Hail those who never quit

Sporting News, The, Sept 8, 2003 by J.C. Watts, Jr.

Being the good Republican that I am, I hesitate to invoke the memory of a particular former president in any way, shape or form--particularly in reference to three outstanding athletes ... but here goes. Bear with me.

You may remember a guy from Arkansas who ran for President of these United States way back in 1992. He encountered a series of scandals on the road to his party's nomination and was counted down and nearly out at one point early on. Then, one night when he finished second--not first--in a major primary election, he stood before his cheering supporters and proclaimed himself the "comeback kid:"

There are a few comeback kids or soon-to-be comeback kids in sports today for whom I have the greatest respect and admiration.

I was watching Kurt Warner in a preseason game recently and was thinking back to less than a year ago when he was 0-6 as a starter for the Rams. All the experts were proclaiming Mark Bulger as the next Mississippi River-banks hero. Bulger had a great year, for sure, and he stepped up when his team needed him. But I always thought anyone who was writing Warner off was just a tad hasty. It wasn't that long ago that he was stocking shelves at a supermarket. To accomplish what he has would certainly qualify him for a comeback kid award.

But Warner isn't done. This guy is too driven. Too competitive. You can see it in his eyes. Apollo Creed called it the "eye of the tiger."

After having suffered for him last season, it was pretty satisfying to watch Warner hit all his passes and go untouched against the defending Super Bowl champions. I know it was just a preseason game, but you could see it in his eyes. Anyone who has ever competed at the highest levels can see it.

Even Bucs coach Jon Gruden said Warner was the "MVP guy I remember."

I believe Kurt Warner is the man to watch this year in the NFL. He's a man of strong faith who still has the pride, confidence and will to win.

The day after I watched Warner, I saw a bit on Tiger Woods. Remember him? Only a couple of months ago, he was considered the premier golfer in the world. He walked on water. Women's rights groups were after him to make political and social statements.

Today, some experts are wondering if Tiger will ever win another major.

I'm no golf expert, but Tiger Woods is still the man to watch on the Tour. He has barely scratched the surface of what he'll accomplish.

When he finds his swing again (which he will) and settles on his equipment, he'll be back on top.

I have competed in the big games before, the big contests ... the big sales pitches ... enough to know that it's not about the equipment. It's about the man. I am reminded of the title of Lance Armstrong's autobiography, It's Not About the Bike. He's right. It's about the man. Tiger is a man. Tiger is another guy with the "look:" He's driven to compete, He's driven to excellence. To be the best.

Speaking of Lance Armstrong, how many times have we counted him out?

Cancer couldn't beat him.

This year, in his quest for a fifth Tour de France title, dehydration couldn't beat him. A stomach ailment couldn't hold him back.

Finally, when so much of the sporting world thought Lance was showing his age, witness the heart-thumping crash on the Luz-Ardiden when he was neck-and-neck with Jan Ullrich.

Lance refused to fail, and the rest is history. Lance was going to win because he had the will to win.

Athletes like Kurt, Tiger and Lance have that something extra in their souls that drives them to perform and compete. It's a confidence that some mistake for arrogance. But there's nothing arrogant about results.

Drive. Confidence. Refusal to fail ... to never give in. These qualities have driven the greatest athletes, business leaders and even politicians since time began. These are qualities that make for real comeback kids.

J.C. Watts, a former U.S. representative from Oklahoma and quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners, is chairman of J.C. Watts Companies.