As a Tom Brady fan, I was heartbroken as I watched the New England Patriots fall farther and farther behind in the first half of Super Bowl LI. It seemed like an insurmountable challenge. They were trailing the Atlanta Falcons 28-3 in the third quarter, and no team had ever come back from more than a 10-point deficit, let alone 25!
I’ve learned never to rely on odds. As a cancer survivor, I am living proof that statistics represent what has happened in the past, and not what can be achieved.
As the third quarter was winding down, Tom Brady made his move. Play by play, the closed the gap and scored the 25 points they needed to tie the game, while keeping Atlanta from increasing their own.
History was made by the comeback and the first Super Bowl to go into overtime. In a stunning turnaround, the Patriots scored a touchdown in overtime and took their fifth Super Bowl title.
It was the best Super Bowl ever played, pitting the league’s two most powerful teams against one another. It was also the most exciting example of fighting for a goal—figuratively and literally—I’ve seen.
Every player on the team contributed to this win. Offense and defense did their jobs. If any one of 16 plays weren’t correctly executed, the Patriots would have lost. But they rallied as a team, ignoring the heavy weight of the odds, and persevered.
“You’ve got to believe,” said Pats’ wide receiver Julian Edelman, who made the game’s most incredible catch late in the fourth quarter. He also said that the team stayed focused on the game, not the score.
You will always face obstacles on the road to success. It’s how you deal with the pressure, the odds, and the hurdles that ultimately defines you. When you allow your team to to give in and give up, you will never achieve your potential. You will never experience the extreme satisfaction that comes from overcoming.
When everyone counts you out, count yourself all the way in.
Myers Barnes is America’s favorite new home sales trainer, author, speaker and consultant. For more information, please visit www.myersbarnes.com.
