You're Raised by Your Grandparents

Vernon Davis is a ridiculously accomplished player on the football field. He’s a 2-time pro-bowler who played 14 seasons in the National Football League. He was also a 2nd Team All-Pro in 2013, led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 2009, he was an All-American in college, and he won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos. However, this conversation is about everything else that Vernon is involved with. He’s an entrepreneur, he’s an artist, he was on Dancing with the Stars, he’s a real estate investor, and he’s a dad. Whatever he does, he wants to be great at that thing. At his core, he believes he’s an artist. Interestingly enough, he blends artistry and creativity with discipline, helping him to be successful both on and off the football field.

Vernon had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:

“Without your health, you have nothing” (5:00).

“Life is all about how we react to certain things” (6:40).

“I started seeing a therapist from the moment I got drafted” (7:35).

“Whatever it is that’s on your heart, your mind, you need to be able to talk about it and get it off your chest. It’ll take you much further than you think” (8:20).

“We’re all human beings and we all have something we need to get better at each and every day” (9:00).

“There’s nothing like having a vision board. If you’re waking up and seeing this vision board every single day, you’re going to go after those things you want” (9:50).

“I’ll take at least 5 minutes every day to focus on the things I really want in my life” (10:10).

“I’m an artist” (12:50).

“I did the same thing every day for 14 years… I painted this picture in my mind because I’m an artist” (16:25).

“I know exactly what I’m going to do before I do it” (16:45).

“I was never a football player. I was an artist, a creative individual, who happened to be good at football” (17:40).

“The only person that believes in you is you” (21:10).

“If you’re putting in the work, it’s going to pay off, it’s going to show up” (25:05).

“When preparation meets opportunity, it’s going to show up” (25:35).

“I wanted to change the dynamic of the world I was born into” (27:15).

“Hope for the best and prepare for the worst, but always hope and live for the moment” (27:35).

“The same thing that draws me to acting is what drew me to football” (27:50).

“I’m not going to stop working for anything. I know what it is that I’m after and I know exactly how it’s going to play out because I’ve dreamed about it and visualized it” (28:15).

“You control the narrative. It’s all on you” (29:05).

“Everyone has been through moments where they fail, and they’ve gotten back up and succeeded” (29:45).

“There’s a risk in everything that we do” (42:00).

“I’m never going to say to my son you can’t do that” (42:10).

“You can take the things that other people look at as a [challenge]… and instead feel grateful for them because it made me an extraordinary man” (44:15)

“Give your kids what they need, not what they want” (46:15).

“I knew for a fact I would get things done because I’ve always been the type of person who gets things done” (50:45).

“I knew I had to change the direction of my path” (53:10).

Additionally, make sure to check out JaxJox, a great, interactive workout platform, as well as to follow Vernon on social media @VernonDavis85!

Thank you so much to Vernon 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.