“Doctors Said, ‘You’re DONE.’ He Won A Championship The NEXT Year.’”

Freddie Stevenson grew up watching his mother beg for a nickel, just so her 5 kids could split a single cheeseburger.

Then he was an athlete with a leg injury being told he’d never play again. And THEN he was an NFL player who was cut for reasons outside his control. Every time the world told him to give up, he refused.

His life is a testament to the mindset that every obstacle is a building block for something greater. He was "made by the struggle," and in this episode, he shows us how to channel pain into purpose.

We covered:

• The story behind “StruggleMade105” and how it became Freddie’s fuel.
• The moment his athletic career nearly ended, and what he did to save it.
• What it takes to become a National Champion, and what it’s like when the dream is over.
• The powerful decision to pivot and find a new purpose after football. 

Connect with Jonathan:
✖️X (Twitter): https://x.com/strugglemade105
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strugglemade105
📚 Book: https://www.amazon.com/Trials-Triumph-Freddie-Stevenson/dp/0578915898

Follow Paddy for more:
🌐 Website: www.toughness.com
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paddysgram/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paddysteinfort/
✖️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Paddys_posts

 

 

TRANSCRIPTION:

[00:00:00] Freddie Stevenson: If I would've gave up mentally, then my body would've followed. My father, early on in our life, he got incarcerated for drug trafficking. So all the good times that we had, they immediately changed.

I made a promise to her early on. I was like, mom, I'm gonna make it to the NFL. I'm gonna change our family situation. Second to last game of the season, I break my leg, I break my fibula, my ankle. I lose all the cartilage in my ankle and not a fracture. A few bones in my foot, and I go to the hospital, and they tell me that my career is over.

I'm being told that I wouldn't play football again. And then fast forward a year and a half, you're holding up a national championship trophy.

[00:00:52] Paddy Steinfort: Welcome to the Toughness Podcast. My name's Paddy Steinfort, your host, and today we have Freddie Stevenson, who is an inspiring story. Just simply when you look at his life story, let alone the fact that he made it to the NFL, and he is now devoting his life to helping uplift others. Freddie, welcome to the show.

But firstly just to share with people how accomplished you are as a professional athlete, and then also as an author. Now, do you wanna just share, I, I guess the, when you're being talked about to walk on stage as a public speaker or someone's introducing you as as the author, what are they touch on? What's the biggest standout part of your story, do you think? 

[00:01:36] Freddie Stevenson: Of course, they always mentioned the fact that was able to win a national championship at Florida State, played for the Bears, and now that I'm an author. And that in itself is a blessing, especially when you think about the journey and what I overcame. But those are the three things that catches everybody's attention. So I always get introduced by that. 

[00:01:56] Paddy Steinfort: Yeah, an amazing, like any one of the audience would be happy to be able to list one of those as a life achievement, like played in a national championship. That's amazing. Played in the NFL, fantastic published author.

Amazing. And it also speaks to the breadth of the audience that we have here. So really cool that we do have some, you know, a number of people who follow who are into sports or athletes themselves. We obviously have a large following in the military, but also, there are people who are trying to achieve their own goals, some of which are trying to write a book, be authors, be published.

And so you're gonna cover the gamut of people's passions here. Looking forward to digging into it. But like I mentioned in the intro, you have a fascinating backstory, and I think fascinating is probably a bit of a trite word to use for it, 'cause it probably wasn't that fascinating while you're in it growing up, you, you had a pretty rough childhood and it obviously steeled you for what was ahead.

But do you wanna talk I, I think one of the best. As I did my research getting ready for to have you on, one of the best things that I saw in your story was something that's hidden, a little clue that's hidden in your social media handle. Do you wanna talk a little bit about that? 

[00:03:02] Freddie Stevenson: Yeah, without a doubt. When you take a look at all my social media platforms, you'll see that my handle is struggle made, 1 0 5, and for the longest, everybody was asking me if that's my area code, where I'm from. It was a story from my childhood. Times weren't always bad, but my father, early on in our life, he got incarcerated for drug trafficking.

So all the good times that we had, they immediately changed. And my mother, she immediately had to shift and raised five kids on her own without any help. And we had our ups and downs, but one thing she always prided herself on was making sure that we had at least something to eat on the table. Whether it was just a piece of bread, whatever it may be.

When you get into the story of my social media handle, there's one night in particular, it's like eight in the evening. We hadn't eaten all day and my baby sister, she's crying, wondering where, what we're gonna eat. And she's wondering why mom hasn't fed us yet. And my mom, she was kind of rattled. We seen a rattle, so she just gathered everybody together and she started walking us.

We didn't have a car. So she's pushing my baby sister in the stroller. We come up on the McDonald's. So as we walk up on the McDonald's, we go inside and my mother orders a cheeseburger and we look around, we're confused, like there's five of us. We usually, worst case scenario, we all getting our own loaf of bread at least. But this is one cheeseburger for five people. Like that was the worst it ever got. 

