Ed McCaffrey
👤 PersonAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
I mean, genetically, you've got to be talented enough to play in the NFL. I don't care who you are or what your name is. Right. If you're not physically gifted, you can't be one of the best .001%. of the people at what you do, but it requires a lot of hard work and determination. Nobody in my family played pro sports.
I mean, genetically, you've got to be talented enough to play in the NFL. I don't care who you are or what your name is. Right. If you're not physically gifted, you can't be one of the best .001%. of the people at what you do, but it requires a lot of hard work and determination. Nobody in my family played pro sports.
And I was the oldest of five kids. The expectations for me were zero.
And I was the oldest of five kids. The expectations for me were zero.
Like, do whatever you want. What do we care? Sure. Right? But when you're the kid.
Like, do whatever you want. What do we care? Sure. Right? But when you're the kid.
Yeah. Football for me was like cheap babysitting. Hey, we're going to practice. What practice?
Yeah. Football for me was like cheap babysitting. Hey, we're going to practice. What practice?
Really? I didn't know I was on a team.
Really? I didn't know I was on a team.
Drops me off with a water bottle, and you start running laps. What are we doing here? It was. You've got five kids. You're parents. You've got three kids in three years, and all of a sudden you're like, they've got to be participating in activities. Get out of the house. It wasn't fun in the beginning, but I fell in love with it. My kids have pressures I never had.
Drops me off with a water bottle, and you start running laps. What are we doing here? It was. You've got five kids. You're parents. You've got three kids in three years, and all of a sudden you're like, they've got to be participating in activities. Get out of the house. It wasn't fun in the beginning, but I fell in love with it. My kids have pressures I never had.
Like these guys that you're talking about that grew up, like the Manning brothers even, their dad played in the NFL. Who knew they were going to be as good as they were? But they're probably, when they were younger, always getting compared to their dad.
Like these guys that you're talking about that grew up, like the Manning brothers even, their dad played in the NFL. Who knew they were going to be as good as they were? But they're probably, when they were younger, always getting compared to their dad.
If you're not an NFL player, then you didn't live up to expectations. I never had to deal with any of that. So I know a lot of pro athletes in football and other sports, they don't even want their kid to play the sport. I don't want them to have to endure that kind of criticism or pressure. And so Lisa and I never signed them up.
If you're not an NFL player, then you didn't live up to expectations. I never had to deal with any of that. So I know a lot of pro athletes in football and other sports, they don't even want their kid to play the sport. I don't want them to have to endure that kind of criticism or pressure. And so Lisa and I never signed them up.
We said, you have to do something. You're not going to sit around the house playing video games all day.
We said, you have to do something. You're not going to sit around the house playing video games all day.
Hey, join the chess team. Play sports if you want. But you have to be engaged. Follow your passions. What is it you love to do? And so we made sure they had to do something, but we let them choose. So when they asked, it was my oldest son, Max, when he was nine, had a friend that played football. He was like, hey, can I sign up for football? I'm like, no.
Hey, join the chess team. Play sports if you want. But you have to be engaged. Follow your passions. What is it you love to do? And so we made sure they had to do something, but we let them choose. So when they asked, it was my oldest son, Max, when he was nine, had a friend that played football. He was like, hey, can I sign up for football? I'm like, no.