Sports Stars Making a Social Impact: Why And How Former NFL Athlete Anthony Trucks Is Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Edward Sylvan
The Shift Method is my gift to the world. It is my contribution to anyone willing to make an effort to upgrade and achieve any goal they’ve ever wanted. You will make the most remarkable identity shift in your life by breaking your dream life down into achievable action steps and taking those actions. By taking consistent and sustained action, you will achieve levels of life beyond what you’ve ever dreamed is possible for you.
As a part of my series about sports stars who are making a social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Anthony Trucks.
Anthony Trucks is a former NFL Athlete, American Ninja Warrior on NBC, international speaker, host of the Aww Shift podcast, and the founder of Identity Shift coaching. He uses cutting-edge science and psychology to upgrade how you operate so you can elevate your life and business to reach your full potential. After being given away into foster care at 3 years old, being adopted into an all-white family at 14, losing his NFL career to injury and more he learned how to shift at a very young age, and now his life mission is teaching others how to Make Shift Happen in their lives.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you share with us the “backstory” that led you to your career path in professional sports?
It was by no means by a traditional course as statistically, I should have never made it. When I was three years old, I was placed in the foster care system. I quickly had to learn the skillsets of grit and determination to survive the system. When I was 14 years old, I made it out when an all-white low-income family adopted me. I was thrilled to be a part of a family, but it didn’t come without its challenges. Those challenging times though are what pushed me to start to apply myself. I quickly became very self-aware at a young age. I first took on goal setting. When I hit a dead end, I would do all that I needed to overcome it and achieve the goal I had set. I started building my confidence and feeling this inherent joy to do anything I put my mind to. All of the tools I had learned prepared me for the most significant life goal I had set for myself, making the varsity football time. Physically I looked like a football player, but I did not have any of the skillsets needed. The first season I felt like a failure. There were so many times I wanted to say that football just wasn’t in the cards. However, I continued working hard and developing as a player, leading me to a full-ride scholarship offer to the University of Oregon. I knew at that moment that my next dream was within reach, to become a pro-NFL player. By the time I was 25, I had thought I had “made it” as I signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, had a beautiful wife, amazing son, and a bright future ahead of me. For a brief moment in time, my internal identity matched his external life.
However, that all quickly changed when I was injured, and my career was cut short. Overnight I lost my identity as an NFL player, only to be followed by losing my identity as a husband when my wife cheated on me, and the worst identity crisis of them all was that of me as a father. I realized I couldn’t provide for my kids anymore. It all became too heavy and too dark for me, which led me to contemplate suicide multiple times.
There was a moment, though, that brought a glimmer of hope back into my life. I was taken back to my foster care days when I didn’t know how anything in my life would change for the better until I realized the change started by me again.
I have remarried my high-school sweetheart. We have an amazing family. Now my identity is not only that of a former American Ninja Warrior but also that of a teacher and a coach helping thousands of people shift their identity when they think they have lost it all.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your career? What were the lessons or takeaways that you took out of that story?
There was a man who once reached out to let me know that he hated my voice. In fact, he described it as a bad FM radio voice and that I should stop recording anything with my voice. I’m not sure exactly why I did it but I decided to kill him with kindness and responded with something along the lines of, “I’m sorry to you feel that way, but I’m unable to change my voice and unable to stop sharing the way my heart feels called to. Since you’re looking for someone to listen to I truly hope you find someone whose voice you enjoy hearing. I’m happy to send ideas if you need any.” This was something he apparently did not expect and his response was one of astonishment for me not tearing into him. It actually led to a deeper conversation that unveiled a lot of struggles he was dealing with in life at that moment and he was dishing off some of the funk on me unintentionally. He thanked me at the end. What I learned was that sometimes those being the meanest to you are actually being mean to themselves and misery loves company so they’ll try and wrangle you in. Instead of meeting their energy equally meet them at a level of love and compassion and you’ll create a vastly different experience for the both of you.
What would you advise a young person who wants to emulate your success?
Each choice that you make leads you closer to or further away from your goals. What you do daily creates who you become. Start with one habit to work on. For me, as I mentioned earlier, was goal-setting but also spending time finding the area that naturally sparks your interest. Then do purposely do it daily. Cut out all distractions and focus on what you are learning. Before much time has passed, you will quickly have instilled a skillset in you that is a foundational building block for the person you want to become.
Is there a person that made a profound impact on your life? Can you share a story?
Yes, a 15-year old girl in my English class. I was trying to take a nap and struggling with my head on the desk in the back right corner of Mr. Howell’s English class in the low- er-level, portable classroom. I had my black parka over my head, but I could, however, clearly hear the conversation between two girls sitting on the love seat to the right of me. One girl said to the other girl, having no idea anyone was listening, something that was an incredible gift to me at that moment. “Well, the reason I’m so bad is that I’m in foster care.” “How was that a gift?” you might ask. Well, when was the last time someone said, out loud, your excuse for choosing to give up or be mediocre? I’m going to guess it’s possibly never. It was a gift because it snapped me out of my self-pity and made me realize just how stupid my excuse sounded like a reason to give up on having a great life. Hell, I was only 15 years old. I’d barely hit puberty, and I assumed everything was over and I had no chance of anything getting better. I went home that day and sat on the corner of my bed in confusion. My heart was sick at the thought that I might sound just like that girl if someone asked me my excuse. I stood up, looked myself in the eyes in the mirror on my wall, and I made a verbal declaration to myself.
