Finding Light in the Darkness - with Jake Olson

It's not the events of your life that define you, but the MEANING you attach to those events. WHATEVER YOUR SETBACKS, HARDSHIPS, EXCUSES ARE IN LIFE, THIS INTERVIEW WILL GIVE YOU A COMPLETELY NEW PERSPECTIVE. I am truly honored to bring you one of THE MOST inspiring human beings on the planet in this intimate one on one interview with Jake Olson. Imagine being told at the age of 12 that you would lose your eyesight and have to live the rest of your life in darkness. A cancer survivor and now completely blind, Jake has overcome every hardship to become a long-snapper for the @USCedu #TROJANS and a history-making play! This is one of the GREATEST sports stories of all time! His incredible achievements, relentless resiliency and ability to be THE EXAMPLE for how to MAXOUT every circumstance has lead Jake to lead and inspire people all over the world. We discuss how to OVERCOME ADVERSITY from a man that has experienced more setbacks and unfairness in the first chapter of life than many of us will experience in our entire lifetime. You will be moved! You will cry! You will learn! You will grow! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Ed Mylett?

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• 0:45Ed Mylett?

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• 1:01Speaker 01

  Mr. President, my company, for me, of the explosion on our rig.

• 1:05Speaker 02

  On October 2nd.

• 1:06Speaker 01

  Causing massive water displacement and triggering a tsunami. They all heap the blame on me.

• 1:11Speaker 02

  Tom Cruise is. Digger got us into this mess. And Digger's gonna dig us up. From the director of Birdman and The Revenant.

• 1:18Speaker 01

  What would happen if I stopped drilling? You stop, you freeze to death, that's what.

• 1:22Speaker 02

  With great power comes great deniability.

• 1:25Speaker 01

  I'm not the first nanny.

• 1:27Speaker 02

  Digger. See the trailer online. Only in theaters October 2nd. Rated R. Under 17. Not a minute without parent.

• 1:35Speaker 03

  Welcome to the Ed Mylett Show.

• 1:39Speaker 03

  This podcast is for those who want to do more, see more, and be more.

• 1:49Ed Mylett?

  Welcome back to Max Out, everyone. I'm Ed Mylett. Today's gonna be incredible, just so you know. And this one is for my mom. I asked my mom a few weeks ago. I said, Mom, if I could get any guest on the spinning planet Earth, who would you want? Former presidents? What actor? What entertainer? She says, she called me back the next day. She said, I want Jake Olson. So that man is here with me today. Jake, thank you for being here, brother. Thank you for having me, Ed. I'm gonna tell you guys about this young man. By the way, we also have Quebec with us. And I think Quebec is sort of bored with the interview, but he's definitely here with us today. For those of you that don't know, I asked Jake, I said, "How should I describe you?" He said, "Tell them I'm blind." So if you're, if you're listening to this on audio and you're not seeing it on YouTube, you may not know this, but the young man to my left, I think is one of the most inspiring people in the world.

• 2:33Ed Mylett?

  And I've been following his story for several years. And we're gonna get into that story. You're gonna be moved, you're gonna be crying, you're gonna be laughing, you're gonna learn. And our off-camera stuff has been so good already, so. Jake is actually a senior at USC who will be graduating here very shortly. He's also a long snapper on the football team. And what makes that even a little bit more unique is that he can't see. And so I'm sure you're wondering how the heck that works and what your life story is. So that's what we're gonna talk about today, brother. So, thank you.

• 3:05Speaker 04

  Of course.

• 3:05Ed Mylett?

  For being here.

• 3:06Speaker 04

  Looking forward to it.

• 3:07Ed Mylett?

  So, you're 12 years old. You were a fan of USC football, pretty big time, right? You grew up in Huntington Beach.

• 3:13Speaker 04

  Right.

• 3:14Ed Mylett?

  Tell me a little bit about your upbringing pre-vision loss. What was your life like?

• 3:18Speaker 04

  Right, so, I mean, at eight months old, I was diagnosed with a rare form of eye cancer called retinoblastoma. And obviously, at a year old, you know, I'm not old enough to actually remember exactly what happened, but the cancer was bilateral, meaning in both eyes. So they immediately had to remove my left eye. It was too far progressed in the left eye. And the fear with retinoblastoma is it progresses to the point through the optic nerve to the brain, and then from there, it's unstoppable. So if you can't cure the cancer in the eye, you have to remove the eye. Which removes the cancer and cures it. So they removed my left eye. It was only about half as bad, though, in my right eye. So we were able to cure my right eye with chemotherapy, some laser treatment.

• 4:03Speaker 04

  The cancer went away. And then basically, from about one years old to 12 years old, my life was... That cancer returning eight times.

• 4:12Ed Mylett?

  Oh, my gosh.

• 4:13Speaker 04

  So each time it would come back, you know, we'd go to the hospital and figure out a new way of treating it. If that was radiation, if that was chemo, if that was laser, cryo, or experimental treatments, you know, whatever it was. So all the way up to when I was 12 years old, and then in the fall 2009, when I was 12, the cancer finally returned. And for me, it was just another return of the cancer. You know, I was, okay, what are we gonna do this time? How are we gonna fight it? And unfortunately, the doctors had a different, different news for me, and that was that really they had exhausted all options. And we could keep messing around with it, but the cancer had kind of become immune to the treatments, and there was a great chance that it would

• 4:57Speaker 04

  continue to grow. And if it did spread, then, you know, obviously, my life would be at

• 5:01Ed Mylett?

  a great risk. So, you know, the removal of my right eye was then kind of necessary,

• 5:06Speaker 04

  which obviously meant going completely blind.

• 5:09Ed Mylett?

  Amazing, brother. So I want to ask you some stuff about that. First off, I think you're unbelievable. You know that. Just so everybody knows, on our show, because of the great blessing of how successful it's been, we haven't reached out to ask somebody to be on this show in a very long time. They reach out to us, and I want you all to know I reached out to him. And myself, by the way.

• 5:29Speaker 04

  It was a no-brainer.

• 5:29Ed Mylett?

  It was. Well, thank you. And, but I want to know some stuff, because people are listening to this, and they're, they have children, or they're a child listening to this. There's gonna be a lot of young people listening to this, and they're going through stuff, you know, just adversity in their life. How did 12 years of just being in and out of chemo and radiation, or whatever you were doing, affect you, like, as a kid? Were you just in the hospital a lot? I mean...

• 5:54Speaker 04

  Yeah, no, there was definitely a lot of, a lot of times in our hospitals. I mean, we flew to New York a couple of times, we were receiving some very experimental treatment. And so there was, there was a lot of times, you know, again, that I was with my parents, missing school. And, you know, in that, you, you definitely learn. I've, I've learned in my 12 years to be patient, to be, you know, to persevere, to be resilient. You know, a lot of the different... Characteristics that have helped me overcome adversity. And really, I attribute my success after blindness to those 12 years because.

• 6:27Ed Mylett?

  Really?