[00:04:37] Paddy Steinfort: Five hungry people.

[00:04:38] Freddie Stevenson: Yeah, five hungry people. And then we're thinking like, mom gotta split some of this too. So as she orders it, orders the total comes out to a dollar and 5 cents. And we didn't know at the time that my mom only had a dollar to her name.

So she hands the clerk at the cash register, the dollar, and she asked her if it's okay if she doesn't have the nickel. And for some reason, the woman that day, she must have been having a bad day. She wouldn't allow her to get the cheeseburger with that dollar. So we had to watch our mom beg for a nickel.

It was embarrassing just watching that, and it was a tough time. That's when it really hit. Somebody was generous enough to give her that nickel, and we all were looking around, everybody's watching us, kind of looking down on us, and we walked outside. My mother walked us outside, and she just started slicing it up in the five pieces.

She hands it out to everybody and we started eating. And as we're eating, my older sister notices that my mom is Anita, and she immediately asked her. While she wasn't eating. And my mom, she just kind of paused for a bit. And then the rest of us started looking around at each other, like, mom, just take a piece of our burger.

And she was turning it down and she just burst into tears. And that just stood with me for the longest. And this has been ultimately what drove me all of this time. 

[00:06:01] Paddy Steinfort: That's a, an amazing story, a very vivid picture you paint there and if that doesn't tug at the heartstrings, then, then nothing will be. A picture of the family of five sitting out there with just mom and eating at bits of a cheeseburger.

What part of America did you grow up in? Freddie. Where was that? 

[00:06:22] Freddie Stevenson: We're all in Florida. 

[00:06:23] Paddy Steinfort: I'm in Florida right now. I'm, I'm, I actually was picturing a McDonald's in Florida that I drove past just this morning as you to, as you told that story. And so that would sear itself into your memory and into your heart and into your gut.

Like there's, that's a very strong experience that you went through. What do you think when you say struggle made 1 0 5. So the 1 0 5 definitely refers to the dollar five at that cost that your mom didn't have. When you say struggle made, what does that mean to you? 

[00:06:50] Freddie Stevenson: Everything that I've been through in my past, everything that, all the struggles, all the obstacles they built me and they made me into the person that I've become today.

[00:07:02] Freddie Stevenson: At the time, I didn't know I was going through 'em, but they made me stronger. They made me wiser, and they built me for the journey today. And I ultimately, I truly believe that. I'm exactly where I need to be. At times I didn't know why it was happening. I was like, God, come on now, like I thought this was for me, but it's prepared me for this moment to come back and impact lives and that struggle coming through.

That struggle prepared me for this moment. So when I do face obstacles, I can push harder. I won't quit. So I appreciate every single struggle. I appreciate the good times. I appreciate the bad times. They made me the man that I'm today. 

[00:07:42] Paddy Steinfort: Very, really cool. So you're, you're effectively saying you were made by the struggle.

[00:07:46] Freddie Stevenson: Yeah. Without a doubt. 

[00:07:48] Paddy Steinfort: Yeah. And so tell me one thing that that stands out to you besides that story in the parking lot of McDonald's in Florida, besides that story, like what is a lesson that you learned as you went through that, that you took, let's say, to the next step? 'cause a lot of people who I interview here who talk about the fact that.

Yeah. Times can be tough and they can be shit, but often that will be what sets you up for the next challenge that you're gonna face. So as you go from being a child in that, you know, living in poverty and, and seeing what you see, learning what you learn from life give, dealing you that hand. And you arrive at Florida State, right?

One of the most celebrated football schools in the country. What challenge did you face there that you drew upon your experience? Growing up in that childhood growing that you think helped you at Florida State? 

[00:08:34] Freddie Stevenson: I think I got one that before Florida State and I got a few at Florida State. Yeah. Okay. So in high school I ended up being one of the top 15 linebackers in the country coming out.

But early on I didn't have any offers. I was going into the end of my junior season without any offers and I was wondering where they were gonna come from. I was one of the top looked guys in my area, so I thought they were gonna come at some point. Second to last game of the season, I break my leg, I break my fibula, my ankle.

I lose all the cartilage in my ankle, and I fracture a few bones in my foot, and I go to the hospital, and they tell me that my career is over. I'll never play again. So in my mind, it just was hard to register because at that moment, when I told my mom when we were younger, and I saw her do what she had to do with that burger.

I made a promise to her early on. I was like, mom, I'm gonna make it to the NFL. I'm gonna change our family situation. So I remember telling the doctors, arguing back and forth with 'em, they had to bring people in to calm me down. Like, man, listen, y'all don't understand. I made a promise to her and I looked at X-rays, they looked horrible, it looked bad.

It didn't look good for me; it doesn't sound good. And I was like, man, I made a promise to her. I dunno how I'm gonna do it, but I'm gonna honor that promise. And I would just remember going through rehab. Not knowing when the light of the, at the end of the tunnel would come. I didn't know nobody was calling and out times, at times I was doubting myself, like, who's gonna take a chance on a guy who didn't have any offers before?

