As millions tune in to cheer for their favorite team and players in today’s Super Bowl, it’s worth remembering a story about the power of having someone in your corner.
Saquon Barkley was playing JV football his sophomore year of high school when something extraordinary happened. Norries Wilson, the running back coach at Rutgers University, saw something in Barkley’s game films that others hadn’t yet noticed.
Wilson advocated for offering the young man a Division 1 scholarship — an unheard-of offer for a JV player. Wilson saw potential that no one else could see, even Barkley himself.
Although Barkley would ultimately choose to play for Penn State instead of Rutgers, the story doesn’t end there. In a twist of fate, Barkley’s first collegiate start came against Rutgers, where Wilson was serving as the interim coach.
After the game, Wilson sought out his former recruit to remind him that he’d seen something special in him all those years earlier that was now proven on the field. Barkley, now a star NFL running back in today’s Super Bowl, still gets emotional telling this story. “That’s all you need sometimes,” said Barkley. “Someone to believe in you and take a chance on you. I’m forever grateful. I don’t think I ever get to this point if not for that moment.”
The best leaders know this as a truth. Believing in those you lead can change the trajectory of their lives.
Like Coach Wilson, great leaders and mentors see potential in people before they see it in themselves. They don’t just believe in what someone can do today.
They believe in what that person might become tomorrow.
Having someone firmly in your corner, someone who believes in your potential and champions your success, creates a tailwind for success. It gives them the confidence to stretch and to become more than they imagined possible.
As you watch today’s game, think about the Coach Wilsons in your own life, the leaders who saw something special in you before you saw it in yourself. Then ask the most important question: Who will look back at their life and think of your belief in them?
