Back in 1988, I was still in High School and living in the greater Northern Virginia area. Or the DMV as it is now known as. The previous ten years our hometown NFL team, the Washington Redskins were a DYNASTY. Perennial playoff contenders who had advanced to the Super Bowl for the third time in 7 years. And I was obsessed with the team. Their practice facility was just a few miles from my house and I often made the trek to the back fence of the complex just to get a glance of some of my gridiron HEROES!
In fact, I was such a fan fanatic, I actually SKIPPED my mid-term exams to attend Super Bowl 22, in which my beloved Redskins trampled the helpless Denver Broncos 42-10!! I was literally in ‘HOG’ Heaven!! (You Skins fans will get that reference!) I had made a deal with the High School principal that if he let me skip my exams, I would come back after the game and take all six of them in his office, one after another. And ya know what, that's EXACTLY what I did! And received 5 A's and one B+ ; thank you very much! :0) lol
So when I first watched the story of Matthew Jeffers, a fervent Baltimore Ravens fan who just a few years ago wrote an impassioned letter to the head coach of the team simply titled, ‘A Reason To Win,’ it left an indelible imprint on the deepest part of my heart. That season, the Ravens had lost 3 games in a row and were about to be eliminated from the playoffs. The entire team and their coaching staff were under intense scrutiny and many members of the team felt the energy within the entire organization start to crumble. Just a few years earlier they had won the Super Bowl, and now they were a team under fire!
John Harbaugh, the team's head coach returned to his office from a long day of practice one day and checked his e-mails. His assistant had forwarded Jeffer's letter to him. Harbaugh said, “This one(letter) stopped me. Really it made me pause. It came from a fan, and it got me. I immediately decided to share it with the team and emailed it to them.”
Here is the email that he sent...........................................
"To Whom It May Concern,
"My name is Matthew Jeffers. I am a senior at Towson University majoring in acting, and I have been a die-hard Ravens fan since Baltimore welcomed you with open arms in 1996. As you, the Ravens, continue to battle through tough losses and heated criticism, allow me to share some thoughts with you. You are in uncharted territory. You (and us) have had the gift and pleasure of consistently winning for years, and frankly, you have spoiled us. You have maintained a level of professionalism and inspiring play for so long that we have lost touch with what it feels like to have our feet in the mud. And I'm sure it is an even worse feeling for you, the ones on the field, than it is for the ones in the stands.
"My name is Matthew Jeffers. I am a senior at Towson University majoring in acting, and I have been a die-hard Ravens fan since Baltimore welcomed you with open arms in 1996. As you, the Ravens, continue to battle through tough losses and heated criticism, allow me to share some thoughts with you. You are in uncharted territory. You (and us) have had the gift and pleasure of consistently winning for years, and frankly, you have spoiled us. You have maintained a level of professionalism and inspiring play for so long that we have lost touch with what it feels like to have our feet in the mud. And I'm sure it is an even worse feeling for you, the ones on the field, than it is for the ones in the stands.
"And let me let you in on a little secret. Life doesn't care about streaks. It does not care about three-game losing streaks, or four-game win streaks. It does not care if you WANT to win, if you NEED to win. At the end of the day, life is simply unfair. I am short-statured. I am 21 years old, but stand only at 4'2”. Over my lifetime I have endured 20 surgeries, some small, others life-threatening. I have had a tracheotomy, I have had blood transfusions, I have spent summers in a hip spica cast, and I've had to learn how to walk again. My last surgery was in 2003, and I acquired the naive mindset that I was free from the bondage of heartache. I had the mindset that I had ‘done my time.’ And then, in February of 2011, my mother was diagnosed with a stage IV brain tumor. As I write this, the doctors at JHU are determining whether or not the next step should be Hospice care. So you tell me, is life fair? When you give every ounce you have, and all you have to show for it is a loss in overtime, is that fair? When families in Newtown, CT go into their child's room, but have no child to kiss goodnight, is that fair?
"We live in a painful world, no doubt about it. But let me tell you this: The ONLY disability in life is a bad attitude. The ONLY disability in life............is a bad attitude. A positive attitude is the most powerful combatant to life's misfortune. The will to fight, to survive, to win. It is the secret weapon I use, and I think I'm turning out OK. When you play on Sunday, let it not be to win a division or to silence the critics or prove somebody wrong or end a losing skid. Let it be a dedication to that simple yet powerful notion that life can be conquered with the right outlook. And I promise you, I promise you that everything else will take care of itself. Go get 'em on Sunday. I wish you all the best on your journey to The Lombardi."
---Matthew---
---Matthew---
Posted by Kevin Byrne from www.baltimore ravens.com
The next day, the team felt completely INSPIRED and recharged. Many of the players credit that letter with turning their entire season around! In fact, the Ravens won their final game of the season to finish at 10-6 and found a place in that season's playoff run. And what could only be written in a Hollywood script, actually went on to WIN THE SUPER BOWL!! Beating the San Francisco 49ers 34-31!
We all face challenges of various degrees. Some MUCH worse than others. And I would NEVER want to trivialize any of the myriad of disabilities millions face with such bravery and courage very single day. My intention for sharing this INCREDIBLE story is because I know from personal experience, that ANY obstacle, or disability can be overcome. And I DO MEAN ANY!! Through the support of others and the deep BELIEF in ourselves, we can turn our PAIN INTO POWER!
It is the Hero's/Heroine's Journey lived to its fullest! Having the KNOWINGNESS that everything that happens can be seen for our greater good and for the understanding of our path and PURPOSE!
Nerdmaste,
Jeffrey Louis Martinez
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