supposed to give everybody that is
connected to me the best version of me I
just believe I deserve to give my wife
or my children the best version of me I
just believe the people that it was
pursuing his hope I deserve to get them
the best version of me
[Applause]
you see the thing about chasing a
product and what the product is the
product is lundi the product is the
house the product is the car
the thing about chasing the product the
product can always change and if your
performance is always based upon the
product what happened when the product
changed and you don’t take pride in what
you do but think about loving the
process everybody won’t surprise when
nobody loves the process everybody wants
to be a champion but nobody’s willing to
put in the work that it takes to be a
champion everybody wants to hold up the
trophy and say man I did it but nobody’s
willing to put in the work that it takes
to do it I love the process I love the
thought of working for what I want and I
firmly believe you never supposed to
wish for more than you willing to work
for your expectations never supposed to
exceed your effort but a lot of people
they wish and they’re not willing to
work and the great thing about right
life has a funny way of testing all of
us and seeing how bad we really want
what it is that we say we want because
the thing I know about people people can
talk to talk and people do it very well
but life is going to hit you with a
certain level of opposition life is
going to hit you with a certain level of
that versity and life is going to say to
you you said you wanted it now let’s see
how bad you really want it but the great
thing about it if you love the process
when our position in that Bercy hit you
will have a way of embracing it and
using it not only for yourself but you
will use it to make everybody that’s
connected to you stronger because your
vision has to be larger than yourself if
everything that you do is just about you
and for your personal gain
something’s going to come up against you
that’s going to be a lot tougher than
you and it’s just about through the
moment you hit it you’re going to quit
and give up every time
but I believe in given the backstory
because I think the backstory shaped in
most situations and circumstances and so
I have to give you the backstory what
shaped and molded me into the man that I
am today I’m 29 years old my mother got
pregnant with me at 15 years old I grew
up on the east side of Atlanta about
five minutes away from the weather
Atlanta Braves play and the neighborhood
by the name of Kirkwood drugs gangs
violence you name it and I came up in a
– back when 114 people and I used to
sleep on the floor my grandmother Miss
Daisy Johnson here to come to us and she
would say one night out of the week you
all get the opportunity to sleep in the
bed
and so when I got the sleeping the bat
it wasn’t like I got the bed to myself
and I like laying I got the bed to
myself it was five more of my cousin’s
in the bed and so we slept three to the
foot and three at the head and so as the
kids pretty quick I had to make a
decision of what I wanted to do in my
life because in that same house I had
eight uncles or eight of which are still
going in and out of prison till there’s
eight because they sold drugs and they
were in game and so I looked at it it’s
kind of like that quote that says learn
from the mistakes of other people
because you can’t make them or yourself
and so I saw them selling drugs but it
also saw that outcome and so I said I’m
not selling drugs I’m not joining a gang
because I see what I wrote leads to
either I’m going to end up better in
prison I said to my best bet may be to
go to the NFL and so I went to my cousin
by the name of tomorrow said listen man
I want to go to the NFL I felt our
family deserves a better way of life
let’s work forward I said we’re going to
be patient we’re going to engage the
consistent action every night and so
every night you roll out a new race
light throw the light forward and
Kirkwood
no shoes light for the light pool every
night and so one night was getting ready
to race him down the street came a big
blue pickup truck and it brought over to
the side and out of it got a white guy
first white guy ever saw in my life
q story and my uncle Bobo just got
sentenced to 40 years in prison he was
on one corner my other uncle Johnny he
was on the other corner my uncle Bobo
took off running and looked at me said
ain’t don’t talk to him standing me that
guy has to be the police Coast trade
walked up to us nicest guy in the world
he said what you kids like to play
organized sports I step to the front I
said yes sir
he said go in the house and get your
guardian my uncle JJ was that Lyndon
Houston said oh there’s a guy outside he
asked me like to play organized sports I
told him yes he said well I go in the
house to get my body and I’m coming to
get you will you please talk to him
pumps will say sure my uncle walked
outside go straight said would you like
to sign these kids up for organized
sports my uncle said yes sir
but I hate to tell you we don’t have the
money he said don’t worry about the
money you get them to the park and I’ll
take care that same guy still buys new
drawers and socks been doing this day on
Christmas and I’m 29 years old we
started with others
[Applause]
but a weird thing happened one night
you see most nights not the practice
everybody would leave to go home and I
always have to sit in the box because my
mother works that way and my mother then
you don’t work till about ten o’clock
10:30 motion nice and I’ll be sitting
there in the park and I loved it I
didn’t want anybody to take me home
because when I went home I was sleeping
on the floor like voted in right and so