• 6:28Speaker 04

  Because although blindness was my biggest setback in my life, when I went blind at the age of 12, it was the 12 years of going through cancer that taught me how to be resilient. And therefore, I could, you know, apply a lot of those lessons I learned in the 12 years to the adversity that comes with, you know, living a life without sight.

• 6:45Ed Mylett?

  Yeah, you are like unbelievably composed and calm for your age. Like, your presence is like a 70-year-old guy, right? That's a compliment. And I wondered when we met, like, whoa, like, there's a presence about you. Let me tell you the other thing you have, man, like, you have a strength about you. And I think I have a little of that too, but it's almost an intimidating type confidence and strength you have.

• 7:07Speaker 04

  I appreciate it.

• 7:07Ed Mylett?

  It's true, and it's why I wondered, how did this really affect you as a young guy? And so, go ahead, you were gonna say something.

• 7:13Speaker 04

  Well, I mean, it just, you know, I learned, you know, going through cancer, I mean, you know, you would think by the sixth time, you know, when we would go in at 10 years old, it's like the cancer's back one more time, it'd be devastating. But I, you just learn to say, okay, it's back, let's deal with it now, you know? Let's not freak out about it, let's not lose our minds like it's the end of the world, let's figure it out. And, you know, although blindness was a striking blow, and it was sad and it was mad, and I, you know, I had lots of nights I cried and it tortured my mind of, you know, thinking about the rest of my life without sight. You know, at the end of the day, it's okay, this is going to happen. Especially, I remember waking up from the surgery that took my sight. I mean, right then and there, it's okay, okay, I am blind now, it is the reality.

• 7:56Speaker 04

  So, you know, there is a decision now, let's go home and sulk about and think about all the things I could have done with sight and how life ripped me off. Or, let's go figure out how to live a life I want to live and do the things I continue to want to do and love. And live happy, you know?

• 8:09Ed Mylett?

  At 12 years old, laying in the hospital, you, that occurred to you? Seriously? You thought that, you made that decision thinking, I'm sure it wasn't that definitive, but.

• 8:18Speaker 04

  But, yes, I mean, it was that thought process. I mean, because it is too, it's just a crossroad, you know, and I. Growing 12 years, I mean, I realize it's, and that's why I try to tell people, it is your, at the end of the day, it is your choice what road you want to go down. And of course, you need a support system and, you know, and

• 8:34Ed Mylett?

  Did you have that? You have great parents?

• 8:36Speaker 04

  I do. I have a twin sister who's been there for me. I have great parents and great family, and great friends that have encouraged me and helped me through the way, and I don't know where I'd be without them. But at the end of the day, I mean, it is your choice of how you want to move on with your life and kind of what mindset you want to take moving forward.

• 8:52Ed Mylett?

  It's incredible to me because, you know, I have people on my show all the time who have great things to say about being motivated or being resilient, but like, you live this, like, into some of the most difficult times somebody could ever go through in their life. In prepping for this, as you know, I told you off-camera, I have a sister who's lost most of her vision as well. And when that was happening with her, those of you that are listening to this, you know, here, well, someone's become blind that could prior see. I just want you to kind of begin to move your heads around that. This is a young man who could see the world and then couldn't. And one day, I was particularly bothered by my sister's situation, and I decided to take 10 minutes with my eyes closed, awake.

• 9:37Ed Mylett?

  10 minutes without being able to see. And if you have any appreciation for this young man goes through, I challenge you to spend 10 minutes with no vision, never mind the rest of your life, and you'd have an appreciation for the depth of character that this young man has. It was so difficult for me just to go 10 minutes in darkness and being awake. And so I'm curious, if you don't mind me asking you, what was the moment when you woke up? Like, if you recall it, do you remember waking up and you could now not see?

• 10:03Speaker 04

  I do, I do. And, you know, to be honest, waking up was the easiest part because it really, it was almost a burden had been lifted. I remember I found out October 1st of 2009 I was going to go blind, and I went blind on November 12. So there was about a month and a half there of knowing this was going to be your last month and a half of seeing. And so it was a huge burden on my back and my psyche of everything. And I was able to do a lot of cool things, including, obviously, be invited to become a part of the USC family with Coach Carroll. But Everything I remember, I mean, literally the thought of, okay, this is the last time I'm gonna be able to see a Laker game. This is the last time I can be able to see the sunset. This is the last time I can be able to see my family, you know?

• 10:48Speaker 04

  Like, those thoughts were just in my mind.

• 10:51Ed Mylett?

  Of course.

• 10:52Speaker 04

  A ton. And so when I finally woke up, it was like, okay, it's finished. I mean, it's happened. And so, and, you know, I heard my parents speak to me right as I woke up and, you know, I realized they were there. And, you know, you would think it was like, it would have been kind of like, oh, man, now I am blind. Like, gosh darn it. It wasn't. It was almost, like I said, it was, it was a, okay, it's happened. Now, let's go back to the drawing board and really figure out.

• 11:19Ed Mylett?

  Oh, brother, jeez Louise. I think you, I think something happens to people too, like, you know, we've talked about other friends of mine that have had some difficult or tragic circumstances happen. And, and everybody should hear this, like, the power of the human spirit, like, you're a lot stronger and resilient than you think you are. There are parts of you that are there that are so incredibly strong that if you can find them, you'll be so proud of yourself. And I'm like, I've been watching you on TV for, I'm like, I'm so proud of this guy. Like, it's pretty rare for a grown man like me to watch something on TV alone and cry, right? And it's a couple of times when I've watched you, I'm like, my gosh, this guy's just unbelievable. So, I don't get really excited about meeting most people, right?

• 12:03Ed Mylett?

  And you, probably the youngest guy I've had on the show, is the guy who's like the most excited to meet.

• 12:07Speaker 04

  Appreciate that.

• 12:08Ed Mylett?

  Because I just admire the transition so much.

• 12:10Speaker 04

  Well, I think a lot of cool in this story too, is I mean, people have been kind of able to grow up with me since I, you know, the first story came out when I was 12.

• 12:17Ed Mylett?

  Yeah, y'all, maybe some of you may not know this, but this, this story's been really well documented because of your relationship with the shirt you're wearing. And this is just about to get, just so you know, you're about to hear what will end up being one of the greatest movies ever released here someday, probably pretty soon. Because the man number one is incredible, right? What he's overcome and, and that difficulty. I just want to tell you, I've never met your parents, but I already know they've just got to be incredibly, you come from an amazing family because it's produced you, right? And so, as a dad. I know how much strength it must have required, at least I think I do, for a father to have to, or a mother to wake up and have to have a son who's lost their vision. It must be just a thing.

• 12:59Speaker 04

  I didn't want to imagine that. That's one thing that I did.

• 13:01Ed Mylett?

  Yeah, that's probably not something you want to imagine, I'm sure, so. So, let's talk a little bit about the entire story. Is there something about, I'm curious, is there something about, this is gonna be an odd question, what's good about being blind?