And now he has a major injury that nobody knows he's gonna bounce back from. But all I could do was go in and bust my ass every day in rehab and control what I can control. And I remember getting calls. The first call I got was from UMass Alan Super. That's a name, name I got written down. I'll never forget it.

I'm sitting on my bed, my legs elevated every day. I have to go chill and keep my leg elevated after rehab. And I was like bedbound for like four to five months before I could go back to school. I'm being homeschooled and everything. He reaches out to me, he says, I looked at your film, we saw the injury, but we think you're gonna bounce back.

We're gonna take a chance on you. I just remember crying tears and like, man, I, I got an opportunity to chase my dream even further. But it was in the midst of that darkness where there were times where I wanted to give up. Everybody was telling me to give up, but I continued to push forward. I continued to fight, and I think that all came back from some of the struggles I faced when I was younger.

[00:11:07] Paddy Steinfort: Yeah, I had no doubt that one leads to the other. And you've kind of touched on two points there. One is the ability to sit in discomfort and still be aware. And then the other is to persevere, like you said. Just keep going. Just keep going. Right? So it's a little bit about emotional, what I would call emotional endurance if I was sitting with you as a, as an athlete.

Is that what toughness means to you? We often ask guests what their definition of toughness is, and it's not always just being able to grit your teeth and hang on. Like, given everything else that you've been through, is that what stands out to you as what you would call toughness, or is it something else?

[00:11:42] Freddie Stevenson: Yeah, my definition of toughness is, I would say, is different because when you fast forward, I know you just asked about my college experience and I came outta high school as one of the top linebackers, and I remember. I switched to fullback so early on I had to be tough. It's like, dang, all this adversity is crazy.

Most guys would've transfer but icontinue to fight even when it was doubts creeping in my mind. But I think part of it is looking in the mirror and understanding, okay, some of these situations I put myself into, and I could blame the world right now, but the situation is what it is. To that reality and understanding the reality is what it is, but now your response is more important than ever.

And I think that more than ever is what toughness is to me. Being able to be resilient through those dark times and responding to adversity when it comes because life's a rollercoaster. You can be up. And then tomorrow you'll be down. So it's about being able to respond to those dark tone. 

[00:12:45] Paddy Steinfort: Yeah. Yeah, a hundred percent. I was just on a, a call earlier today with a bunch of NBA coaches, and we were talking about coaching, funnily enough, but one of them was talking about their definition of resilience, and they said, you know, when we talked to the players, we ask 'em, what does NBA stand for? And they say, never broke again.

And they're joking around and it's kind of funny, but kind of true. Not always true though. And he said, well, that, here's the thing, it actually stands for next best action. 'cause it's not all glamor. You're gonna get kicked, you're gonna get knocked down. All you can ever do is be like, what am I gonna do now?

Given the reality that we're in, like, don't wish it was different. It is what it is. And I really, that's, you know, that's just resonated with me. 'cause you just literally said the same thing coming from a different field. The fields of elite sport are obviously related even though it's a different sport.

Football and basketball share a common bond that they deal with. Very similar stresses, and it's another thing that connects athletes with military operators and emergency medical personnel and police and firefighters, first responders, is that you, you, you have to deal with in the game, whether it's Florida State or the Chicago Bears, you have to deal with situations that require an immediate response and require you to bounce back quickly and require you to focus with all sorts of distractions going on.

So, in and amongst that, let's just section that off from you being a published author as well. But if we're just looking at the in the moment performer of an athlete, for you, what are the one or two key traits that you had as well as toughness, or perhaps that's the one and only thing you're gonna highlight that you think are actually super important to being really good in those pressure situations?

[00:14:28] Freddie Stevenson: Number one was never shy away from the moment. The moment was never, never too big. The people that shine the brightest, you'll see that in them. They treat every game the same. The big games, the small games, there's no moment too big for 'em. They don't overthink it. They just go out there and play. And when I was able to play at the highest level, I just let everything come to me.

I trusted my training, and I went out there and did what I was supposed to do. And you just react to what takes place. I think that's the biggest thing. Some people have put themselves in a mind frame where they're worried about what's gonna take place, and that leaves the mistakes. And when you come out worried about what's gonna go wrong, now you're tricking yourself, you're playing cautious, and you're gonna put yourself in a situation where you're either gonna get embarrassed or you're gonna get hurt.

So just going out there and not allowing the moment to be too big for you, trust your training and go out there and play. And that applies to so many different areas in life. You'll see a lot of people get stressed out, worried about what's next. All I can do is control what takes place today and the effort I put forward to make sure that I'm achieving my goals that I set out date.

[00:15:38] Paddy Steinfort: Very cool way to look at it. And you write a lot of the top performers. You look at the best quarterbacks, you look at the best point guard centers, whatever it is, and that you can see on TV each day. They're the ones who generally will take the big moments and the small moments the same. They're not, they're not up and down along with the rollercoaster that is professional sports.