any time I got in solitude the dream any
time I got in solitude to think about
what I wanted to do for my family my
community I took the advantage of it and
so most nights I’ll be sitting there in
the park and I’ll be looking up at the
light now be envisioning myself doing
things in the NFL envisioning myself
doing things in my community and just as
the lights would always go out my mother
she would pull up and used to drive the
old Buick Regal hubcaps off the car
seats torn up the car was all beat up
and she would pull up and she would put
the car in park and always hop up I went
over to my mother I would give her a hug
and a kiss I would say mommy if you
don’t mind can you please sit back in
your car I have to do some extra girls I
have to go to the NFL she would never
have to work another day in your life
and I knew she was tired and every night
my mother would say sure anything she
would sit back in that car
those clocks we hit that building here
you had a seven year old kid doing back
selling drill running sprints running
laps chasing his dream you go to the NFL
and just beyond those claw lights I
could always connect with my mother’s
eyes and so it made me dig a little bit
different made me push myself a little
bit further and make me work a little
bit harder I live by this thing for the
harder you work the harder it is to
surrender you see the reason people quit
they don’t take pride in what they do
the harder you work the harder it is to
surrender
nothing not just talking about business
I’m talking about winning simultaneously
in every aspect of life I’m not
concerned with a person that does well
in one aspect of their life and if you
hang their hats and say man I’ve made a
lot of money you made a lot of money
your public success with your private
salaries what good is there to make a
lot of money you want to go home to your
family what good is it to make a lot of
money if you don’t take care you can’t
what good is your public success with
you’re proud to tell you and so how do
we win simultaneously and say proud and
everything that we do and one night my
mother couldn’t pick me up and she’s
also straight he said coach I can’t make
you tonight can you please take inky on
and so he put me in about eight guys in
the back of his pickup truck and he said
anything I would drop you on flat and so
when he got to my house I got out on the
sidewalk and I’m standing in front of
125 more eating I look back at coach
tray
and I said why why are you doing this
because where I came from people didn’t
just help you it was i pat you on your
back you got to Pat me on my back you
remember I did that for you you got to
do this for me and I said why are you
doing this and you look back at me and
Sun Sun I want to tell you something you
said I don’t want you to ever forget it
he said son the more you make sure that
somebody else’s life is okay God will
always make sure that your life
and immediately I got
the light bulb went on I stopped being
this little selfish kid I stopped being
like my four-year-old son and for the
first time in my life I stopped thinking
everything was just about empty Johnson
and I realized my existence on this
earth is a lot bigger than me
I realized me my lineage in my family
when I step outside of my door in the
morning what I represent is a lot bigger
than men so the thing I had to
understand every day I woke up and
everything that I was a part of our
first had to understand I was
representing a lot more than myself I
first had to start living my two words
on the religious scene and what I mean
by honor and legacy you are little ones
that pave the way for you and you leave
a legacy for the ones that’s coming
behind you we just have it right now
while we’re a part of something right
now
somebody has gained of course and fades
away and somebody will come after us and
so while we haven’t how could we do it
in such a way that we leave a legacy for
the ones that’s coming behind us and we
honor the ones that paved the way for us
and so everything I did I took a certain
level of pride in it people thought I
just wanted to build great football
players but they didn’t understand about
Enki jobs one says I could have watched
cars I guarantee you I would have been
the best for Washington was in the world
because the things I understood I wasn’t
just representing myself it wasn’t just
about me everything that I did I just
had my mind set for me to week now I was
operating with a spirit of collective
character meaning it didn’t matter what
I did individually if I didn’t represent
my mother in the right way it didn’t
matter if I didn’t represent my lineage
in the right way if I didn’t represent
my team in the right way who cares what
I did individually I didn’t care if we
won a game and I scored 40 points
individually who cares I shifted from me
to we
and so everything I started to do I was
thinking about my family I was thinking
about my community and I was thinking
about my friends in a different way and
I will never forget I got to high school
and nobody in my family had ever been to
college they all dropped out ending up
in prison my high school his name of his
crew my school in Atlanta they used to
call it climb hottie shoe teachers and
my first day I walked through the metal
detector and a cop was standing on the
other end of the metal detector and he
said what is your plan little man
I said my plan is to go to Division one
he said now you’re probably go to
cellblock D 1 I said now you got the
wrong box he said I heard that before
your uncle’s came through and said the
same thing I said now I’m telling you
you got the wrong guy
you know the first person I went to see
when I got my scholarship paper
but you know the most amazing thing