• 13:15Speaker 04

  What's good about being blind? There's a lot of blessings in being blind. You know, a lot of it, I remember, early on, right after I went blind, I was, I actually was invited to speak and that kind of snowballed into me speaking around the country, but I was like, I was 14 years old and I remember I was flying to Utah to speak. And we were sitting there and like, there was this baby being changed, like the row across from us in the plane, okay? And I remember my mom's like, Jakey, there's a blessing in being blind. And from there, I was like, yep, that's exactly the saying I'm gonna use in certain points in my life. So, I think one of the cool things though, is, you know, when I meet people, you know, there is some oddities in how being able to see for 12 years,

• 14:01Speaker 04

  sometimes when I meet people, it's like, did he look like that? And does he be kinda accurate? Not that I really focus on it, but I do think there's an innocence of not being able to see what someone looks like, just hearing their voice, hearing what they actually say, and then, you know, walking away from that and never thinking twice about what they actually look like, just kinda basing what the person is, based on their personality.

• 14:22Ed Mylett?

  What, how's it affect your day-to-day existence now? It's been a while, right? It's been, what, 10 years almost, right?

• 14:29Speaker 04

  Almost 10.

• 14:29Ed Mylett?

  Yeah, so, have you adapted completely, do you think, to that? And, go ahead, you answer that and I have another question for him, just out of curiosity.

• 14:40Speaker 04

  Blindness and any change in life, I mean, you're constantly learning, right?

• 14:43Ed Mylett?

  Yeah.

• 14:44Speaker 04

  There's constantly little tricks you develop during activity during the day. It's like, okay, I can do that better next time, you know? I mean, I still, to this day, when I brush my teeth at nighttime, probably have to put like, try three times to put toothpaste on, because like, not, I didn't squeeze hard enough that time. Oh, that's too much now, like, you know, that's like one of the things like, you know, if there's any inventors out there, if you can figure out how blind people can just put toothpaste on the toothbrush effectively, like, let me know, but uh.

• 15:07Ed Mylett?

  Whoa, okay, that's good, that's good. I would never have thought of that.

• 15:11Speaker 04

  Right, I mean, there's just little things like that, I mean, like, plugging plugs into an outlet, like, is always a difficulty. If you want to, if, turn the lights off and try to plug a plug into an outlet on the wall, it's the most frustrating thing ever.

• 15:25Speaker 04

  So there's like stuff where you still kind of, you know, like, just, you know, it's a little frustrating, but, I mean, yeah, I mean, you know, a year after I went blind, I completely was able to read Braille, so it took about a year and.

• 15:35Ed Mylett?

  Whoa.

• 15:35Speaker 04

  I'm getting around with the cane and then obviously, you know, with the guide dog, you know, the stuff, I mean.

• 15:40Ed Mylett?

  You've done some other incredible things, just so everybody knows, we're talking off camera, Scott took calculus in college, and you did the entire stuff in your head, right? I mean, tell them about that, how the hell do you do that?

• 15:50Speaker 04

  You know, I, I, I worked with a tutor, but yeah, I mean, you just, I don't know, I, I guess, I think there's a blessing and somewhat, you know, through the 12 years of growing up, there were some times where my eyesight was better than others, and I guess I just kind of started being able to visualize things in my head, so, I mean, when I was working through equations and differentiating equations and stuff, I can, you know, kind of picture in my head and where to move, you know, what number to that side of the equation and.

• 16:11Ed Mylett?

  You say it, you say everything you do, this is the funniest thing, you say everything you say so matter-of-factly, you know what I mean, like, yeah, you know, I just do them all in my head, I just remember things, you know, I just, yeah, I, I, I snapped football in college, he's, we're talking a minute, he shoots, you guys, just listen to me in a minute, we're, you're about to be blown away by a whole bunch of stuff, but this cat right here can't see and he can beat you at golf. So, he shoots in the mid 70s, he played varsity golf in high school, I mean, like, we're gonna talk about all this stuff, but like, just so you know, whatever you think is holding you back in your life, whatever your lame ass excuse is for why you're not getting something done, or whatever pity party you're having for yourself, this man right here takes all

• 16:52Ed Mylett?

  of those excuses away, and you have no excuse, it's time for you to go win, right? So that's just who you're all about, so, one little thing I wanted to ask you, you told Matt I could ask you anything, so I am. I'm wondering if when you dream, do you dream in pictures or like visually? Or do you dream in darkness?

• 17:11Speaker 04

  No, I dream definitely as if I can see, so I'm seeing my dreams. It's weird though, my mind knows I'm blind, so like I'll literally have a dream where I can see, but I still have Quebec by my side or my cane. There's also like, sometimes there'll be like stressful dreams where like I'll be driving a car in my dream and like I'll be able to see, but I know I'm not supposed to be able to see. So like it's stressful because now like I'm like, oh shoot, man, I have to drive this car. I'm not gonna crash this thing like, so, but yes, I mean, it's, it's, it's like, I don't know, it's like probably how you dream. I mean, when people ask me like, what do you see? Is it darkness? It's like, no, it's not darkness. It's, it's just like a, you know, it's a visual memory.

• 17:54Speaker 04

  I mean, it's, it's, if I asked you to picture, you know, you walking through your house right now, your front door, I mean, obviously it's a little more vivid since you're actually doing it.

• 18:01Ed Mylett?

  Yeah.

• 18:01Speaker 04

  But I mean, it's kind of like that almost, you know? But it's, it's just what, you know, your mind's kind of seeing, so.

• 18:06Ed Mylett?

  Brother, you're amazing. All right, let's get to some juice here from the story. So, by the way, Coach Carroll and I went to the same college, the greatest college of all time, University of Pacific. I mean, no offense, but you know, all the great ones went there. But, so your coach was Coach Carroll and I know he was a central figure in life. So you're a huge USC fan. Okay, here we go, everybody. This is gonna get bananas. So take us through this. This is prior to you losing your vision.

• 18:28Speaker 04

  Right.

• 18:28Ed Mylett?

  When did they find out like, hey, this guy's a big USC fan? Clearly, to some extent, the fact that you were, had cancer at the time, kind of worked to your advantage in the sense of you getting connected to the program somehow, because there was a story behind you. There's a whole billion kids who probably wanted to be involved with USC, but they fell in love with you once they met you. So tell them about that part of the story. You guys, this is gonna get crazy right now.

• 18:51Speaker 04

  Okay, so I figure out, like I said, October 1st, I'm going blind. My dad received his MBA from USC, so that's how I became a Trojan fan. Also, it was growing in Southern California with Carroll's dominance, so it's hard not to be.

• 19:03Ed Mylett?

  Right.

• 19:04Speaker 04

  So, you know, I, maybe a week or two in August 14th, maybe was when finally we get invited up there. Through different avenues, I mean, there was literally, my story probably reached the USC athletic department in like five different ways.

• 19:18Ed Mylett?

  Okay.

• 19:19Speaker 04

  But it reached. So Coach Carroll heard of my story, invited me up for practice. That's what my parents told me. So going to practice, which as a 12-year-old fan, like was just the coolest thing ever.

• 19:28Ed Mylett?

  Of course.

