Sports Philosophy 101
What Fred Johnson and Pete Carroll Taught Me This Week
Before I bring you this week’s musings, big news! You’re going to see some exciting changes to this newsletter next week, and you heard it here first. We’re launching our new company name (drumroll, please!) and a brand-new website, which means you’ll see changes to the look and feel here. This refreshed direction feels like a much better fit for who we are and what we’re on a mission to do—creating lasting legacies for athletes and teams off the field. I can’t wait for you to see what we’ve been building!
What’s been on my mind this week is purpose. I’m heading to Vegas this weekend for the Raiders/Bears game, so when this article from The Athletic by Ben Malcomson popped into my feed, I knew I had to read it. The headline was “I worked with Pete Carroll for years. Let me tell you how he helped me find my true identity.“ For those who might not know, Pete Carroll is the head coach of the Raiders. The concept of “true identity” hit me because of this work I’ve been doing on a rebrand.
Ben shared Pete’s powerful locker room question for his players: “What is your philosophy for life or work, and can you tell me in one line?” I highly recommend reading the full article because Ben walks through Pete’s straightforward methodology for distilling your own philosophy. It struck me that this is exactly the heart of what we do with athletes at Firefly—with one meaningful twist. If you’re an athlete whose values include giving back, we help you discover your giving philosophy, expressing what’s truly in your heart, head, and—dare I say?—soul. I love Pete’s approach and may utilize it in the discovery conversations we have with athletes.
But enough business talk for now. It was a different story that caught my eye and tied all this together perfectly.
We seem to be loving Philly sports teams right now (for obvious reasons). This week, let’s celebrate Fred Johnson, Eagles offensive tackle. As the Eagles shared in an article this week, Fred consistently shows up for his community, including most recently at a Mighty Writers event where the Eagles donated $50,000 (yay Birds!). Fred takes mentorship seriously: “If I can change somebody’s life just by showing up for 10 minutes, I’ll do it.”
This. Pro athletes, listen up. Sometimes, simply showing up is the difference-maker in a child’s life.
But what really grabbed my attention—especially after reading about Pete Carroll’s approach to discovering your philosophy—was that gratitude sits at the heart of Fred’s mindset. While Fred admits to being a work in progress, his commitment to community reflects his gratitude-centered philosophy. “I want to leave behind something my family and kids can be proud of,” he said. “Something that stands the test of time. Not fame, not numbers, something worthwhile.”
Fred Johnson gets it. He’s discovered his one-line philosophy, and it’s beautiful in its simplicity: gratitude in action. When you know who you are and what drives you, showing up becomes natural. Your giving becomes authentic. Your legacy writes itself.
So here’s my challenge for you this week, whether you’re an athlete, a fan, or someone building something meaningful: work on your one-line philosophy. And more importantly, how are you living it out? Because at the end of the day, the world doesn’t need another highlight reel—it needs more Fred Johnson’s who understand that true greatness is measured by how many lives you touch, not how many touchdowns you score.
My personal philosophy? Help others shine. What’s yours?