happened it wasn’t that I went to
college I had three little cousins
sleeping on that same floor that went to
college I saw friends in my community
come off the corner from selling drugs
and go to college that’s how friends in
my community come out of game and go to
college all because I shifted my mindset
and it wasn’t about me
I broke generational curses in my
community because it wasn’t just about
me I didn’t care so much about me going
to college I wanted the ones coming
behind me to get and I’ll never forget I
went on an airplane and my first time
riding the airplane I was a senior going
to a football game and I went in the
restaurant of airplane and as I was
washing my hands that was a sign on the
wall and I’ll never forget it my first
time on the airplane and wash my hands
that was a sign on the wall and as I was
walking out the restaurant a sign said
as common courtesy to the person that’s
coming behind you can you like to think
I’ll leave it better than you found and
I said as common courtesy to the
generation that is coming behind me in
life everything that I touch everything
that I’m a part of I vowed to God that I
will leave it better than I found and so
now it wasn’t even about me
[Applause]
and I got my scholarship up to Tennessee
and they looked at me when I first said
campus 135 pounds kids soaking wet in
the SEC and the first reporter he asked
me he said inky johnson we even think
you’re going to play at the University
of Tennessee
[Music]
that year 135 pounds
not only am I going to play I’m going to
start I said you made a mistake I said
see what you don’t understand and this
is what most people do they base
judgment off of what they can see what
they don’t understand the moments that
make you who you are the moments that
they can’t see you see anybody can be on
their best behavior when somebody is
standing over their shoulder watch them
seeing if they’re going to do it that’s
supposed to do but what they’re reported
in cuc hit to see I came from cream
heist we could see I was 135 pounds you
could see i was 5-9 you can see all of
the stats you can see all of that but
what he never saw was when I was in the
park of my mother when I was seven years
old she was sitting in that Buick Regal
at 10:30 at night but he didn’t see was
every Saturday morning at 5:30 I was up
running two miles to a fire station in
two miles back home what he didn’t see
was every time I slept on that floor
with ropes and backs with my cousin’s I
got up every morning went to school and
never made one excuse what he didn’t see
was all Christmas Eve when I got when a
guy came through me and my cousin’s
window he stuck the nine-millimeter in a
45 and built five feet and took all of
our Christmas gift and we had to spend
on the carbon our mother told us y’all
just be great he didn’t see that and
those were the moments that made me wild
and so now his opinion didn’t matter his
opinion would never become my reality
and my freshman year I played special
teams sophomore season King broke the
starting lineup you know the first
person I went to see at media day
[Applause]
he quit he was so embarrassed and I’ll
never forget my sophomore season I
finally made it to the point in my life
where I felt as if everything in my life
was lining up spiritually I was getting
the sight life is in shape on track to
graduate in three years life is in shape
education I still remember the day I was
in the film room watching film and I was
watching the California bears in my
defense the back to coach lavish lady
came in the room he said empty Johnson I
got some good news for you and I dropped
the clicker I said coach what is it he
said son your projected top 30 drives
thing he said all you have to do is play
these next 10 football games your
automatic multi-millionaire I ran out of
the room I got on the phone I called my
mother my grandmother said listen I said
after this season we were never
struggling I said we would never miss
another mill but after this season our
lives are about to change forever and
liver done – our lives are really about
to change first game we come out play
against California bears I get an
interception we shut them down we get
the victory second game we’re playing
against air force’ gets late in the game
found ourselves in the dogfight
quarterback drop back you release the
ball to the running back coming down my
solid now post the tackle like I
approach any other tackling the way I’m
approaching it he’s gonna knock you out
are you gonna knock me out of 165 pounds
I can’t play with anybody but at the
point of contact when I hit this guy
something different Avenue never
happened to me before my life I hit him
and it seemed as if every breath in my
body left my body was completely limp I
fell to the ground I blacked out I never
forget with my eyes open my teammates
ran over to me my first guy that was
over with to rob me or the middle
linebacker for the Patriots one of my
best friends and he said hey get up
let’s go
I said I can’t
and said what do you mean you can’t
you’re on lockdown Mona we need you
let’s go I said I can’t move so there’s
a shot went through my whole body I
can’t feel anything when the scariest
moments of my life and the shock you’ve
instantly left they stayed in my right
arm in hand I remember as I was lying
there settling in to the left not to see
the docs to the trainers where in order
to the filled up that my head up to God
not to God but surely nothing has
happened in this moment that can alter
my life I flipped my head back over to
the left here bringing the spine board
out I flipped my head up to the sky said
God said that’s precautionary measures
right they get me up on the spine board
they’re willing me off the film and I
looked at the doctor because I couldn’t