• 19:28Speaker 04

  Little did I know, we come to pre-practice meetings. And you know, I'm like, oh my gosh, that's that player, that's that player, that player. And all of a sudden, Coach Carroll gets up there and goes, hey, we have a special guest today. Jake's here. And the whole team starts chanting my name. And I come down in front of the team with Coach Carroll. And he says, you know, his favorite player, which was Chris O'Dowd, the center at the time. He goes, his favorite player is Chris O'Dowd. And it was very funny because all the players are expecting me like, you know, Barkley, or you know, Ron Johnson at the time, or something like that. But so it's Chris O'Dowd, the center. And everyone's like, who? Like, all making fun of Chris.

• 20:04Ed Mylett?

  Wait a minute, that's crazy part. I didn't know that. Your favorite player prior to losing your vision was the freaking center?

• 20:10Speaker 04

  Yeah, yeah, because I played center for my flag football team.

• 20:12Ed Mylett?

  Oh, my gosh, this is gonna, okay.

• 20:14Speaker 04

  Yeah, so that's why I saw, then I went with Chris and the rest of the linemen to the O-line meeting, actually.

• 20:20Ed Mylett?

  You were the big dude, by the way. You're a scrawny little dude. I've seen the pictures.

• 20:23Speaker 04

  Yeah, so I went to the O-line meeting, hung out with them, then went out to practice. It was amazing just how many players were coming up saying, hi, Coach Carroll. There's a place that, you know, I eat at now, you know, I think there, but it's called Little Galen. That's where all the athletes eat. So I went to dinner with the team afterwards. And this was my sister and my two parents, so like the whole family, you know. So then, you know, it's like, okay, cool day. You'd think it'd kind of be over, but all of a sudden, it's like, you want to come to Notre Dame with us? And then we go to Notre Dame, you know? And then we come back and it's like, hey, do you want to?

• 20:56Ed Mylett?

  Wait, you went to the Notre Dame football game?

• 20:58Speaker 04

  Yeah, I went to, so I was Ben with the team. You know, I was there on the field with them. It really started a complete relationship with Chris, with Barkley, with a lot of the different players, with Coach Carroll himself, with a lot of different coaches. I don't know what was so special about that time. It just turned out not to be a one-day deal.

• 21:18Ed Mylett?

  Well, you were special.

• 21:19Speaker 04

  Well, I mean.

• 21:20Ed Mylett?

  That's what it was. It was you.

• 21:21Speaker 04

  So, you know, it turned out then on November 11th, you know, I spent my last night there with Sight. Was at the practice field and was around the team, you know, came back a week later. Team was there for me, you know, and went to the bowl game, you know, like it just.

• 21:38Ed Mylett?

  You're wait, I want to understand this. I didn't know this part of it. Your last night with Sight, you were with the football team?

• 21:43Speaker 04

  I was, yeah, yeah.

• 21:44Ed Mylett?

  And then a week later, you were back with the football team after you'd lost Sight?

• 21:47Speaker 04

  Yeah.

• 21:48Ed Mylett?

  Oh, bro, this is an unbelievable story. Okay, okay. And so did you stay affiliated with the team for an extended period of time?

• 21:55Speaker 04

  Well, so Coach Carroll left, obviously, after that year. So he went up to Seattle and. For Coach Carroll's credit, he, I've been up to Seattle plenty of times, I've been to both Super Bowls, I'm so very close with Coach Carroll, a mentor of mine, he calls me his hero, he's my hero, like, we are very tight, so, that definitely, my relationship with Coach Carroll extended past USC.

• 22:15Ed Mylett?

  Gosh, man.

• 22:16Speaker 04

  So, Kiffin comes into USC.

• 22:18Ed Mylett?

  Yeah.

• 22:19Speaker 04

  I remember, he, I came up there and he like brought me to his office, just me, I'm like 13 years old, and, you know, I'm like, oh gosh, like, what's, what's this gonna be about? He just wanted to make sure, you know, I'm still with the team, I'm still a fan, all that stuff, so, that was my eighth grade year, you know, was still involved, was a little different, but, you know, I mean, I was still friends with a lot of the players and coaches, whatever, so, then I became a freshman in high school, things changed a little bit because all of a sudden now I'm in high school.

• 22:46Ed Mylett?

  You're busier.

• 22:47Speaker 04

  Well, busier, but also with some of the recruiting things.

• 22:50Ed Mylett?

  Yeah.

• 22:51Speaker 04

  So, was still part of the program, junior year, started playing football.

• 22:57Ed Mylett?

  So, okay, junior year, you're like, I'm gonna play football now.

• 23:00Speaker 04

  Yeah, so.

• 23:00Ed Mylett?

  Okay, well, you're saying that like it's nothing, say on this for a minute, you're blind, okay, let's just be clear here, so, you're a junior, you're like, yeah, I decided to play football, like, that's not the same as every other dude going, yeah, I'm gonna play football.

• 23:12Speaker 04

  Okay, so.

• 23:13Ed Mylett?

  So, what was that like, really like?

• 23:14Speaker 04

  So, middle school, I played center, right? And I even played my eighth grade year blind, okay? But it's flag football.

• 23:19Ed Mylett?

  It's a little different, but that's still impressive, but that's a lot different than, right?

• 23:23Speaker 04

  So, freshman year, I go to Orange Lutheran.

• 23:25Ed Mylett?

  Yep.

• 23:25Speaker 04

  Okay, which, by the way, you know, we play Servite, Moderna, San Juan Rita, St. John Bosco.

• 23:29Ed Mylett?

  So, people not in Southern California, which is the vast majority, or even in the United States, a lot of those people, this is a big time football conference and a big time football program.

• 23:38Speaker 04

  Right, so, very, you know, very physical tackle football to the highest level.

• 23:42Ed Mylett?

  Right.

• 23:43Speaker 04

  And I was like, I just don't really see a place out there for me, so I didn't play freshman, sophomore, I played golf at high school, I didn't play football.

• 23:49Ed Mylett?

  You say that in passing.

• 23:52Speaker 04

  Okay, well.

• 23:52Ed Mylett?

  You played golf in high school, okay, this is amazing.

• 23:55Speaker 04

  But, so, I played, so, I really missed the game, I remember going Friday nights, I'm like, man, I wish I was out there, you know, I see the team, the camaraderie in the locker room, or, you know, in the hallways and stuff, like, I, I wanna be a part of that. So, end of my sophomore year, we had a kid named Chase, he was a long snapper, he's graduating, really good long snapper, actually goes to Utah, played long snapper. Their coaches like, there's a vacancy now, like, they don't really have someone that's next up. So they're trying all these guys, I'm like, okay, a couple of my teammates, friends that were teammates, uh, our team, then they were like, hey, you should probably like, you know, start working on this. Maybe you could, you know, come on and be a long snapper.

• 24:36Speaker 04

  So worked with a coach named Coach Wieselmeier all summer long, lived every day for like an hour, an hour and a half.

• 24:41Ed Mylett?

  Wow.

• 24:41Speaker 04

  Um, finally got in fall camp, turned out as the best long snapper the team had. Or my spot varsity, played varsity my junior senior year.

• 24:50Ed Mylett?

  Bro, that's bananas.

• 24:51Speaker 04

  Yeah, it was, it was fun.

• 24:53Ed Mylett?

