Football, Fortitude & Finishing Strong
It's football season and teams are finishing strong!
Like life, every game or season has its share of unexpected turns: missed opportunities, injuries, penalties, tough opponents, and moments when the scoreboard doesn't look promising.
Whether you're watching from the stands, cheering from your living room, or following your favorite team, there's something we can all learn about leadership and life from football.
A team can be behind at halftime and into the fourth quarter, lose momentum, make mistakes, or face an opponent that seems impossible to beat. But until the final whistle blows, there's still an opportunity to respond, regroup, and keep playing. We have the same opportunity in life.
Have you ever been working towards a goal and thought it was over—only to discover that the most exciting part was still ahead?
Over the last couple of weeks there have been some wild and crazy endings to several football games at the college level and in the NFL, with last-second field goals, improbable comebacks, and teams finding a way to respond when the odds seemed stacked against them.
Here are five examples of teams that kept moving even when they may have felt like it was a million to one odds to come out on top.
Iowa 20, Michigan 19 — September 26
Iowa beat Michigan in the final play of the game. Iowa trailed 19–14 and took over at its own 9-yard line with just 1:46 left. The Hawkeyes marched 91 yards down the field. With two seconds remaining and facing fourth down, quarterback Hank Brown threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Reece Vander Zee to win the game. (CBS Sports)
Lesson learned: When the odds are against you, stay focused. They didn't give up before the clock ran out. It’s a great example of perseverance and teamwork in a single moment.
Baltimore Ravens 34, Dallas Cowboys 31 — September 27
Seven seconds left in regulation and Dallas kicked a field goal to tie the game at 31 with seven seconds remaining. Rather than simply play for overtime, Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson completed a 27-yard pass to Zay Flowers. The Ravens called timeout with one second left, and kicker Tyler Loop made a 56-yard field goal to win. (CBS Sports)
Lesson learned: Sometimes the opportunity you need arrives when you have almost no time left. Stay calm, recognize the opportunity, and have the courage to act.
Denver Broncos 30, Los Angeles Rams 26 — September 27
Two seconds left - Denver came back from a 16–0 halftime deficit. The Rams had one final chance to answer, reaching Denver's 19-yard line with two seconds remaining. Broncos’ safety Talanoa Hufanga intercepted Matthew Stafford's pass in the end zone as time expired, sealing the comeback victory. (NFL)
Lesson: A difficult first half doesn't have to determine the final result. Denver's defense made the final play when it mattered most. Just like teams regroup, adjust, and keep competing so can you!
Jacksonville Jaguars 19, Philadelphia Eagles 17 — October 11
In London, Jacksonville kicker Cam Little drilled a 57-yard game winning field goal as time expired. The 53-yard kickoff return by Ameer Abdullah helped give the Jaguars a final opportunity, and Little converted when it mattered most. (Washington Post)
Lesson learned: One person's contribution can create the opportunity for another person's success. The return, the team's execution, and the kick all mattered. No one wins alone. Football requires players to trust one another, understand their roles, and do their part—even when their contribution doesn't make the highlight reel.
Everyone brings value to the team!
Buffalo Bills 37, Los Angeles Rams 34 — October 12
Who says it’s over when the clock runs out? Many times there’s overtime!
The teams traded touchdowns throughout a crazy and unprecedented fourth quarter, scoring a combined 35 points. The Rams tied the game with five seconds left. In overtime, Buffalo survived a blocked Rams field-goal attempt. Josh Allen led the Bills into range for Tyler Bass to kick the winning 45-yard field goal with 1:55 left in overtime. (NFL)
Lesson learned: Even after momentum swings against you, there just might be another opportunity. Resilience means responding to the latest setback, not assuming all is lost.
What a reminder that the final seconds can matter just as much as the first quarter!
In football, just as in life, players nor you can't change the play that just happened. Everyone can learn from it, make an adjustment, and focus on the next one.
The same is true in leadership. We can't undo yesterday's decision, missed opportunity, or difficult conversation. We can learn from it and decide what we'll do differently next time.
Fortitude isn't about knowing you'll win. It's about having the courage to keep playing when you don't know how the game will end. Don't let one bad play determine the rest of your game.
Who’s ready to finish strong even if you feel the clock is running out?
Your Reflection Questions:
What is one goal I still want to make progress on before the year ends?
Am I focusing on what I can control—or dwelling on what I can't change?
What would finishing strong look like for me in the weeks ahead?
What’s the next action I’m going to take to finish this 4th quarter strong?
Remember: We may not be able to control every circumstance, change every outcome, or make every play perfectly. But we can choose our response, learn from the challenges, support the people around us, and keep moving forward. That's fortitude. And sometimes, the most important play is simply the next one.
The final whistle hasn't blown.
The final quarter still matters.
Contact me if you want to have a conversation about this either one-on-one, host a workshop or provide a keynote for your team.
You Got This! And I Have Your Back!
Ann