feel my right arm they had poked me with
all kind of needles inky can you feel
the skin you feel I’ve come full of
things now – doc – you can you lift my
right arm in hand he said sure and he
raised it up and I lifted my left and I
pumped the top supporters I don’t
believe in using the word fans I think
it’s arrogant Ernie who am I to call a
person fanny pay to see you play the
support and he was bringing my arm down
I looked at the doc guys they don’t get
said I’ll be back
never thinking that would be the last
game that I would ever play in my life
they give me an analyst things turned up
but not that still don’t pay any mind
they get me over to the hospital st. I’m
going to take you back away from cast
and they took me back they ran the cash
games and they rolled me back into my
room and I’ll never forget it all in
about a 15-second timeframe I was lying
here in my bed and I could see over my
right shoulder and I looked at my father
and we caught eyes and my father he went
to take a step in and he looked at me
said son I can’t do it he walked out my
mother she came in she was running she
kissed me on my forehead she said a
friend she said think everything’s going
to be okay and she ran out and as soon
as my mother stepped outside of the room
Rustom from the opposite side and a get
in here we got Weston’s got back to
emergency surgery he’s about to die I
said what my mom just told me
everything’s going to be okay like this
total obviously you talking about him
left to die
I said what happened he said selling
what happened you have busted up two
Flavian artery in your chest you’re
bleeding internally
you have to rush you back and take the
main vein out of your left leg and plug
it into your chest and orally save your
life and when I woke up in recovery the
same doctor and a no means that inky had
some good news and some bad news for ya
so you got some bad news for me at the
time about to die I’m still alive how
bad can it get to it so the good news is
some you saved your life I said thank
you sir you said the bad news is you
have nerve damage in your right shoulder
just a cold instead we got to fill up to
the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota
so cool he said what the problem is Inc
you probably can never play the game of
football again in your life I said no
way
you see ya ain’t you got some pretty bad
nerve damage yesterday no I said doc no
disrespect man but I’m I’m eight games
away like doc don’t disrespect but this
is about to change our family’s life doc
I’ve been working for this ever since I
was seven years old doc there’s no way
God not now ah like let me make it to
the NFL so I can help my family first
like heaven we miss mill and you’re
talkin about my career to end right now
like no way and I snap out of it I said
man I never cheated I said there’s no
way I’ve never cheated I’ve never
cheated myself I gave everything I had
to it and I respected it I never cheated
there’s no way that my career could be
over I said pick me up to the Mayo
Clinic and at the supper business I’ll
never forget this is when reality set in
it was me my mother my father in the
room and the doctors came in it’s an
empty Johnson ears to do it’s a son you
have torn all the nerves and you’ll
break your flexors and say you break
your flexors are the nerve roots that go
from your spine and they come down they
control your shoulder your arm in your
hand they say you have tournaments all
left
it cannot be reblocked it’s the
something we hate to tell you but your
arm it would never be the same again
your hand it would never be the same
again son you can never play the game of
football again it says son here your
surgery options we can take a muscle out
of the back of your left leg plug it
into you right on but there’s a
possibility that you’ll be left with the
weak left leg of the week right along
the rest of your life or we can take a
nerve out of your left arm reroute it up
to your chest down into your right on
but there’s a possibility that you’ll be
left with two weeks ons to rest of your
life or we can take another body and
left rib reroute it up to your chest
down into you right on but there’s a
possibility that you’ll be left with a
breathing problem and then we ride on
the rest your life by the way tell us
what you want to do in the morning
and the next morning I walked into the
doctor’s office they said son what
option did you choose I said no
disrespect to you doctor I’m not
choosing an option my situation is out
of your hands it said cut with the cute
tall I said no disrespect to you doc cut
me where you got to cut me my situation
is out of your hands I’m not choosing
enough I said I know I will come out of
this situation okay and as I stand right
here on this stage thank you as I said I
own the stage before you today they cut
them six times down my left eye they cut
me two times cross my right thread they
cut me two times cross my right PEC they
cut me one time across the left side of
my neck one time of course the right
side of my neck they cut me from the
bottom of my armpit all the way down to
the bottom of my hand and after they got
through cutting on me they said son
you’re going to be in this hospital for
the next 40 days I walked out of the
hospital in the third day they said you
broke a record how did you do it I said
first and foremost the thing I want you
all to understand I will never let a
circumstance or situation define my life
[Applause]
but most important we know what I had
invested
I had sweat equity I had been working my
whole life and what I didn’t understand
by being determined to chase something
by being committed to it and what
commitment is commitment to stand true
to what you said you were going to do