  What was the first time like you walk out there or run out there, whatever? Yeah, I know you get.

• 24:57Speaker 04

  Oh, it was, it was so, it was so nervous. It was, it was crazy.

• 25:00Ed Mylett?

  And you sucked at first too, right? Like you're, you're, when you first started long snapping.

• 25:03Speaker 04

  Oh, when I first started, yeah, in the beginning of summer, yeah. I mean, I didn't, I didn't know how to do it. I thought it was kind of like somewhat like centering, but it's not. I mean, it's two hands, it's gotta be a lot faster or whatever. So, um, yeah, it was, it was definitely a change. So.

• 25:17Ed Mylett?

  Okay. So you finally get good. Now you're gonna go out there and actually do this. What was that like? You're, you should see you. Yeah, go ahead.

• 25:23Speaker 04

  It was, it was crazy. It was absolutely crazy. And you know, the thing was also, I mean, like, one, I use this, you know, being, being blind, obviously you have to do things differently sometimes, but it doesn't mean it can't be done. And then that's, you know, what I tell people in life, you know, if there's a will, there's a way. And sometimes it might not be easiest for you. Sometimes it might not be the simplest way, the way that your neighbor does it. But guess what? There's still a way for you to do it. So go find that way.

• 25:48Ed Mylett?

  So powerful, dude.

• 25:49Speaker 04

  So for me, you know, it did take my holder to line me up, you know, and, um, so

• 25:56Speaker 04

  actually some of the very first snap, my very first high school snap, okay? It actually wasn't a bad snap on my part, but the, like, it was just kind of chaotic and like, it was the first time we've ever done this, like actually in a game. So it was a little outside, so my holder kind of reached for it and kind of lost his balance. And it ended up going up and trying to score instead of like trying to get the ball down after the kick.

• 26:15Ed Mylett?

  Oh, man.

• 26:16Speaker 04

  Okay. So he gets tackled, not the way we wanted to start, right?

• 26:20Ed Mylett?

  Right.

• 26:20Speaker 04

  Um, the problem was, since it was kind of all discombobulated, my team starts like running off. And we never thought of like how to give him back. So I start kind of like wandering like, and like, cause like, go back and get Jay.

• 26:34Ed Mylett?

  Oh my gosh.

• 26:36Speaker 04

  So always a complete disaster first time out, you know, whatever.

• 26:40Ed Mylett?

  That's unbelievable.

• 26:41Speaker 04

  Next time was easier. We got, you know, it was, it was good. We got the point through after, you know, whatever. And we, you know, I think I snapped like four other times that game and it was all fine. So.

• 26:50Ed Mylett?

  When you, when you made the first snap that was executed correctly, I'm just curious, like, did the crowd go crazy or like, were they like, eh, nice snap? Or did people not know?

• 27:00Speaker 04

  Well, people thought it was a fake because he kind of, like I said, because it wasn't like a snap where it was like, oh, you know, that was way off. Like it just was a little far out and like how my holder at the time was named Adam. How he did it was he kind of like reached out, caught it. I think in that moment, he's like, I'm not going to be able to like, get my balance back. He like set the ball. So he just kind of reached out and then just got up and started running.

• 27:20Ed Mylett?

  But what about the first time you actually executed like an extra point in a game? Like, what was that like?

• 27:24Speaker 04

  I mean, I, I think it was cool for people. Like, I, I mean, it wasn't like nuts. It wasn't nuts like USC nuts, but it was, it was nuts.

• 27:31Ed Mylett?

  But so you weren't, you weren't like, there wasn't, I'm curious, because when you're doing something extraordinary, I, I think sometimes I tell people this, that are even building companies or whatever. I think sometimes when you're making history or being a pioneer at something, it doesn't always feel like it. Like it doesn't occur to you that that's what's happening. It occurs to other people, right? So I'm not sure how many people that year in the world were long snapping blind in high school, but I'm pretty sure the list was small. Like there wasn't a part of this like, holy shit, I just did this.

• 27:56Speaker 04

  Yeah. I mean, there was, there was definitely probably that. I mean, it was, it was, you know, I mean, definitely I started receiving, you know, the, between people at school and the fans. I mean, like, you know, people would come out on Friday night and be like, I came here to watch you and stuff like that. So I mean, like, there is definitely that going on. Um, but you know, for me, it was just fun being out there, helping my team win on Friday nights.

• 28:14Ed Mylett?

  Oh, I love this. Now we're going to get to one of my favorite moments in the history of sports. And that's the truth. Like, I, for me, you know, sports are an inspiring thing because overall, I think sports is like the game of life, like watching it, right? So like, to me, you're like the ultimate athlete in my mind. And so then you decide, this is just a crazy convergence of circumstances. You were affiliated with USC. They helped you kind of get through maybe the most difficult time in your life. You helped inspire them to. Now you're a graduating senior in high school. And you end up going to SC. How's that end up happening?

• 28:48Speaker 04

  Right, so you know, my junior and senior year, I'm obviously considered as a recruit, you know, playing high school ball. So you know, when I'd go up to practices, I'd you know, be part of the, you know, the recruit, whatever, and when I'd go to games. And Coach Sarkyjean was there at the time. And Pat Hayden was the AD at the time, along with J.K. McKay. So you know, I'd go up to practice and I'd be hanging out with Sark and Pat and they're like, you know, you're coming here, your grade's good, alright. You know, and this was probably my senior year and I remember one time I went up to practice and like, you know, Jake, your grades are good, you're coming here, why don't you snap here? I'm like, wait, what? Like, are you serious? They're like, yeah, I mean, you're not a lock, so I'll just, you know, come snap on the football team for us.

• 29:32Speaker 04

  I was like, no way. So, you know, that was putting my mind on them. I wasn't even kind of really

• 29:38Ed Mylett?

  Yeah.

• 29:38Speaker 04

  my, you know, my ambition of ending up on the Trojan team. But after they said that, I'm like, okay, absolutely.

• 29:45Ed Mylett?

  Oh my goodness.

• 29:45Speaker 04

  So sure enough, I apply. February of my senior year comes around. Sark, they do this, I guess they do this dinner for all the big donors about, after signing day, it's like literally the weekend after signing day. Of, you know, the 25 guys that are coming in. So they invited me to that dinner. Introduced the 25 guys and at the end Sark brought me up on stage and said, by the way, Jake's coming to USC. Here's your acceptance letter, you'll be on the football team. And so that was, that was very cool. So

• 30:14Ed Mylett?

  Come on, man.

• 30:15Speaker 04

  You know, so starting my freshman year, you know, started, started doing everything, you know, I was on the team. And started working with new guys and obviously everything comes with that.

• 30:26Ed Mylett?

  Yeah, let's talk about what comes with that. So you guys have to have an appreciation. Just step back just for a second. This is already a nationally very well-known story about Jake and him losing his vision and being affiliated with the program. And then for me, I'd watched that story and then sort of it was a story I had seen it and gone away.

• 30:43Speaker 04

  Right.

• 30:43Ed Mylett?