You saying that makes it sound like you did it, like you probably think about it differently than you did when you were 19 at Florida State. Right. And so talk us through those times where like either you switch positions from being a linebacker in high school to being a fullback in college to either that or a national championship moment, or maybe if it's, it's even you, you have to go and try out, you know, I, I know that you had to go and actually earn your place with the Chicago Bears. It wasn't like you were drafted first round, and it was all gravy. So are there moments in there where, even though you know, that you should treat every moment the same. Your body feels different. 

[00:16:34] Freddie Stevenson: Yeah, definitely. When I came into college, I had to learn how to think that way. To be honest, my eyes were all over the place. This new environment, I'm learning a new position that fullback, I'm not even gonna lie to you. I came in not knowing how to truly play the position.

So I came in like a deer in the headlights all the time just looking around, worried about making mistakes. Early on, I was making a lot of them, but my talent got me outta some of those tough spots. But it took time for me to develop and just being around a lot of other elite talents that had had success, that kind of helped me out as well.

But to be honest with you, once I got to the NFL, it was already molded into me by that point. So it was just football at that point. Some people, it comes easier to some than others. By that point, it was I just had to play. I didn't let any of the outside factors get in my way. I just was focusing and locked in, and I knew that everything I did up to that point, the success I had happened for a reason. So I just stayed true to the process and trusted the plan. 

[00:17:41] Paddy Steinfort: Right? And so even in the face of like these, this is like the American Idol equivalent of a tryout, like you turn it up. It's not as weird as that. You don't all have numbers. Well, technically you do have numbers on your front, but you don't turn up and like put a sticker on your self and try and prove yourself in front of a thousand people.

It's like there's what, 10 invitees, maybe 15 who are not signed, but we're just gonna see how we go and you have to go out there and show your thing. Right? 

And so it's the same as surgical registrar in medicine, like you're trying to make that ultimate step to become the elite at what you do. That doesn't create any more noise and distraction for you. Like I, I'm, I'm listening to that and I'm like, yeah, we all went to college and we all found a new environment and there was a lot of extra things to look at.

It's great, but most people kind of make their way through college. Up at the pros trying to get into the cream of the cream, and you were saying by then it wasn't, it was like water off the duck's back. 

[00:18:50] Freddie Stevenson: I think it goes back to my training in college. Our coach, it was a NFL system that we had, so he prepared us.

Everybody. When we left that university, we were prepared. So going in and seeing that, okay, this is a lot of the same stuff that we went through. It wasn't really an adjustment for me. It was just learning a different terminology and just going out there and playing at that point. So that was the biggest thing.

Being prepared the way I was when I was in college helped make that transition smoother. So I wasn't really nervous and I had developed a confidence just from going out and having that level of success. And a lot of it goes back to your trainer. 

[00:19:27] Paddy Steinfort: Yeah. And that the success does lead to confidence, but also having handled, even if you didn't succeed, having handled tough times, which you've obviously been.

Thing that often comes up when I raise that example right where, where it's like, okay, we're all on the line here and I'm going for this contract, or I'm in the Super Bowl, and there's the last X number of minutes. Like there are moments that they refer to in military training as immersion events, which means once we get in here, it's actually worse to try and get it out than it is to actually finish the job.

Like we're about to kick a door down in a village in Afghanistan. Once we kick that door down, we can't turn around and just walk away, like shit's about to pop off. And so, I was expecting you to be like that. When you get as an undrafted free agent trying out and the NFL team, it's like, all right, I'm here now and I can't go back like is that the best example for your type of an immersion event? Or is there something else in your journey where it was a little bit like, holy shit, this is real now I can't go back. 

[00:20:35] Freddie Stevenson: Yeah, I think college without, when I went into college, it was, I remember I, because I, before I got switched, I came in as a linebacker.

They allowed me the opportunity to play linebacker before switching me. And I remember in a drill early on. I was a confident guy. Everybody comes in confident. We were the best everywhere. So it's a sense of pride, and I was like, man, listen, I'm gonna have an opportunity to come in and play as a freshman.

And I remember one of the upperclassmen, we were in the drill, full pass, he came and smacked me. And I realized early on, this is not high school. And I was like, man, this, no, going back. I gotta get ready. And I was coming into practice. It's like, yeah, I got, I got a lot of learning to do, a lot of growing to do because it’s gonna be tough if I, if I don't grow. 

And that was really, you can't go back moment. You gotta continue to grow. And I just remember being home after practices. Like, dang man, they, they're killing me right now. Like, I gotta figure this thing out. And that was definitely my moment. That's why I believe college definitely prepared me, and it got some of those jitters outta the way for me.

[00:21:39] Paddy Steinfort: Yeah. And so in the face of those moments, there are a few responses. One, people can kind of freeze, right? And they're just like, I don't really know what to do. I'm just gonna hopefully just keep doing what I'm doing and I'll get through it. Right? Other people may actively or subconsciously start to avoid those situations, but it sounded like you took a third route, which was, all right, here we go. 

