IsaacBruce - Yardbarker Blogs

Stay Positive, Take A Stand

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 14:30:19 -0500

For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. At the start of the 2007 NFL season, I would expect that a ton of goals were set. Out of the many goals that were set I'm sure that 100% of the goal setters never once thought about the process that would have to take place for the manifestation or the fruition to arrive. My meaning is just this, when we plant seeds in the earth we never see what's going on underground, but we believe that the process is working. Unfortunately, we live in a society where the microwave mentality is so prevalent that everyone wants fruit from that seed yesterday. During the preseason I was offered an opportunity to have lunch with a Hall of Famer, who played most of his career for a team I'm not very fond of?..OK, the 49ers and Ronnie Lott. Almost instantly my gift of shut up and listen rose up on the inside of me because this is a person I not only respect but is in a place I desire to be. Mr. Lott is very successful in his post playing days. Given the chance to ask many questions, I only truly had one serious one and that was, "How do you handle the down times within your business?" It was interesting to hear this Hall of Famer's reply. It reminded me of the many encouraging words I've heard from coaches, friends, family, and fans, "What you do is continue to push, do the small things, and stay positive." I sit here 0-2 smart enough to go back in NFL history to focus on the many teams that started 0-2 and finished in the playoffs. That's my focus. You may be reading this piece and your job, marriage, finances, or some other relationship is under attack. Take a stand. There is hope and when faith is added to that hope, "No one can stop you but you." We have to be active participants in our own rescue. Continue to call things which be not as though they were! Remember, PS 34:19, "many are the affliction (test, trials, and storms) of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all." Ending, give praise where it is due, to all of the defensive coordinators in the NFL, Randy Moss is still explosive!!! P.S. This is my MVP season. Isaac Bruce

Perseverance

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 15:23:35 -0500

Troy Brown intrigues me. Here is a person with three (3) Super Bowl rings, which means he's been to the pinnacle i.e. the mountaintop at least three times and brought home the prize. It's a feat in which every National Football League player past and present has played this game. Troy is entering his 15th season with the New England Patriots. He is an integral part of the once again favored Patriots. He can do it all: punt returner, wide receiver, and line up as a gunner on the punt team. I even raised up out of my stance to find my safety and corner and you guessed it, it was Troy Brown playing corner. Troy is very well known, not just in the New England part of the country, but also around the league for his blue collar play. Troy's STORY is much more intriguing than his glory that he now possesses. You see, Troy was released by the Patriots early in his career. Again, this past weekend NFL rosters had to be trimmed to their final fifty-three man rosters, which means guys lost their jobs not their dreams. Why do I admire Mr. Troy Brown? Well it's not only because we share the same number, but his ability to thrive in a cut throat business and he always gives more than is asked of him. There are many who get caught in the numbers game or are placed on that so-called "waiting list", but they never quit and never give up (a slogan that I've added to my daily meditation). I will not be defeated and will not quit. This note is to get fans ready for the upcoming regular season in the NFL. Don't just be a fan to your team, but become family. My definition of family: We praise, we don't complain; we encourage and edify as opposed to tearing down. We win together; we lose together from September to January. Troy's story is much more interesting than his glory. Remember, your words are the most powerful thing in the universe, so walk by faith and not by sight. P.S. This my MVP season. Isaac Bruce

Pay Better Attention to Who's Around You

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 14:12:56 -0500

This goes without saying but Michael Vick has been one of the hot topics in the locker room and weight room these days. First of all, I don't believe it is anyone's place to point fingers. It is our place to show compassion and give compassion. Everyone needs to be lifted up at some point in their lives and this is Michael's time. I do think we can all learn lessons from that situation. This applies to everyone, not just athletes - we all need to pay close attention to who we surround ourselves with. Speaking as a professional athlete, many times we cannot see the forest through the trees. We're all that way at some point. When I first came into the League I felt like Superman. I didn't need the extra work. In many cases your eyes can open very slowly but then again, they can open pretty fast, too. Mine opened slowly but when they did open it was all downhill from there. We've all fallen into it. We've all been guilty of falling short but some of us have grown up behind the camera, not in front of it so the damage is not as public. Everybody has a core group around them because no one can do everything by themselves. We all need to scrutinize and comb through the people around us. Pressure comes in everyone's life. If you don't live a life of principles when the pressure does come self-preservation kicks in automatically. There is no middle ground. When it rains, it rains on everybody - the just and the unjust. It is how you deal with it when it does rain that truly matters. That's why it is so important to have a strong inner core around you. We do not need yes men, we need to have people around us who will hold us accountable in our words and our actions. My definition of friendship is being able to say "no." Being able to be upset at someone for twenty-three hours and then being over it when you see them next. Some friends stay closer than a natural brother or sister. They help us stay on the right path. Whenever you go into an electronics store to buy an iPhone or when they send you two free iPhones in the mail you get the manual with it. If you don't read the manual and just start punching buttons you learn by trial and error and ultimately you realize that you do need to go back and read the manual. If you read the manual at the beginning, it takes ten minutes and you know how to use the phone. There is a manual for people too, the Bible. Read a chapter of Proverbs. It's your manual. It will steer you away from a lot of evils and teach you how to treat others and respect leadership. It's your manual for living on this planet. Living a life of principles allows you to give opportunity to others and it always gives back. Isaac Bruce PS - This is my MVP season

Tricks to Playing Wide Receiver in the NFL

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 16:42:34 -0500

I want to talk about one of our receivers Marques Hagans. He was drafted last year in the fifth round. He's a former quarterback out of Virginia and he made the practice squad last year and he has a good chance to make the 53-man roster this year. I can tell you the difference between his experience and mine when I was first coming into the league. I was drafted in the second round and was brought in to replace Henry Ellard, who had just left. What I didn't have, and looking back I really missed out on it, was someone to take me whole heartedly under their wing and teach me how to be a receiver in the NFL. I have taken Marques under my wing to teach him some of the important things about playing the position. Just yesterday we were working on what you see before you line up, before the play even starts. You have to find two guys - the safety and the cornerback. The safety, 85 percent of the time will lie to you about the coverage. The cornerback will never lie. Those are just some of the mental aspects we have been going over. It took me eight weeks into my rookie season before I knew what was going on. As a high draft pick they want you to know those things right away. I am helping Marques prepare so that it comes much more naturally. Marques has really stepped up mentally and physically. His physical success is coming from his mental improvement. Some of the secrets I have given Marques are the three confessions. I am a big believer in that you get what you say so we verbalize our confessions. First, when the coach is teaching and we're standing there in the group you need to have "super natural discernment, comprehension and interpretation." When you go from that period to the next, maybe its route running, I always tell myself "I am the best route runner in the NFL and I get my depth in every route I run." And third, you always rise to the level of your confession. When we get ready to go head to head with the blue shirts I tell myself verbally "no one can stop me but me." No matter how the play turns out, good or bad, that standard never changes. "No one can stop me but me." I have shared those things with Marques and they are paying dividends. You can see it on the field and you can see it on the film. You need to be consistent in the words that you speak and the way that you prepare. For me, preparation also means your eating habits, what you put in your body. I am sharing all of those things with Marques because he has a chance to be a very good receiver and I want to make sure he has some of the guidance that I missed out on.