Retired NFL Quarterback Tom Brady interviewed Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes before the Chiefs played the San Francisco 49ers on Fox TV. Tom recalled the first time they met after his New England Patriots defeated the Chiefs in the 2018 AFC Championship. After the game, Tom went to the Chiefs locker room to speak with Patrick. He wanted to tell Patrick that he was doing it the right way. Tom asked Patrick what he remembered about their conversation.
Patrick graciously said, “Obviously, you’re Tom. You’ve done this for a long time. You looked at me and said, ‘You’re doing it the right way. Keep doing it like that and you’ll have success.’”
Tom said, “People compare me to Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw. 4 Super Bowls. You got 3 and all the records. Now, they compare you to me. How does that make you feel? Now that I’m sitting here, right in front of you. “
Patrick replied, “It’s honestly an honor. I’m not saying it, because you’re sitting right here. I mean you did it the right way. More than even the Super Bowls, it was the consistency you showed every single year, every single day. You came to work. You came to win. And so for me, that gives me something to chase. I know it’s gonna be hard to get there. But I’m gonna try my best to get there.”
Tom said, “I just want to say I’m proud of you. Keep doing your thing the right way.”
After 23 NFL seasons and 7 Super Bowl Championships, Tom Brady is revered as the GOAT (Greatest Of All-Time) NFL Quarterback. Playing in his 8th NFL season, Patrick Mahomes has won 3 Super Bowls. He goes for his 4th Super Bowl Championship and the elusive Threepeat. Patrick may well be the next GOAT. I believe that Tom knows that. He sees that, too.
Greatness recognizes greatness. Greatness inspires greatness, too. Tom wants Patrick to be the greatest that he can be. Perhaps, Patrick becomes the GOAT. Nothing, but mad love and respect to Tom and Patrick. They work on themselves to be the greatest that they can be. They do and did it the right way.
Patrick grew up watching Tom play Quarterback for the New England Patriots. Tom is his Hero. His Hero said, “You’re doing it the right way.” That meant Patrick had arrived. All he has to do is come to work and do the work.
My Hero was the late Mizukami Sensei. Sensei taught me Aikido for 25 years until he passed away. He was a father to me, taught me what it is to be a good man, and make a difference for others.
Years ago in Sunday morning Aikido practice, I trained with 12-year-old Lukas on iriminage (clothesline technique to the attacker’s head). Mizukami Sensei told Lukas, “Show me.” I attacked Lukas. He threw me to the mat with iriminage.
Sensei said, “Jon, you’re a better teacher than me.” Lukas and I looked at each other, “WTF?” I said, “I don’t think so.” Sensei didn’t say a word. He smiled and walked over to help other students in class. Sensei was a man of few words.
No, I was not better than Mizukami Sensei. He was my GOAT Sensei. Who I am and what I have was because of Sensei. I got his profound acknowledgement. I wanted to be like Sensei. He was my Michael Jordan. Sensei graciously raised me to his level. He let me know that I arrived. He got his job done. Who Tom was for Patrick, Sensei was for me: My Hero. Our Heroes told us that we did it the right way. That we made them proud.
After I made Shodan (1st degree black belt), Sensei gave me an Aikido class to teach. He said that my Aikido gets better by teaching. He was right. Again, Sensei would know. Over the years, students said, “You teach just like Mizukami Sensei.” Honestly, I was honored by the comparison. Those were sincere flowers.
In the Social Media Age with Facebook, X, Instagram, or whatever, these platforms construct the Great Comparison Game. Inherent in their narrative design: I’m better than you and here’s my evidence. That’s complete and utter bullshit.
The meaningful comparison is me to myself. O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba said, “True victory is victory over oneself.” It’s me against me. I work on myself, not on others. That’s all I can do. I’ve grown a lot from the scared 8-year-old boy, who thought, “I’m not good enough. I never will be.” I put my head down. I came to work. I did the work. Just train. I tried to do it the right way.
My Heroes like the late Mizukami Sensei and Ishibashi Sensei created the space to be the greatest that I could be. Who I am, the life I love is all because of them. Comparisons to my Heroes are meaningful in that I appreciate how far I’ve come from where I started with their inspiration and guidance. I got that I did it the right way.
Heroes create other heroes. Our Heroes inspire us to be the greatest that we can be. That’s their meaningful legacy. I’m no hero. I’m no GOAT. Still, I’m part of that legacy. I do my best to inspire others to become as great as they can be. Who knows? Maybe, they become Heroes. And the world is all the greater for that.
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Photo by Stephen Harlan on Unsplash