  Now, all of a sudden, you land at that team, on that football program, without your vision, is cray cray, right? And so you end up spending a couple of years on the, in the program.

• 30:56Speaker 04

  Right.

• 30:56Ed Mylett?

  But you haven't got on the field yet.

• 30:57Speaker 04

  Right. So two years just, you know, practicing with the guys. Obviously freshman year was

• 31:04Speaker 04

  Kind of a lost season just with what happened with obviously all the coaches.

• 31:07Ed Mylett?

  Yeah.

• 31:08Speaker 04

  So, right, so freshman sophomore year, just, you know, continuing to perfect my craft.

• 31:14Ed Mylett?

  Did you ever think of quitting?

• 31:15Speaker 04

  No.

• 31:16Ed Mylett?

  It never occurred to you, because I picture this, you guys, he's on the team, he's not playing, he's doing all the practices, going to all the weights. You went into college at what weight? Listen to this, everyone, what did you weigh when you went in?

• 31:24Speaker 04

  I think 184.

• 31:25Ed Mylett?

  And what do you weigh now?

• 31:26Speaker 04

  If you weigh me now, probably 232.

• 31:28Ed Mylett?

  Okay, 232. So this man has worked his butt off at building his body up so that he could legitimately go out there, well, not physically.

• 31:36Speaker 04

  One of the, when I first went there, one of the skepticism was, you know, especially with the team doctor, was like, we don't want him getting hurt out there.

• 31:44Ed Mylett?

  Sure.

• 31:45Speaker 04

  And so, part of that was just passing the eye test of, you know, looking at me and saying, okay, you know, this guy's absolutely big enough.

• 31:51Ed Mylett?

  It's ironic that you call that an eye test.

• 31:55Ed Mylett?

  But I see what you mean.

• 31:56Speaker 04

  Yeah, well, you know what I'm saying, so.

• 31:58Ed Mylett?

  You're funny, man.

• 31:59Speaker 04

  But, so, you know, that's part of it, just getting big in the weight.

• 32:03Ed Mylett?

  So ironically, you passed the eye test, which is, that's incredible in and of itself. And so you've gained all this weight to pass that eye test, but you're sort of just grinding away, you're not getting your opportunity, you're not on the field, and so, what happens?

• 32:17Speaker 04

  So, you know, actually, sophomore year, started getting a little more reps in practice. We played in the Rose Bowl my sophomore year, and actually, Rose Bowl practice, I had the most reps in practice I ever had. And I kind of felt like coach was actually ramping me up to even play in the Rose Bowl if the chance occurred, which was like, I didn't want it to happen because I'm like, I don't know if I want it my first time.

• 32:43Ed Mylett?

  Be that big a statement.

• 32:44Speaker 04

  Yeah, the Rose Bowl, whatever, so.

• 32:48Speaker 04

  So, you know, that game was crazy, so I didn't end up stabbing that game, but knew, obviously, my time was coming, so. All fall camp the next year was, you know, really hitting it hard. And the coach came to me before the first game, was like, look, you know, I've talked to the other coach. Looks like, you know, you're, you're, you're gonna be snapping this Saturday, just get your mind right, whatever. And sure enough, you know, that time came and was able to jog out there, you know, at home in the Coliseum and was able to get my first snap as a USC Trojan alive game.

• 33:18Ed Mylett?

  Come on dude!

• 33:19Speaker 04

  It's awesome.

• 33:20Ed Mylett?

  What the heck was that like?

• 33:21Speaker 04

  It was crazy. It was crazy. I mean, it was, it was, it was surreal. It was, it was it was just pure bliss. It was nervous, like, like waiting to go in, but once you're running out there, you're like, okay, actually, like, let's go do this.

• 33:35Ed Mylett?

  Let's execute this.

• 33:36Speaker 04

  And then, once you're over the ball and it's like, you're holding back there, it's like, okay, well, something we, we do every day, you know, it's, it's, you don't want to blow it out of proportion of something like somehow you've never done before. But, you know, you gotta just wanna get your craft done and then after that, man, it just was like, oh my gosh.

• 33:53Ed Mylett?

  What'd the crowd do?

• 33:55Speaker 04

  So, you know, when they first announced my name, I was going out there, obviously they went crazy. And then, it was actually really eerie because the first snap was kinda like this, the second snap even more. The second snap was about the eeriest thing ever because all of a sudden it's like a golf shot, like everyone just quiets down. And then, and then all of a sudden it's like, alright, well, I don't know if I want this.

• 34:17Speaker 04

  So, but, but yeah, so then, you know, you snap it and once, and once the kicker kicks it through there, everyone's like, you know, crazy.

• 34:23Ed Mylett?

  Come on bananas. You teammates too.

• 34:25Speaker 04

  Yeah, I'm always so happy.

• 34:26Ed Mylett?

  Brother. You guys, like, we're showing this on the YouTube right now, so everybody's seeing this, but I gotta tell you, like, I go back, I think life is just so amazing and I think extraordinary people are so amazing. But that night where you spend the last night as a 12-year-old boy with the USC football team before you're gonna lose your vision for permanently, to think that that boy who spent that last night with the USC football team, if I'd have told you, hey man, Eight, nine years from now, you're gonna walk out on the field with this football team as a player on the team and execute a snap in a game. Isn't it amazing?

• 35:02Speaker 04

  It's crazy. It is crazy. Like you said, I think there's a little bit, I might be numb to it just because I've lived it, I guess, but I mean, it is crazy.

• 35:09Ed Mylett?

  Just so you know, I'm not numb to it. It is unbelievable. It's one of the greatest sports stories of all time, brother. It's gonna be one of the great movies of all time. And people listening to this have to be going, my god, if this young man can go through this. And by the way, you've also dealt with this as a young man, with all the other things that come with being an adolescent and a teenager and then going to college and all the other things that come with that. It's extraordinary what you've done. You take it for granted, I don't. Nobody listening to this takes that for granted. It's an incredible achievement and unbelievably inspiring. So, I'm proud of you.

• 35:44Speaker 04

  Thank you. I appreciate it.

• 35:45Ed Mylett?

  It's so amazing to me. So, let's talk about some of the keys that, I just, brother, I'm trying to get my breath back because now that I'm hearing it live, even though I knew it happened, that guy going into that surgery that night and all the turmoil that I'm sure you and your parents were facing, they had to be so proud of you. And I saw this clip recently on senior night where you walked out on the field, they announced you. Did mom and dad come out with you, right?

• 36:11Speaker 04

  Yeah, yeah. My family, they weighed out on the half midfield, but my dad, he was able to walk me out.

• 36:17Ed Mylett?

  What was that like, man?

• 36:18Speaker 04

  It was so cool. I mean, it was such a moment. I was just glad that my dad was able to experience that with me and something I'll cherish forever.

• 36:27Ed Mylett?

  Do you ever think about like, I've, maybe you probably don't, but I'm gonna say it to you, so everybody hears this, because this is a trajectory of our lives. You've come this far in roughly 10 years, right? And I said this to you before we started filming, you're in the beginning of maxing out your life, even though what you've done is the exemplification of maxing something out. You have maxed out this unfortunate circumstance, right? But it's just the beginning. Like, your life, the trajectory you're on is gonna be just, it's crazy what you're gonna do in your life. But because you've done this, because you are so extraordinary, even though you don't think you are. How have you done it? Like, what is great about you? So, don't be, don't give me humility. No, don't, okay? What is, what is unique and extraordinary about you?