I'm gonna lean right into this, and I've gotta grow. Is that how you took it, or like, did it literally happen that night when you were back at your dorm? Or is it an evolution over a month or two after you've been smacked by the big guy on campus? 

[00:22:15] Freddie Stevenson: I think it was, it was an evolution over time. I still had that mindset just from what I've overcome. So a resilient mindset. So I'm going home, I'm frustrated, I'm, my head's all over the place, spinning, but in my head it's like, man, okay. I know I'm new to this, it's gonna be a, a learning process, but I know without a doubt in my mind I can have success at this level.

So now it's just about putting extra time into studying and mastering my craft. And within at the end of that spring, I was able to shock all the coaches' minds to where I'm going in the fall camp and they're giving me opportunity to start. And when I came in, they didn't truly know if I was gonna be one of those guys because I believe I was the 15th ranked in the country.

I was the lowest ranked guy in that class. We had four linebackers coming in in that class ranked higher than me, so on the outside looking in, I'm the guy that's supposed to transfer, but I came in and made the impression early.. 

[00:23:10] Paddy Steinfort: And obviously went on to make a place on that team to win a national championship.

How much does, from everything that you went through in your childhood, then the challenges of getting into a college, versus, okay, now you're in a great college, but they want you to switch, like there's multiple trials back to back to back, and then you end up winning a national championship? And that feeling, as I've heard other people describe it here, is like nothing else because it's a group of individuals you won't be able to build a dynasty with that's the end of it. 

Soon as you win, everyone moves on to the to the pros or everyone finishes college and that's that. It's a very unique window in time. How did it feel for you, given everything you've been through, and it's the title of your book, Trials to Triumph, it really is an example. This is the first example.

You've gone through multiple trials to become a national champion. Did that add to the sweetness of it or was it you were more interested in just being in the moment with the boys? 

[00:24:11] Freddie Stevenson: I think it definitely added to the sweetness because there were times throughout the year. I'm like, man is full. Is this position change really for me?

You're considering moving on and just a year and a half ago I'm being told that I wouldn't play football again. And then a year and a fast forward a year and a half, you're holding up a national championship trophy and then you think about all the other obstacles. Along the journey, it definitely made it worth it and I was happy that I didn't quit.

If I would've gave up, I would've never had a chance to experience that light at the end of the tunnel. So I'm just happy that I had people in my life around me that built this inside of me. And then the obstacles that I went through, they made it to where I was able to be resilient through times like this. And the reward was great. It's not a feeling like it. 

[00:25:05] Paddy Steinfort: That's really cool. And you get, for people who aren't, who can't see the video, you can see Freddie's face light up multiple times during that little sentence. They're talking about number one there at the end there saying the, there's the feeling.

There's nothing like it. And you could see it in his face that it's like pure joy. But you also mentioned that another part that made you smile, there was the people that helped you along the way. It's a really underrated part of most people's journey is that we see this person who's succeeded against the odds and they're full of grit and they're an amazing example, which Freddie, you are.

Credit to you, but there are often people behind the scenes underneath this person lifting them and pushing them on, or in some cases, compelling them to keep going. So I wanna just divert a sec before we go onto your NFL story, and then further to what you're doing now. Where's your mom at nowadays?

[00:25:59] Freddie Stevenson: She's at home. She, I'm actually back, back, back here. I just saw her. Alright. Not too long ago, but yeah, she's at, she's at home. 

[00:26:06] Paddy Steinfort: Awesome. Awesome. Well, tell her that we said hi and we appreciate her and what she did for you, but she's obviously one of the heroes for you. What, what would you say is the one thing that your mom taught you that you still carry with you today that helped you deal with some of these trials to get to triumph?

[00:26:22] Freddie Stevenson: The biggest thing is just watching how she lived her life. Times weren't always the easiest, but you never heard her complain. She always found a way to fight through and keep going. The situation was what it was, but life goes on. Nobody cared. You should hear the saying all the time, nobody cares. Work harder.

And that's exactly what she did. I watched her do it so. You can sit here and complain, but you or you can go out there and try to do something to change your life, and that's what she embodied. 

[00:26:50] Paddy Steinfort: It's a nicer way, a much more politically correct way of saying something that I often will say when I'm sitting with an athlete or a performer or a leader who is talking about how it's not fair and they feel this way or that way about some type of way about an event that's happening around them, is that the game or life doesn't give a shit how you feel.

You say it a little better than I do, but nobody cares. Work harder. Besides your mother though, who else you, you said you were one of five kids. 

[00:27:19] Freddie Stevenson: Yeah, I would say my father. My father, he got out prison later on in in my childhood and just having that father figure back in my life and he changed his life completely around coming from.

