what if I told you there was a way to overcome all your obstacles to win at
overcome all your obstacles to win at
overcome all your obstacles to win at everything you do and to make every
everything you do and to make every
everything you do and to make every stumbling block a learning experience
stumbling block a learning experience
stumbling block a learning experience would you want to know the way all of
would you want to know the way all of
would you want to know the way all of this is possible by choosing to eat
this is possible by choosing to eat
this is possible by choosing to eat adversity every human being and business
adversity every human being and business
adversity every human being and business is faced with adversity at some point of
is faced with adversity at some point of
is faced with adversity at some point of their lives the dictionary definition of
their lives the dictionary definition of
their lives the dictionary definition of adversity is pain sorrow difficulty
adversity is pain sorrow difficulty
adversity is pain sorrow difficulty misfortune my definition is to learn
misfortune my definition is to learn
misfortune my definition is to learn grow overcome prevail if it wasn’t for
grow overcome prevail if it wasn’t for
grow overcome prevail if it wasn’t for versity I wouldn’t be standing here
versity I wouldn’t be standing here
versity I wouldn’t be standing here today let me take a moment and share a
today let me take a moment and share a
today let me take a moment and share a little my story with you as a kid
little my story with you as a kid
little my story with you as a kid growing up in Mississippi basketball was
growing up in Mississippi basketball was
growing up in Mississippi basketball was my life morning noon and night it stayed
my life morning noon and night it stayed
my life morning noon and night it stayed on my mind all I ever dreamed was to
on my mind all I ever dreamed was to
on my mind all I ever dreamed was to compete at the highest level so I set my
compete at the highest level so I set my
compete at the highest level so I set my heart my body and soul to do so after
heart my body and soul to do so after
heart my body and soul to do so after earning the Naismith national high
earning the Naismith national high
earning the Naismith national high school player of the Year award
school player of the Year award
school player of the Year award I thought I was on my way and nothing
I thought I was on my way and nothing
I thought I was on my way and nothing could stop me
so I committed to the University of
so I committed to the University of Michigan and I was eager to live up to
Michigan and I was eager to live up to
Michigan and I was eager to live up to all the hype and press that surrounded
all the hype and press that surrounded
all the hype and press that surrounded me not even halfway through my freshman
me not even halfway through my freshman
me not even halfway through my freshman season in a game versus our biggest
season in a game versus our biggest
season in a game versus our biggest rival miss
rival miss
rival miss can state I was coming off a screen to
can state I was coming off a screen to
can state I was coming off a screen to catch the ball and I felt a sharp stab
catch the ball and I felt a sharp stab
catch the ball and I felt a sharp stab in my right knee
in my right knee
in my right knee I immediately collapsed players coaches
I immediately collapsed players coaches
I immediately collapsed players coaches trainers all rushed to my aid I could
trainers all rushed to my aid I could
trainers all rushed to my aid I could remember hearing them say Jerrod Jerrod
remember hearing them say Jerrod Jerrod
remember hearing them say Jerrod Jerrod just relax please relax but I couldn’t
just relax please relax but I couldn’t
just relax please relax but I couldn’t get up now as a young athlete or young
get up now as a young athlete or young
get up now as a young athlete or young adult for that matter you’re never
adult for that matter you’re never
adult for that matter you’re never really prepared to hear any devastating
really prepared to hear any devastating
really prepared to hear any devastating news I had to have surgery to repair a
news I had to have surgery to repair a
news I had to have surgery to repair a torn meniscus soon after that I began to
torn meniscus soon after that I began to
torn meniscus soon after that I began to rehab after all I wanted to prove that I
rehab after all I wanted to prove that I
rehab after all I wanted to prove that I was the best at what I did not even nine
was the best at what I did not even nine
was the best at what I did not even nine months later in a game versus Washington
months later in a game versus Washington
months later in a game versus Washington State after a strong drive to the basket
State after a strong drive to the basket
State after a strong drive to the basket it felt as if my left knee just exploded
it felt as if my left knee just exploded
it felt as if my left knee just exploded I was in excruciating pain
as I laid in a narrow tunnel weak
as I laid in a narrow tunnel weak magnetic fields scanning my body in
magnetic fields scanning my body in
magnetic fields scanning my body in complete silence I thought to myself why
complete silence I thought to myself why
complete silence I thought to myself why me not again
me not again
me not again please not again after what seemed like
please not again after what seemed like
please not again after what seemed like eternity the results was finally in the
eternity the results was finally in the
eternity the results was finally in the doctor walked into the room and he says
doctor walked into the room and he says
doctor walked into the room and he says Jerrod I’m sorry to inform you but you
Jerrod I’m sorry to inform you but you
Jerrod I’m sorry to inform you but you have torn your ACL you can imagine how I
have torn your ACL you can imagine how I
have torn your ACL you can imagine how I felt
see adversity is a true test of your
see adversity is a true test of your mental toughness it’s not what you go
mental toughness it’s not what you go
mental toughness it’s not what you go through
through
through it’s what you grow through so I began to
it’s what you grow through so I began to
it’s what you grow through so I began to dig deep deep inside and coach myself to
dig deep deep inside and coach myself to
dig deep deep inside and coach myself to Edie adversity I started with II embrace
Edie adversity I started with II embrace
Edie adversity I started with II embrace the adversity I needed to stop asking
the adversity I needed to stop asking
the adversity I needed to stop asking the question why me we all know you
the question why me we all know you
the question why me we all know you cannot move forward looking back that
cannot move forward looking back that
cannot move forward looking back that led me to a taking actions one’s ability
led me to a taking actions one’s ability
led me to a taking actions one’s ability to change change takes commitment and
to change change takes commitment and
to change change takes commitment and the willingness to risk
lastly t thrive to develop to grow that
lastly t thrive to develop to grow that whole year while rehabbing away from
whole year while rehabbing away from
whole year while rehabbing away from family and friends I refuse to let my
family and friends I refuse to let my
family and friends I refuse to let my circumstances consume me I leaned into
circumstances consume me I leaned into
circumstances consume me I leaned into the belief that what doesn’t kill you
the belief that what doesn’t kill you
the belief that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger so I fully committed
makes you stronger so I fully committed
makes you stronger so I fully committed myself to the rehab process which almost
myself to the rehab process which almost
myself to the rehab process which almost took a year
I went on to play professional
I went on to play professional basketball 14 years and it is taken
basketball 14 years and it is taken
basketball 14 years and it is taken myself and my family around the world I
would never forget what it took to get
would never forget what it took to get me here and I’m humbled by my experience
see as unbelievable as it may sound
see as unbelievable as it may sound adversity is necessary because it
adversity is necessary because it
adversity is necessary because it teaches us to evolve in a way that is
teaches us to evolve in a way that is
teaches us to evolve in a way that is unconventional a lot of us allow
unconventional a lot of us allow
unconventional a lot of us allow adversity to eat away at us rather than
adversity to eat away at us rather than
adversity to eat away at us rather than to be few by adversity so my friends
to be few by adversity so my friends
to be few by adversity so my friends I’ll leave you with this when faced with
I’ll leave you with this when faced with
I’ll leave you with this when faced with adversity or hardship stay hungry and
adversity or hardship stay hungry and
adversity or hardship stay hungry and eat adversity
eat adversity
eat adversity [Applause]
”
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