• 37:12Speaker 04

  Um, I think one of the more unique things is, um, something my friends and family love and also just hate. Um, and that's a stubbornness. Uh, I'm, I'm completely stubborn. Um, you ask my friends, they'll say absolutely like Jake stubborn? No, you know, like facetiously like, so, um, that comes with good and bad, I guess. Um, the good is, if I set out to do something, man, like, I, I would die trying. I mean, it's, it's, it's just, there's a part of me that just doesn't want to give up until I complete or just absolutely know somehow it's just, it's, it's just never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever gonna work.

• 37:48Ed Mylett?

  Do you think that you came out that way into the world naturally? Or do you actually think this circumstance refined that and made it even more pronounced?

• 37:54Speaker 04

  I don't know. I honestly don't know. I don't know if you're, you're born with stubbornness. I know, you know, battling cancer creates, like you said, a strength and a stubbornness, I guess, and, you know, of not giving up.

• 38:04Ed Mylett?

  Yep.

• 38:04Speaker 04

  But, um, I think, I think that's definitely, um, a unique thing. I think also another unique thing is just, you know, taking, taking circumstances, you know, it's, it's, it's almost like, you know, like a running back who's able to bounce off hits, you know? Or it's like, you know, when life throws hits at you, you, you obviously, you feel it. Um, but you're able to kind of bounce off and continue moving forward, you know? Get yards after contact where it's just, it's like, it's, it's just not gonna completely devastate you and, and never, you know, let yourself move forward and become a person that you want to be or do, continue to do the things you love to do. I mean, it, it breaks my heart when I see people go through adversity and go through hardship and their lives are never the same. They never find happiness in what they do anymore.

• 38:48Speaker 04

  It's just, it's just sad, cause it's, it's, at the end of the day, no, no circumstance should ever let you do that. I mean, no circumstance has the power to, to have you do that, you know? At the end of the day, it's, it's, it really is you and I, I, it's, I'm not saying go live in a happy-go-lucky life and be ignorant to the, the struggles that you face and just completely ignore your emotions. But at the same time, don't let it just completely rule your life and, and, and take you out of, of the joy that you, you feel when you do certain activities or hang with certain people or, you know, your, your mission in life.

• 39:23Ed Mylett?

  Brother, it's so good. It's just so good, like, oh boy. You, um...

• 39:30Ed Mylett?

  You know, people are watching this, they're like, okay, what I'm worried about or what I'm stressed about is pretty lame. Right now, like that's what most people are thinking. But then there are people that are going through something real. You know, they, they, they've just lost a loved one, or they had a business setback, or they're getting divorced, or. You know, they're young and they're watching this, and they're like, man, I'm out of college two years, I have no idea what I'm doing, you know? What advice would you give to somebody who is going through some struggle right now, some difficulty or adversity? What would you say to them?

• 39:57Speaker 04

  Right, well, I mean, obviously, you know, one of the things is obviously find a support system around you.

• 40:02Ed Mylett?

  Do you have that?

• 40:03Speaker 04

  I do, I do, you know, I have like some of my friends and family, I have mentors and you know, people that you can just talk to. I mean, I think talking to people, not trying to carry the whole burden by yourself is a powerful thing. You have people that are there for you. You know, what you said with the setback, when I go speak, a big part of that is I call it finding the setup in the setback. And then every setback, there's a setup waiting to happen. And you know, with that comes obviously patience and perseverance, you know? I'm not saying that setup comes right away, but I'm saying that if you treat that setback as permanent and movable, it will stop you. But if you see that setback as something that is waiting to be a setup, you can, then you can use it and leverage it and believe that will bring you to new heights.

• 40:45Speaker 04

  So, you know, that there, you know, look for that setup, prepare for that setup. You know, talk about finding the winner within, knowing, knowing your worth, knowing that, you know, even if I do lose my sight, I'm still a great athlete. I still have a worth of being a football player, I still have, you know, a worth of being a great golfer, you know? I, I know I'm, you know, a winner inside that I can go out there and still achieve, you know, great things. So, you know, letting those voices dominate your, your mindset rather than like, hey, man, you're blind, you probably can't go play football now. Or hey, you're blind, you probably can't play golf now, you know? So, you know, what voices you listen to, and then finally, the thing that, I guess the last thing I'd really say.

• 41:26Speaker 04

  Which is the most powerful thing in my mind is really, you know, when people say I have a positive attitude, it's such a cliche, you know? And the problem is when, I think most people say I have a positive attitude, a lot of people are like, okay, well, how? And for that how, for really is me is just being grateful and like. You know, gratitude is just such a powerful thing in life. And the coolest thing about gratitude is actually a skill. And it's a skill you can practice. It's not your, no one's born more grateful than the next person. It's just that it's something you actually can practice and get better at. By recognizing what's grateful in life. When you start to focus on, hey, oh, list three things I'm grateful for. Your mind actually rearranges itself to start focusing on things that in the day that you can be thankful for.

• 42:07Speaker 04

  So, and the powerful thing in being grateful is, you know, I can sit here and say I'm blind. And there's a lot of hardship that comes with blind. There's a lot of adversity that comes with blind. There's a lot of frustrations in the day where it's like, man, if I could just see this would be so much better. And there's a lot of sad times, you know, I, I, don't get me wrong. I mean, there's times I'll cry and like realize I'll never be able to see what my wife looks like or kids, you know? You know, there's, there's time when you're talking about the ocean, you know, I can't see the ocean there and it's sad. But also, I'm here being able to be with you, you know, being on this podcast. I mean, I'm grateful for the opportunity. I'm, I got this God dynasty, I'm grateful for the opportunity. I have an athletic body, I have a great mind and I have a good sense of humor. Like, there's so many things God has gifted me.

• 42:50Speaker 04

  If I were to focus on the one thing I don't have, which is my eyesight, I think that'd be shameful.

• 42:55Ed Mylett?

  Man, brother, I, I, the best sentence ever said on my show. The last, like the, the best, like because you live it. You're not just, you know, writing it down and this is a tip, like you're living this. And I love what you said about listening to the voices too. I've not heard somebody say it that way before where it's like you choose what voices you're gonna listen to in your head. And we all do do this, by the way. We do begin to magnify the one or two bad things in our life to this extent, which minimizes all the things we shouldn't be grateful for. You're freaking extraordinary. But I, I didn't, no, I was gonna ask you this, but I'm just curious, just because you've gone through this journey. I think some people would be curious about this. Has your faith played any role in your success and your life and your peace of mind and your gratitude?

