Toby Brooks

And to see what you've done with it since then is even more exciting for me.

So I always start with a little bit of a softball to begin.

What did you want to be growing up and why?

And what did you believe that version of you would finally prove?

Yeah, that's great.

I know you were a collegiate athlete.

Briefly talk me through your journey from high school sports to college.

I mean, you kind of alluded to the master's degree, but really the core of this show is how setbacks that we face along the way can really help set us up for success.

So kind of talk me through that process as a high school athlete and beyond and how that maybe set the stage for what was later to come.

In a story that is all too familiar, Sean shares his own experiences with injury and how they shaped his journey and his path.

It started with a severe AC separation in his shoulder.

That's especially problematic in a pass-catching tight end like he was, who was also frequently blocking big, quick defensive ends.

That initial injury cost him two-thirds of his senior season by itself.

And as he reflected, that timeout might have also made him more susceptible to the injury he'd suffer next, a concussion.

Sean's helmet was most likely under-inflated, leaving him vulnerable.

And when he sustained a helmet-to-helmet blow, not only was he likely wearing an ill-fitting piece of protective gear, he probably also was not as strong in his upper traps and the surrounding musculature as he would have been, had he been playing that whole time.

Regardless, the impact led to a concussion, and what's worse, his symptoms lingered.

Even though Sean was at a small Division III school, his team had an athletic trainer.

And one of the things I love most about the profession of AT is that we get to really know our athletes.

Being embedded in the team, we're a perfect example of preventative upstream healthcare.