“Sometimes, Life’s About Showin’ Up in the Rain!”

The ‘Ol Ball Coach, Steve Spurrier, had one of the most storied careers of any college football player and coach. He won the Heisman Trophy as a gun-slinging quarterback at the University of Florida, before moving on to a brief professional career.  As a college head coach, he won an ACC Championship at Duke, a National Title at Florida, and multiple SEC Championships at both Florida and South Carolina.  Legend.  But perhaps his greatest moment came on a rainy practice field in a forgettable exchange with a student reporter.

It was a sloppy Wednesday in November 1995, and the 3rd-ranked Florida Gators were preparing to take on a weak Illinois team for Homecoming that following Saturday.  The torrential rain and the general lack of interest in the game drove nearly all the reporters away from this particular practice.  But a young reporter from Florida’s student newspaper braved the elements and powered through the entire 3-hour practice.  At the “news conference” following,  he was the only one in attendance.  He wasn’t expecting any scoop and nervously asked Coach Spurrier if he had anything interesting to share.

“Well, actually I do.  Saturday, I’m gonna sit Danny and start Eric!”

Come again!?  “Danny” was sensational starting quarterback Danny Wuerffel, who would go on to win the Heisman Trophy the following year.  “Eric” was Eric Kresser, a very talented but seldom used backup.  Bombshell!  The young reporter couldn’t believe he had landed one of the biggest sports scoops in the country.  After shaking off the shock of the moment, he finally asked the ‘Ol Ball Coach why he had shared his secret.** (See postscript after this story)

Coach Spurrier smiled and gave the young reporter an encouraging pat on the back.

“Because, son, sometimes life’s just about showin’ up in the rain!”

Boom. The immediate and obvious lesson is powerful.  We have to grind, persevere, and do all the little things that may be uncomfortable and tedious.  Just having the courage to show up over and over again can pay enormous dividends.  But the subtext of Coach Spurrier’s reveal is even more powerful.  Of course, there are times in our lives when we have to show up in the rain.  But having the empathy and awareness to recognize and reward those who show up in the rain is the true lesson of this story!

We Can’t Do It Alone

For every successful business or team, there are a handful of people who constantly show up in the rain.  The executive admin who blocks and tackles all the noise and keeps our schedule clean.  The middle manager who deftly handles crisis communication both up and down the ranks.  The junior salesperson who makes cold calls and qualifies leads before sunrise and after sunset.  The reserve player who stays positive and grinds on the scout team, knowing he or she may never see the field in a game.  These are the people who make up the life blood of an organization and team.  These are the people we need to recognize and reward for constantly showing up in the rain.

It sounds simple, but it is not easy. Obviously, our rainmakers need and deserve recognition.  Obviously, our executive team needs to be well compensated.  Obviously, our star players deserve their awards.  If we want to be highly profitable or win a championship, we need these people to execute at the highest level.  But we have to understand that no one can get to the top of the mountain alone.  Behind every successful venture, there is a team of people who constantly show up in the rain without fanfare .  And the more we can shift our perspective toward a culture of appreciation and recognition of these acts, the more we can all succeed together!

We Have to Show Our Appreciation

And this same philosophy is even more powerful in our personal lives. Who are the people that constantly show up for us in the rain?  Always there for us in our lowest moments.  Always rooting for us no matter what the situation.  Always walking in when the rest of the world is walking out.  They will be there for us regardless, but we can’t take these people for granted!  We have to let them know how important they are to us.  We have to communicate our appreciation for all they have done. We have to make them the heroes of our story.  We simply couldn’t go on with out them.

And so we step back with a new perspective of empathy.  We realize that it takes a village to succeed at anything in life.  And we must look to reward and appreciate those people who go the extra mile and grind without fanfare or recognition.  Because sometimes life’s just about showin’ up in the rain!

**P.S.–Coach Spurrier started Eric Kresser against a weak Illinois team in order to give the senior an opportunity to play in a real game.  Kresser was highly recruited our of high school but stuck behind a parade of All-Americans and never saw any action at Florida.  How did he respond? Kresser threw for a then-record 458 yards and six touchdowns en route to a 58-20 thrashing of Illinois.  Ya can’t make it up!