What Was It Like to Be a Line Backer?

D’Qwell Jackson was a superstar at the University of Maryland. He had an amazing and illustrious career, winning all kinds of awards. He really out-kicked expectations that were placed on him when he arrived in College Park, Maryland. He did such a good job there that he ended up being a second-round pick in the NFL Draft. He went on to have a 10+ year career in the NFL starting at linebacker. This conversation is going to be about a lot more than just executing as a football player. D’Qwell is open and honest about some of the challenges he faced over his NFL career around his identity, his mindset, his belief in himself, and overcoming adversity and injuries.

D’Qwell had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:

“Trevor [Moawad] was a godsend for me” (5:45).

“I’m a planner. When I wake up in the morning, I need to know exactly what I’m doing every moment, every hour, of the day” (9:00).

“We mapped out everything. Monday through Sunday everything was planned” (10:40).

“If you want to be great, there are no choices. Period.” (12:45).

“Those two decisions I made in my life of meeting Trevor and going to Sierra Leone really changed the way I looked at and evaluated my life. I started making better choices after those moments” (15:00).

“I was very self-motivated. It didn’t take much. It was just a matter of mapping out a plan of how to do it” (17:30).

“If there was an opportunity to be my best self or to be the best at something, internally I couldn’t let that opportunity pass me by” (19:05).

“I didn’t want to miss an opportunity” (19:45).

“I knew I had the skills to get a full scholarship and to go to college. That was my only thought” (20:00).

“At one point in life, I needed football for my identity” (24:25).

“I’m more than just football. I can use my talents to really branch out” (24:40).

“As a professional athlete, the sooner you can realize you’re living in 2 different worlds, 2 different realities, the better off you’ll be” (28:45).

“People deal with trauma differently” (33:05).

“Every day needs to be better than the previous day” (36:25).

“It took some things not going exactly as planned in order for me to come out on the better end of things” (37:15).

“Never get too high, never get too low” (38:35).

“You go right to the solution. You don’t dwell on what’s happened” (40:00).

“Everyone deals with mental stress whether they realize it or not” (40:55).

“I wanted to be the best linebacker I could possibly be” (42:05).

“If you don’t have people you trust at every level, it’s not going to work” (44:15).

“If you make people believe like they’re a part of the system, then we’re going to get so much more in return” (51:40).

“I’m comfortable in my own skin” (54:45).

“Football helped me come out of my shell” (59:55).

Additionally, I would encourage you to check out the Athletes Unplugged podcast hosted by D’Qwell. Each episode unearths great behind-the-scene stories while showcasing each guest as their authentic selves, not just their profession. You can find @AthletesUnplugged on platforms such as YouTube, Google podcast, Podbay, Spotify & Apple. You can also find D’Qwell on Instagram @dqwelljackson and you can find Athletes Unplugged on Instagram @Athletesunplugged.

Thank you so much to D’Qwell for coming on the podcast!

I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.