long after the mood that you have said
it in has left you see people saying
commitment is saying yes I’ll do it on
the days when it felt good but I’ve been
committed to everything that I ever
started in my life and I never stopped
and I never quit it and so by being
committed to everything that I started I
finished it it built a certain type of
spirit it built a certain type of
mentality it built a certain type of
individual and so now I couldn’t quit
even if I wanted to I couldn’t lay in
the bed even if I wanted to I couldn’t
stop even if I wanted to I had too much
what equity in my life and everything
that I was doing because I understood my
existence wasn’t about me I went from me
to we a long time ago I understood the
process is more important than the
product it wasn’t about the outcome for
me what I needed to the NFL or not don’t
think consequent doing God’s plan for my
life but I was wonderful in love with
that process because I understood by
falling in love with that process it was
going to turn me into a machine
[Applause]
[Music]
you see a lot of people need things to
get motivated a lot of people need a
little extra money to get motivated a
lot of people need you know whatever the
case may be a little bonus to get
motivated I don’t need anything but rest
of my body and life and every day I wake
up I understand I got two children
depending on me understand I got a wife
depending on me understand I got a world
that needs me the reason that go a life
with the passing of the bill that I go
at it with is because I understand every
day of my life it’s somebody in the
world that is depending on me it may not
be you and if it’s just about you you’re
in trouble because they’ll tell you
you’re gonna hit something in life
that’s a lot tougher than you it’s going
to test your will is going to test your
heart if it’s just about you and it’s
just about the product it will cost you
every day I get up I understand it’s
somebody in a free world that’s looking
at me to see if I’m gonna keep going and
so I can’t quit and so I went back to
school the next week after they had just
saved my life I was back in class I had
to learn how to write all over again had
to learn how to walk all over again
either on top of shoot all over again I
have to learn how to raise all over
again I can learn how to live life all
over again never one time did I say let
me go home I need a great nap one time
without going through the training room
said I need some time off can you all
just give me a little lead time I need
to go back home I need some time off my
life just changed last week and they
came to me and they say ain’t you go
home we know how much the game of
football meant to you I said yeah you
know how much the game of football meant
to me but you don’t know how much
lightning you see the thing we have to
understand about everything that we’re a
part of first and foremost it’s a
blessing by God and when it’s a blessing
you can’t help but to give everything
you’ve got to it her life got sick I got
spared my life
I almost died the doctor came to me on a
bill it was on one name he rapped my
recipe said son you don’t have a post I
don’t even know why you’re still living
and my last doctor’s visit they came to
me they said sorry inky johnson you will
never be able to use this on my hand
again in your life
I said no disrespect to you doc but I
will use this arm in his hand every day
for the rest of my life by the way that
I live my life every day I’m going to
impact someone’s life every day I’m
going to empower someone every day I’m
going to inspire someone every day I’m
going to encourage someone the thing we
have to understand what business are we
in
you know protocol they called me in the
world they say Inc is a speaker Inc is a
motivational and whatever the case may
be inking whatever or whatever it is
what they don’t understand I’m in the
people’s business not a speaker I’m a
server anybody that has direct contact
with people on a daily basis that is the
opportunity to change someone’s life
I don’t ever pass up an opportunity to
be of encouragement to other people
don’t ever pass up an opportunity to
inspire someone who never pass up an
opportunity to empower someone who never
pass up an opportunity to show someone
love because the thing about it my room
like you precede it you can see my arm
my wound is better but it’s a lot of
people in this room that are wounded and
you can’t see this internally and so the
opportunities that we pass up to be a
blessing to other people we can save
their life is just one encounter when we
talk about need and we when we talk
about process over product when we talk
about sweat equity when we talk about
better together do we really understand
what that means because sometimes the
thing about life life always comes along
when we make up our mind and try to
distract us but truth be told we all
know that we’re stronger together and
that’s in every aspect of life whether
it be sports whether it be business
whether it be a marriage whether it be a
family we’re always stronger together
town like the Planet of the Apes movie
when Caesar and his guys ever going
crazy they were going bananas and Caesar
stood back on the hill and CZ was trying
to calm him down everyone calm down they
were listen to him and the way he got
their attention was phenomenal the way
he got the attention he picked up a
piece of strong one silly piece of
strong she’s the picked up one silly
piece of straw and he has being held it
up in front of him he picked up one
strong rope and then he picked up two
hands full of Stroh’s anyways and what
he was telling them along we can do
nothing together strong unstop can
change the world
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