He had 22 felonies, and it's crazy. He made a complete transition. Now he's a pastor, so having that wisdom from all the different obstacles he overcame the life that he was living and now he's at a different place. Just all those times I was going through when I broke my leg, when I was thinking about giving up, having that wisdom when I was in school, he saw me going down a bad road.

Just having that wisdom like, man, listen, I've done this. I know what you're doing. Like just having that wisdom to keep you on the right track. And when I wanted to give up, having that wisdom so that I would continue to believe and fight through, because where the mind goes, the body follows.

If I would've gave up mentally, then my body would've followed. I don't believe I would've recovered if I gave up in my mind. I just kept putting it in my mind that I was gonna overcome that injury and play in the NFL. And once I put that, my body followed. Yeah, I wasn't a hundred percent. I'm not a hundred percent to this day, but I put it in my mind that I was gonna play in the NFL. So it wasn't nothing, anything stopping me. He played a big role in that. 

[00:28:40] Paddy Steinfort: That's really cool. Where the mind goes, the body follows. And so your mind went to the NFL, and your body followed you, you made the roster at the, at the Chicago Bears. Tell us about that experience. It was still, it wasn't probably how you would've written it up.

Like you said, life does things right. Tell us your experience there. And again, it wasn't all smooth sailing, so more trials. What, what did you face as a pro?

[00:29:02] Freddie Stevenson: So I didn't actually end up making the roster. I signed with them coming out. I was the highest-paid free agent on their squad, and I went through OTAs mini count, training count, and they ended up bringing in the guy that they had had experience with two years ago.

And I remember going through that situation, just looking at it from the outside looking in. I'm gonna usually a guy that controls where they control, but I'm like, man, listen, this is one of their guys, so I can't mess up. I know if my college coach was in here right now, he'll do whatever he could to make sure I made this roster.

So any mistake that I make, they're going to use it against me. And I was killing it. I was catching all the odds of the coaches, but I still knew, like no matter what I did, all they needed was one. One reason. And I remember playing against the Titans, and I got a carry. I had a few catches in the preseason, few carries.

I had a carry, I got a first down, and I reached out for it. And the guy poked the ball loose. The ref's going back and forth to whether or not it's a fumble, whether I was down, but they called it a fumble on the field, and the replay is kind of blocked off. The angle's kind of blocked off. And I remember going back to the sideline, and I was like, man, this gonna be the reason.

This is the reason they were looking for it, and I gave it to him. And just going through that process, it was tough because. A lot of, like you said, life will deal your hands that you don't necessarily have any control over. And up to this point, my whole life ball was just about the best players.

Everybody, the best players always play. Once you get to a certain level, everything's outside of your control that you have no, you can't control it. So I was like, man, it isn't fair, but it is what it is. I'm not gonna cry. I'm gonna keep, I'm gonna keep balling, do my thing. They decided to move in another direction, but I believed that I was gonna be on a team within a few days.

The thing that caught me off guard was when teams were reaching out to me, all these teams that had interest in me, heavy interest teams that were talking about drafting me, coming out, but they went in the other directions. They were like, man, dude, they reaching out to my camp. Like, does he have character issues?

Because there's no reason this guy should have beat him out. I'm like, dang, that's never been like a stigma over me my whole entire career. I was a team captain in college. You ask anybody, like, you can ask the janitor in the building in college, like, they'll tell you ,like, I'm one of the most high character guys you'll meet.

I treat everybody the same. Not a respect the person. I respect characters, so I try to treat people the way I wanna be treated. And just going through, I think that maybe there's a dark cloud over me because of that. But it was what it was. I was just going out, getting workouts, killing them, and my agent, he was becoming frustrated, just wondering where that next opportunity would come from.

And I remember getting discouraged at that point because I knew my whole entire career, the ability spoke for itself. And I ultimately went to the Apollo League, the Alliance League. Mm-hmm. And that league folded. So I found myself in a situation where I'm just trying to figure out what's next. And it was tough.

I had times where it got dark, almost like lost everything, but I was able to climb out of that darkness and find my purpose. 

[00:32:18] Paddy Steinfort: Yeah, and we'll jump to that in a second. So you go to the NFL you, you're in the NFL, there's a dream unfolding right before you. You got the pads on, you're running out on an NFL field with the team getting carries, making catches, and something happens in a game that leads the decision makers to be like, oh, we're gonna go with someone else. 'cause that's the cutthroat world you're in. Right? 

And that leads you down a path of uncertainty. And there you are sitting, waiting for a call, not sure where your life's going, 'cause this is what you've dreamed about. Right. How do you get to the point where you're like, okay, this is a dark time?

You just said there was some dark times. I'm clicking my fingers because it's, and I know that it didn't happen that quick, but if we press fast forward or we just skip to the next episode, you're a published author, like it's such a huge jump and a left turn that not many football players will do, let alone pro athletes.

You do have an amazing story, but what was the thing that led you to do that? Were you always interested in writing, or was it more about I wanna, I gotta share my story. 

[00:33:25] Freddie Stevenson: I would say I was always interested in writing, but when you ask anybody that knows me, they always joke, saying they knew I was gonna be a writer.