“Anthony, you’re going to be great. YOU are going to be great!”
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about what it is like being a professional sports player?
It is a guarantee. NFL stands for “Not for long”; however, the business has a way of making you feel protected. Once you are in with the NFL family, you feel invincible that you would be taken care of even if something happened to you. But see, that is the problem right there. It feels like a family, but it is still a business when the lights are turned off at the stadium and fans have left the gift shop. No one is responsible for your career growth or unexpected unemployment from injury. You alone must come armored with a backup plan before even leaning into the dream of going after a professional sport.
Ok super. Let’s now move to the main part of our discussion. How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting causes you are working on right now?
The Shift Method is my gift to the world. It is my contribution to anyone willing to make an effort to upgrade and achieve any goal they’ve ever wanted. You will make the most remarkable identity shift in your life by breaking your dream life down into achievable action steps and taking those actions. By taking consistent and sustained action, you will achieve levels of life beyond what you’ve ever dreamed is possible for you. You can head over to www.IdentityShiftBook.com/resources now to get a free worksheet on the Shift Method. The difference between succeeding people and those who aren’t succeeding is that they’ve created a new version or a new upgrade to their identity.
What methods are you using to most effectively share your cause with the world?
I firmly believe that the Shift Method can change every individual’s life, that I offer my teachings through various platforms. I recently launched my new book, Identity Shift: Upgrade How You Operate to Elevate Your Life, and this is a great place to start to learn the method on your own time. Suppose you are ready to take action now and are looking to begin enacting change as quickly as possible. In that case, I offer a free clarity call where we spend time helping you gain clarity and action planning a program specific to your needs.
Can you share with us the story behind why you chose to take up this particular cause?
After overcoming over 30+ traumatic life events and navigating the identity shifts that followed, I learned that making a shift internally elevates how you operate externally, which in turn changes your life. I want to serve those who feel that there is no way out and think that the circumstances given to them are what define them.
Can you share with us a story about a person who was impacted by your cause?
One of my favorite stories is of a client I worked with who was running a business and only bringing in about $3k a month at the time we started working together. They’d previously sold a business for $1M and they assumed some it was some sort of fluke. They didn’t internally identify as the person who was capable of such a thing so they couldn’t find a way to that level of success. After working together they broke through that barrier and made an identity shift. After 18 months, they’re now surpassed over $1.2M in sales in their new business.
What are your five things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
- “Hustle, but not so hard that you lose everything you are hustling for.” This is a life lesson I learned in the most challenging way. I was so focused on going after my dreams of playing in the NFL that I neglected almost every aspect of my life. It is important to grind and put in the time to work towards your dream, but not at the expense of everything else.
- “Your biggest obstacle is the person you used to be.” The experiences we go through naturally have a way of defining who we are without us noticing the power we are letting the past have on where we are going today. Growing up in foster care led me to believe that I wasn’t good enough that I didn’t have anything to offer the world. When I decided to build the life I wanted to define for myself, I had to work through the shadows of my past throughout the process. To not hold onto the limiting belief that I was not good enough to try out for the football team, be deserving of the loving adopted family, and have good things happen to me.
- “There are a ton of ways to your dream. Pick one and go” When I made the conscious decision to share my teachings with the world, I found myself running down many different paths and never crossing the finish line. When you find your passion and purpose, we tend to take the excitement and run towards every opportunity available to us. However, this tends to lead us to feel overwhelmed and not move the needle on our goals. Start with one thing. It sounds simple, but as an entrepreneur, it is critical to success.
- “When things get difficult, don’t run from them. Lean into what you can learn from it.” My time in foster care was such a defining moment in my life when my identity shifted from a statistic to becoming the individual I knew I could be.
- “Every comeback story starts with a failure. Don’t quit too early.” I had to apply this lesson in my life after my first season playing football. Everyone, and everything, was telling me that this sport just wasn’t for me. While I have the build to play, I lack in all areas to have a chance of being on the field. What if I stopped playing after that first season? I would have missed out on the most significant learning opportunities of my life.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you explain how that was relevant in your life?
“We’re going to have to do things we’re not used to doing for us to get to the place we want to get to.” To get out of the foster care system, I had to do things not part of my story. I had to think outside of what society told me I would become and learn from a very young age the power you have to control your own identity and story.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Politics, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
I’d love to meet with The Rock. Having played in the NFL I was elbow to elbow with some of the highest level humans in the world so I rarely place people on a pedestal. The Rock intrigues me and inspires me, as he does many others. I’d genuinely just love to dig around in his heart and head with no other desire than to know what exists in there outside of the lights and cameras. Not to share with the world or report on later. Just to have a human-to-human meal and press on with life with no intentions but to have that memory for me.
How can our readers follow you online?
The best place to learn more about me is by heading to my website, anthonytrucks.com.
YouTube
Thank you so much for these amazing insights. This was so inspiring.
Sports Stars Making a Social Impact: Why And How Former NFL Athlete Anthony Trucks Is Helping To… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.