ABOUT
In 2008, I graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army alongside 972 other cadets. While the majority of them were sent to war, I embarked on a different path — the NFL. Little did I know, I was about to face a battle of my own, an inner war that would push me to the brink.
There’s A Reason Why My Neck Is The Size Of Some People’s Thighs. Let Me Explain.
The Short Version
Discovering The Intersection of Success and Emotional Wellness
Hi there! You might be wondering how a 6’2”, 240lb NFL athlete with a neck the size of some people’s thighs is always smiling and talking about the intersection of success and emotional wellness. Let me formally introduce myself.
From Farm to Football
My name is Caleb, and I grew up on a farm in Texas where I walked a pig. Yes, a pig. I also played football and was quite good at it. From an early age, football helped me find my place in this world.
Scoring touchdowns led me to The United States Military Academy at West Point. I started all four years, became the captain of the team, and made national news when I became the second player in West Point's history to get drafted in the NFL, and the first player given permission to play (although I had to wait three years before I could play; see below).
Reaching the NFL and Facing Burnout
It was in the NFL, right in the middle of my childhood dream, that I found myself outstretched and with no capacity. Despite being the biggest, fastest, and strongest I've ever been, I didn't have the inner capacity to handle the excessive pressure to excel that I faced. Over time, it took a toll on my confidence, performance, and overall sense of self. Like so many others, I thought the only way through was by doing more, achieving more, and trying to be more—until I had nothing left to give.
Like a bomb, the NFL applied just enough pressure, and it left my life in fragments.
Finding Purpose in Pain
This is part of why I do the work I do with leaders across the country. No matter what level of success we reach, if we haven't done the internal work of increasing our capacity, the best moments of our life, the moments that should mean everything to us, end up becoming the moments that fracture us.
Knowing that something needed to change, I found the courage to pivot and make a move that would forever change my life. Through a series of unexpected events, I walked away from the only life I've ever known, packed my bags, and moved to Canada. I worked as a janitor for an organization in exchange for therapy and began the process of learning the emotional tools and skills I needed to perform at my best and live a healthier and happier life.
Empowering Leaders to Thrive
It was from this place of pain and healing that I opened up an untapped reservoir of inner strength. And, over the last several years, I've had the chance to tell my story to over 200,000 leaders and help them create more capacity within themselves and their teams so that they are able to expand their leadership capabilities, elevate their performance, and enhance their overall life satisfaction.
Living Resilience teaches leaders how to take burnout off of the table for good and access all of the latent confidence, brilliance and energy that has been buried inside them all along.
The Longer Version
The Pressure To Succeed
In 2006, the Department of Defense (DoD) created a new policy for cadet-athletes at West Point called the Alternative Service Obligation Policy. This allowed cadet-athletes with a professional contract to pursue their professional career while also serving in the United States Army. Even though this policy was passed, it was not widely accepted by all, notably my peers. Through the pushback, I began to internalize just how important it was that I made my time in the NFL as successful as possible. In a way, this was my war to fight and my battle to win.
Unexpected Challenges
Shortly after getting drafted, I knew my time living out my childhood dream would be short-lived. The fear of being exposed as someone who doesn't have what it takes crippled me and my performance. Deep down, I knew that it was only a matter of time before I would be released from the team. But then, on the day of my first NFL contract signing and on the eve of my first NFL training camp, the most unexpected event happened.
A Sudden Change of Plans
Minutes before I was getting ready to sign my first NFL contract, the DoD decided to revise and rescind the 2006 policy that was allowing me to play. Under the new policy, I was to report back to Active Duty immediately and serve for at least 3 years before I could apply for early release. In the matter of a phone call, my life was turned upside down.
The Hidden Relief
While most of the sports world watched my story unfold live on national television, what they didn't see was that I was elated and overwhelmingly happy that my chances of playing the NFL were over — for the time being. At least this way, my story would be told across America, and I didn't have to be exposed as the failure that I knew I was about to be. This was a big moment in my life because I knew something had to change — I just didn't know how to make that change.
Back to Active Duty
So, I relied on what I knew — working hard and improving my overall performance. I went back to active duty and for three years, I served my country and worked to become the biggest, fastest, and strongest I've ever been so that I could give myself the best chance at succeeding in the NFL.
Returning to the NFL
By all looks and appearances, I was ready for the NFL. Or at least, I thought. Back in the NFL, it didn't take me long to realize that despite being the biggest, fastest, and strongest I've ever been, I didn't have the internal capacity to handle the stress and emotional challenges that came with the pressure-filled ecosystem of the NFL.
Facing Emotional Challenges
Trying my best to hold it all together, the excessive pressure to excel and the fear of failure began to take a serious toll on my life. Feeling all alone and trapped in this inner war, I turned to substances to cope with the inevitable pain that comes when you're emotionally outstretched and not equipped with the emotional skills or tools to manage it properly. The life that I had worked so hard for was now unrecognizable.
Finding a New Path
So, I made one of the hardest decisions of my life — it was time to hang up my cleats and go find my heart. After I left the NFL, I had a tremendous thirst for real change. Despite having multiple job offers, I knew that changing games without addressing anything internal would lead to the same results—burned out with no capacity.
A Life-Changing Journey
It was Albert Einstein who said we can't solve a problem at the same level of awareness that created the problem. I knew I would have to dig deeper to better understand and address the underlying issue dictating my performance and overall sense of happiness and satisfaction.
Through a series of unexpected events, I found myself living in Canada, where I would work as a janitor of an organization for the next several years of my life in exchange for therapy.
Discovering a New Level of Awareness
Day after day, I worked at discovering a new level of awareness that would help me build a life I could be proud of. In the darkest season, I emerged from the other side with a renewed sense of purpose and a deeper understanding of my life's work and message.
Sharing My Passion
Now, it's a passion of mine to deliver keynotes and offer consulting to help high-impact and high-achieving leaders learn how to create more capacity within themselves and their teams so that they can drive greater results and live a healthier and happier life.
The Power of Capacity
When we have more capacity, we win. Our relationships win, our self-worth wins. Our confidence wins. Our teams win. Our sense of purpose and fulfillment wins. Most importantly, our mental health and emotional wellness win.
Next Steps
Keynotes / Workshops
As a West Point graduate and EX-NFL Linebacker, I draw from the deep well of my own personal stories around success, failure, loss and most importantly—my mental health and emotional wellness. They keynotes open audiences up through stories and prepare their hearts and mind to step into their own expansion.
Leadership Training
Designed around your organization’s goals, we will build workshops or training that result in leadership expansion throughout your executive or management teams. This is a custom-built plan designed around the work environment you’re seeing to create in your organization.
Leadership Accelerator
I only coach a few people at a time and for a good reason—because coaching takes space and energy and I want to devote everything I have to your transformation and healing journey. If you know you’re ready to move to a new place in your life, but can’t see the path forward yet, there’s a good chance we’re the right fit.