It's All Good!

 "Billy Sims has been immortalized in Norman"

In the late 1980's MC Hammer recorded a song entitled "It's All Good!" It became one of the biggest songs in hip hop history primarily because of the title which was an instant hit among young people. Everybody adopted that slogan for their everyday lives. It was nothing for a kid to say "It's All Good" about everything. I was in college at the time and it was all good all of the time according to my friends and I.

It can definitely be all good for an athlete that understands the blessing it is to have the opportunity to excel in sports well beyond the average person. It's an honor to have the ability to succeed at the college or professional level or both. The ultimate key to success is how well an athlete can keep their nose clean. That will determine how much success they'll have well beyond sports. So many times we see athletes have  unbelievable careers only to end up broke or isolated from the program's that they once made famous because they couldn't stay out of trouble.

Last weekend I went to Norman to see my favorite team, the Oklahoma Sooners, play and had a chance to eat the best BBQ that I've ever had at Billy Sims' BBQ. Billy is a legendary figure in the football world but there is nothing like his fame in the state of Oklahoma. He is one of five Sooners to have won the Heisman Trophy in which he had the pleasure of winning in 1978. Just outside of Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium there are 30 foot tall statues of all of the Heisman winners that will stand forever.

There is nothing more powerful than a name and Billy's is all good in Sooner Nation because they are still embracing it 33 years later. He's got 22 locations throughout the state and not only is he making money for himself but he's creating job opportunities for others. That's what a good name can do for you.

Guys like Eddie George from Ohio State saw the big picture as well. If you're ever in Columbus you've got to visit Eddie George's Grill 27. However, not everybody will be blessed to win the Heisman or become a legendary sports figure but for those that do, in my opinion, should take full advantage of their good name.

We've seen so many guys have car dealerships with their names on them etc. It's all about branding and that starts with keeping your nose clean while you're still playing the game. One of the most important things that a person can control in his life is his reputation. When your name is good it's all good.

So guys like Cam Newton from Auburn, Reggie Bush from USC and Mark Ingram from Alabama will be forever immortalized on the their respective campuses. They'll be able to show up and sign autographs and be revered until the day that they die. That's power and I say use it to your advantage like my man Billy Sims and so many others before them have.



"Billy Sims and I  at his BBQ joint in OKC!"

 Simply by keeping their nose clean the loyal fans will take care of the legends forever. Now don't get me wrong you don't have to be a Heisman Trophy winner to profit from your name. If a kid is fortunate enough to play at one of these major state schools and makes an impact the alumni and fans will make sure to lookout for them.

I've seen guys play on conference, bowl, Final Four or national title teams get jobs within the state that they didn't even have to interview for simply because of  their names. That's a power move right there! So many guys have parlayed their degrees into the greatest opportunities in the world because they were clean. Notice that I said degrees! If you aren't the Heisman Trophy winner or the first round pick you've got to get that degree to take it to the next level. Be the best that you can be and live off of the one thing that God has blessed you with, your name! When your name is good it's all good.

That's why I get so upset when I see  kids getting into trouble while they're in the middle of their careers whether it's in college or pro. When your nose is clean you get to take a cut in line and nobody's going to complain. It's that simple! Be the best you can be on and off of the field. You may not be able to sale the best BBQ like Billy Sims but you can sale yourself and that's all good!

Holla At Ya Boy!
JayGraves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport