Aaron Rodgers’ journey to the NFL was far from easy, despite the numerous accolades he later received in his 19-year NFL career. Rodgers overcame skepticism and continually proved his critics wrong. He faced challenges in recruitment even after an impressive stint with the Pleasant Valley High School as no Division I college showed interest due to his undersized stature, standing at 5’10” (1.78 m) and weighing 165 lbs (75 kg).
Rodgers wanted to play for Florida State under Bobby Bowden but he was rejected. In a recent appearance on Cameron Hanes’ “Keep Hammering Collective,” Aaron candidly spoke about how he went from feeling discouraged about not receiving offers from a top college to becoming one of the best quarterbacks in league history.
Aaron Rodgers revealed that his career took off when he experienced a setback and realized that his ego needed to be humbled, as he believed in his quarterback skills, but others did not.
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“I think, that’s how you go. If you embrace the adversity and as I look back over the last 22 years of my life playing, the greatest moment of growth and learning experiences were associated with an ego death, in some way or another,” said Aaron Rodgers.
No notable institutions, not even the nearby University of California, Davis, expressed interest. While some Division 3 schools offered him spots, Aaron Rodgers dreamt of playing in Division 1. He chose to attend Butte College in Oroville, aiming to eventually play for a top D1 school if he performed well at Butte, as he told his coach, Craig Rigsbee.
Aaron Rodgers’ journey from Butte to playing for California Golden Bears, on Saturdays, helped him become a better person and embrace adversity. He broke himself down and rebuilt when he got opportunities, like as a backup QB at California, and then for the Green Bay Packers, each ‘ego death’ period helped him grow as an athlete.
He even related to Michael Jordan’s mindset of using criticism to improve. Believing that one is not good enough for someone, spurs energy to beat them in the game.
Aaron Rodgers Discusses His Time In Darkness Retreat
Discussions with Aaron Rodgers often go beyond football, and could immediately dive into curious topics. While conversing with Cameron Hanes, Rodgers talked about his time in the darkness retreat.
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Known for his out-of-the-box offseason activities, the four-time NFL MVP openly discussed the positives of the activity. However, he told Cameron Hanes, that is not something he’ll be signing up for any time soon again.
“You’re up in the mountain, in your tiny little hobbit house with a bathtub, a little yoga mat for meditation, a little bean bag, and a toilet and a sink. A lot of time to be alone with your thoughts. I’m thankful for that time but that is not something I’m signing up to do again anytime soon,” Rodgers shared.
Aaron Rodgers detailed that upon arrival, one must dine and familiarize oneself with the assigned room. Afterward, the lights are turned off, resulting in complete darkness until the gate is opened.
The superstar QB explained how the silence helped him focus on the things that matter to him in life and assisted him in accurately navigating through the situation.