I had a unique ability in college. Whenever we had like essays due in like our classes, I would just wait till the last day and like BS it and get an A+. Mm-hmm. They would hate me for it. I remember I was in ninth grade, ninth, I'm talking my ninth grade. I was a freshman in college, and one of the seniors on that national championship team, we had the same writing tutor.

He came to me one day, he was like, man, who's writing your papers? I'm like, nobody's writing my papers. He was like, man, there's no way you're writing these papers. And then the tutor was like, yeah, he's good. And I don't know, it's just something I've always been interested in doing, and just some of the situations I've overcome.

I just wanted to use my story to help someone out, but I didn't necessarily know how I would do that when I was still thinking about that football dream. I remember one of my mentors reaching out to me one day when I was just trying to figure out that next step in life and he asked me to come speak at a event.

It was like an all-star game in the area. And I was the headline and I was nervous. I'm like, man, I never did public speaking before. I was the guy on the team that was quiet and if I said something, it was short and sweet and everybody listened, but I never was that rah rah guy. I was nervous. I remember they, me money to come and I'm like, dang, money to come.

And, and I almost called like, man, listen, I gotta, I turn back around the money and everything. I can't do this, but stuck with it. That's that next in life. It's the scariest thing ever. That transition. It could be scary because you don't know, you don't truly know what's next. Yeah. But all I could do was take that step forward. I knew I wasn't going back, like you said. 

[00:35:16] Paddy Steinfort: Hey, this is an emergent event. You're just describing it right here. You're like, you get to the school, you're like, I'm, I'm gonna give you the money back. I don't want part of this. But you went through with it obviously, right? You did. You gave that talk. So how did you get yourself from the point of like, I'm willing to give up money so that I don't have to do this.

Well, I will pay you to get out of it. How do you go from that to still getting on stage and doing something that is incredibly like fun? Fact, for listeners and for you, Freddy. Did you know that the number one fear of human beings is public speaking? Above and beyond blood, gonna hospital all the things that everyone, phobias, spiders, everything else, plane crashes.

The number one fear is public speaking. So you went from hell, no, I don't want to do this. I will pay you to get out of it to doing the thing that people fear the most. What was your little trick there in that 20 minutes to flip you from, I want to get out to, all right, I'll do it. 

[00:36:10] Freddie Stevenson: I had to psych myself out. I was talking to myself and just looking around. I was like, man, listen, they were able to pay you from this event, and you're the headline. They're not coming to laugh at you. They're not coming to watch you fall on your face. These people are coming to see you. They're paying to see you fall. Do you think so?

Yeah. I was like a D. Whole different mindset. They're not against you, they're with you. So you just go out there and you be you. You mess up. This is the first time they're here with you. They know it's your first time. And that's really what psyched me out. And I went out there, and I'm gonna be absolutely honest.

It was terrible. Uh, who's waiting for you? So I'm gonna be honest. I crushed it. No, it was terrible. It, it was terrible. But the response from my speech was crazy because they related to the realness and the passion, and people were coming up to me after saying that I impacted their lives. My mentor, he came over to me, he's a, a big speaker in the area.

He's like, this is what you're supposed to be doing. And he just, he recorded the whole speech. I don't know if he still has it, but he is recorded off his phone, and he's showing me different things like, man, you didn't even know that. You like, you showing me like, man, you got into it. You didn't even realize that you got into it.

He's like, that's why the people were able to relate some of those other minor details you'll be able to fix over time with practice. It's like, but this is what they loved about you, and this is what everybody else is gonna love about you. And when I seen the responses, I don't know, it was a feeling. I tell people this all the time.

They think I'm crazy. It was a better feeling than when I was scoring a touchdown. And that's how I knew I was doing what I was supposed to be doing. 

[00:37:49] Paddy Steinfort: That's really cool, really cool. Who was the mentor outta curiosity? If we talk, we circle back to that question from earlier, the people along the journey who help you, like he kind of pointed your eyes at something that you hadn't seen before.

[00:38:01] Freddie Stevenson: It's crazy. It's my dad, my, my dad's best friend, they grew, they been best friend since like eight years old, so I always come to my pop. So I come to him for. 

[00:38:13] Paddy Steinfort: That's really cool. We are, we are getting towards the tail end of the show, so I wanna make sure that we touch on one of the most important parts.

We've talked about, obviously the hardships that you've been through, a couple of the highlights. The fact that you moved on to being a motivator and inspire a speaker and an author is just amazing. And I mentioned the name of the book, I'll say it again. Trials to Triumph by Freddie Stevenson. Well worth a read.

But I don't wanna finish without getting to the point of, really the point of the show is to take people who have faced pressure and stress, of which you had a boatload from being a, a young boy all the way through to adulthood and probably still going when you're trying to sell a book. But you've had a lot of that.

