Who You Become Is Not Their Decision

There’s a lesson to be learned from the NFL Draft. We spend months projecting out picks. Where a player gets drafted is fully dependent on the opinions of 32 small groups of middle aged men. They sit in an office assigning a dollar amount to a man’s worth. They’re paid insane amounts of money to do so, yet they’re frequently wrong.

Some of the biggest draft busts in NFL history include, JaMarcus Russell (No. 1 overall), Ryan Leaf (No. 2 overall), Charles Rogers (No. 2 overall), Justin Blackmon (No. 5 overall), and Zach Wilson (No. 2 overall). These players all had incredible physical ability, yet lacked the intangibles needed to succeed.

Their mistakes aren’t limited to the players they draft, but the ones they pass on as well. Some of the best players that fell in the draft include, Tom Brady (No. 199), Shannon Sharpe (No. 192), Richard Sherman (No. 154), Antonio Brown (No. 195), Geno Atkins (No. 120), Jason Kelce (No. 191), and George Kittle (No. 146). These players all had gaps in the minds of NFL GM’s yet they had the intangibles needed to overcome those concerns.

These are just a drop in the water when it comes to front office fumbles on draft day. Everything rides on the opinions of a few Guys in suits, sitting in an office trying to predict the future. These are people paid ridiculous amounts of money to be right, yet they only hit on an estimated 26% of picks. This is because it’s entirely based on opinion. Opinions are only true to the person they belong to.Yet we often allow the opinions of others to shape who we become. 

Players spend years living their lives specifically to shape the opinions of these men to favor them on draft day. Why would they do that knowing how often they are wrong? Well….. The number one pick in the 2025 NFL Draft signed a four year deal worth about $48.8 million. While the final pick signed for about $4.15 million, creating a contract gap of roughly $44.65 million.

So they value their opinions because right or wrong, their opinions will change their lives.

Ultimately, the opinions of others are rarely correct, yet carry heavy weight in our lives. I believe that it is important to differentiate between where it should carry weight, and where it should not. Being liked, respected, and valued will open doors for you in life. In these ways the opinions of others have great value. However, at times their opinions will directly conflict with your beliefs and core values, this does not make you wrong.

We tend to allow the opinions of others to shape our self worth and sometimes even reshape our core values and beliefs. This is somewhere that the opinion of others has absolutely no value at all.

If tom Brady believed he was drafted where he deserved, he never would’ve won a single Super Bowl.

I believe that we should be mindful of how others perceive us. However, I also believe that we should ignore the opinion of others in all other aspects. Being liked, respected, and valued has tremendous value. However, if to achieve it you would need to compromise your beliefs, then it becomes as destructive as it is beneficial.

Your value is not dependent on the opinion of others. The opinions of others do not decide your identity, your worth, or your future. The world may underrate you, overlook you, or label you. That has nothing to do with what you are capable of becoming.

The moment others stop believing in you is not the moment you fail. The moment you stop believing in yourself is.

Do not chase approval….. Build conviction. Do not bend your values to fit someone else’s ranking, stand firm in who you are. Work relentlessly, remain humble, grow daily, and trust that preparation will meet opportunity in time.

Brady didn’t prove the scouts wrong in one game, he proved them wrong every day he showed up with discipline and purpose. Recognition does not create greatness, it puts it on display. Greatness goes unnoticed every day, it doesn’t make it any less great. In the same moment, somewhere out there mediocrity is being celebrated as greatness.

Awards are handed to undeserving people everyday. Earning an award doesn’t make the award more valuable. To be honest awards are worthless. The value comes from growth, from who you became during the pursuit.

So live your life like a late round pick, hungry enough to put in the work, secure enough in your purpose that no opinion defines you. Let standards guide you, not applause. If the world overlooks you, good. That means you get to surprise them. If they doubt you, even better. That gives you something to prove.

In every season of life someone will evaluate you. Coaches, bosses, classmates, friends, strangers. Their voices matter only when they align with your standards and your purpose. Your value was set long before they ever offered an opinion.

Hold fast to who you are. Build relentlessly. Your life will not be defined by where others place you, it will be defined by how you respond. Don’t sit around complaining about the story that others have written for you. Get up, go to work, and write your own.