And then people who still manage to succeed in the face of that is to be able to share your experience and, and have the people who are listening, facing their own challenges. Take some of what you give and put it in, put it into practice for their own life. And so with, with that in mind, what would be the simplest takeaway that you would say from your story that people can apply in their own challenges day to day? 

[00:39:23] Freddie Stevenson: I would just say trust. Trust the process. Don't try to rush it. Don't try to get to the end, end of the road. Just trust it because you're going through everything that you're going through for a reason. If I would've had everything now handed to me.

Even though looking back as a kid, you say, I wanna play in the NFL 10, 15 years, but now it's like, man, I don't want that because I know what my purpose is. Of course, the money would be cool, but as far as purpose, once I found out what my purpose was, it wouldn't, the NFL would've did nothing for me.

And some of the things I've been able to go on and experience in this new realm, if I'd have got him two years ago, three years ago, 10 years ago, when I wasn't mature enough to handle them, I would've messed up the opportunity. A lot of these experiences that we go through, these obstacles, they're building blocks to make us more prepared for the future so that we can have that success for an extended period of time.

Because you'll see a lot of people, they'll get that success that in instant gratification, and they won't be here tomorrow. 'cause they didn't build a foundation, they didn't take the time that they needed to take so that they. Understand they would gain wisdom, gain strength, gain everything that they need to be successful for a long period of time.

And that's what's really helped me. When I was younger, I didn't understand it, but now it makes perfect sense. So now when obstacles come, it's like, alright, I know you here, but I'm here too. 

[00:40:48] Paddy Steinfort: Yeah, 

[00:40:49] Freddie Stevenson: You're not gonna stop. 

[00:40:50] Paddy Steinfort: That's awesome. And if I'm gonna, I'm gonna paint a metaphor here. It might be as ugly as your first speech, but hopefully it captures the moment is as a running back, you are running and occasionally there'll be an obstacle that you have to either run through, which you did with your childhood, your, there'll be an obstacle, you have to hurdle over, which is you did with your, your ankle. 

Maybe occasionally you have to hit the spin move button on Madden because you have to pivot and run in a different direction. And that happened when you had to change to fullback or when you had to change from being a football player to an author. But you've managed to put all these moves together.

Some of them you didn't know you had, but it's an inspiring story, and I'm really glad you came on here to share it. Freddie, that the last thing I wanna touch on is what now that you're. Let's say you're a quarter of a way down the field, right? You've run 25 yards, well done. You're still still a long way from a touchdown in terms of your life.

So what's your hope? As you continue to move forward, there's gonna be more obstacles that you'll either run through or hurdle or spin around, or Duke, what do you want to get out of the next 25 yards of your life? 

[00:41:53] Freddie Stevenson: I would say just continuing to evolve. I'm a father now, so continuing to evolve as a father.

Hopefully I have a few more little ones. I got a daughter I want, I want a junior. Eventually this continuing to evolve as a father and being the best husband I possibly can be and just using my my life as an example to others. Not because I'm perfect because I'm full of imperfections, but I don't shy away from him and he seen what I've been able to make out of.

Everything that I've dealt with when I was down, when I was working against myself, but also giving others the resources that they need to be successful. And that's the biggest thing when I'm 50, 60 years old, looking back and being able to say, okay, I impacted these people's lives, not for a pat on the back or anything of that nature, but because they were able to go on and be the best version of their selves, and that's the biggest thing.

I've had talks with individuals about starting up a, a nonprofit just to give individuals those resources that they need. And I know when you look at the under previous youth, there are boys that need to be looked at, but also athletes transitioning after sports. I know when we came up, they always had the individuals that were successful come back and talk to us or the individuals that were successful and they blew the opportunities.

But you never have an opportunity to hear from individuals that played and it never worked out for 'em. And now you have to hear how they were able to go on a transition. And that's the void because 90% of the players are gonna end up being that guy. Yeah. Yeah. We're not gonna all be the stars that get to go on and have a opportunity to make, make work, or blow it.

We're gonna be the guys that never get a chance. So hearing how those guys were able to transition and giving them the resources to adjust the life after that, after that situation. 

[00:43:46] Paddy Steinfort: Yeah, so it's a great point, and I think the ability for you to go back and help the people who've gone through your story will be really cool.

You mentioned something there that I wanna highlight as we bring the show to an end that you mentioned at the start, which was seeing your mom go through that 1 0 5 incident, the cheeseburger being split, five ways that she could barely afford really instilled in you an inspiration and a motivation to do things for her.

It wasn't as much about you, it was about doing it for her. And then you also mentioned at the end there that what you're looking forward to is doing stuff for other people, building a legacy, helping other people, giving them the resources. And it's a little-known fact that it's better motivation, more sustainable motivation when you are doing things for love of other people as opposed to for yourself and for selfish reasons, and you're a living, breathing example of that, Freddy.

So appreciate you living it and breathing it and doing it and keep doing that. As I said, Freddie's got a book out really well worth the read Trials to Triumph. Freddie Stevenson, thanks for being on the show.