• 43:35Speaker 04

  Absolutely, absolutely. I mean, you know, one of my favorite Bible verses is Jeremiah 29 11. And you know, I know the plans are for you, the Lord plans to prosper you not to harm you with E.V., hope in the future. And I mean, that's, uh, that's on my wall at home. And you know, as, as especially growing up as a kid, um, you know, after receiving news. That you know, the cancer is back for the emptiness time like it's it's it's okay. You know, obviously God has a has a plan for me and and a plan for my life. And I mean, I said it after I snapped my first time in the Coliseum. I go, you know, if you can't see how God works things out, you're the blind one. And I mean that.

• 44:05Ed Mylett?

  Oh, boy, gosh. See, I just, yeah, wow, yeah. I don't, I'm never speechless in these interviews. Okay, I'm never speechless because you are unique to me in that you live these things every single day. And I you're an example, you exemplify something that I really believe strongly, which is that it's not the events of your life that define you. It's the meaning that you take from the event. And you took an event that most people would take a meaning from that was devastating or tragic. And there's parts of that you've acknowledged that have hurt you, but you turned it into meaning the right things for you. So I'm so blown away by you. And by the way, everybody listening to this is too. And so this is just the beginning of the story, everybody.

• 44:45Ed Mylett?

  And what I want you to do is I want you following Jake so you can watch the next chapters be revealed. So what's the best way for the entire Max Out universe to continue to follow your journey? How do they find you?

• 44:57Speaker 04

  Uh, they can find me, uh, I'm on, you know, I'm on Twitter, Instagram, um, and Jake Olson 61 Olson's O L S O N. You know, absolutely, you can find me there. You know, I love to play golf. I love to to speak, you know, anything that we, you know, we can do in the future, let me know.

• 45:16Ed Mylett?

  Can you imagine being able to have this man come out and have him talk to your group or play golf? And so that's the one thing like, you know, that golf is a pretty central thing in my family. I just have to understand this before we finish. When you first decided to hit a golf ball, okay. By the way, so if he and I played golf straight up right now, he would beat me straight up, which just kind of blows my mind.

• 45:39Ed Mylett?

  You had to be terrible at first, like, what was that like?

• 45:42Speaker 04

  Well, so I mean, I played, I my dad's a big golfer, so I grew up playing golf. Um, and actually right around probably like 10 or 11, I really almost made a decision like this is what I actually want to pursue in life. I wanted to see how could I get this game. And I was actually decent as 12 year old, but I went from a 12 year old that was decent to a 12 year old that couldn't make contact with the ball.

• 46:01Ed Mylett?

  Yeah.

• 46:02Speaker 04

  And it was frustrating and talk about learning mental toughness and perseverance and what voices listen to, man. I, you know, it was. A month of trying to make contacts every time, you know, chipping, not being able to get the ball in the air. You know, just real tough. To the point where it's like, okay, I don't know, you maybe you make good contact every one in three shots. And you know, the other ones are just awful. And then you continue to keep going and going and going until you make better contact, better shots. Till you know, you're playing better than you ever did with sight. And you know, a lot of it's just training your swing. I mean, the problem also was, once I went blind, I also like grew six inches. So my swing is just all jacked up.

• 46:44Ed Mylett?

  That's the worst thing for a golfer's growth. Yeah.

• 46:46Speaker 04

  So.

• 46:47Ed Mylett?

  Behind, after not being able to see it. Right. But growing is not easy.

• 46:50Speaker 04

  I don't know, maybe growing was more too. I don't know. But basically just learning how to just continue to provide that swing over and over again, you know, just muscle memory and execute, you know, the same motion over and over and over again. And feel, you know, golf's a ton of feel.

• 47:10Ed Mylett?

  It is, yeah.

• 47:11Speaker 04

  And so being able to tap into that feel. And honestly, I think that really helped me long snap too, because I really had to feel my swing. And when it became to learning how to feel, you know, ball rolling off your fingertips and how, you know, hard to throw is like that part of my mind that probably was accustomed to feeling my body and that muscle memory was probably built up because of golf.

• 47:29Ed Mylett?

  I think that everything we've talked about today is the most powerful metaphor of maxing out because I'm gonna tell you why. Not only the golf, the stuff you've done with long snapping, your grades, everything you've accomplished in your life. A lot of people lack vision in their life and they feel like they're in a dark place in their lives that listen to my show. They're, they don't know how they're gonna get out of, they're in despair. They don't know where they're gonna go. And you've given them the playbook to get out of darkness. You've given them the playbook of how to turn their life around. The main thing I think of when I think of you is just resiliency. It's the word that comes to my mind every time I think about you. And so I think he's, I think you're an extraordinary young man, obviously. And what is next for you?

• 48:11Speaker 04

  Well, you know, I played golf before. I want to continue to play golf, see how far I can take that. I want to continue to start playing competitively again. So, you know, I want to win a couple of blind golf championships. And then, you know, see where I can even take it on some type of tour, maybe. I think, you know, after loving sports and growing up in sports and playing sports my whole life, I don't want to venture far from sports. So, you know, definitely maybe becoming some type of analyst, you know, for the NFL or whatever would be fun. You know, I'm doing a lot of cool, different things with, you know, books and other stuff that's going to be coming out. But I've actually started a business as well. It's called Engage.

• 48:49Ed Mylett?

  Okay.

• 48:50Speaker 04

  And it's at let'sengage.com.

• 48:53Ed Mylett?

  Okay.

• 48:53Speaker 04

  And basically, it's just an online platform where you can book speakers. It kind of really digitizes the booking talent industry. And so, you know, for speeches, that's exactly, you know, exactly where you can find me. And definitely, it's a business that we feel is very appropriate for a lot of people that are in my position of, you know, wanting to be out there and, you know, booking someone for speeches or an experience. Like I said, you know, a lot of people want to play golf with me or go snap with me or surf with me, whatever. You know, that's, it's a lot of cool things you can do, so.

• 49:26Ed Mylett?

  You can engage with this guy there. You can also find him on his social media like we've talked about as well. By the way, I'll make a prediction. You're already doing a lot of it, but you're going to be one of the most sought-after speakers in the world. You're going to absolutely be, because here's the thing. It's one thing to give a speech, another thing to live it and talk about what you're doing. It's one of the reasons I hope my content is good because people feel like I've built a real life and a real business. And you've built an extraordinary, what I call, first chapter of your life. It's a maxed-out first chapter. My challenge to you, as your friend now, is that you don't rest on those laurels. But that, everything we've talked about today is your old story. And now it's time, you're doing it, you're going to turn the page, brother, and it's time for you to write the next chapter of your life, which is going to be even more fun for me to watch.

• 50:07Ed Mylett?

  Because if the past is any predictor of where you're going, it's going to be bananas for you. So, thank you so much, brother.

• 50:13Speaker 04

  Yes, of course.

• 50:14Ed Mylett?

  I loved today, and I know all of you are just blown away. So, please follow Jake. If you're watching this, you already follow me. And make sure you subscribe to the YouTube channel or to iTunes if you're listening to this or whatever platform you're listening to it on. Because if you're listening to the audio, make sure you subscribe to the video version. Video, make sure you subscribe to the audio. And I want to just challenge you, remember, every single day on social media, I run the max-out two-minute drill on Instagram. What that means is when I make a post in my main feed... If you make a comment within the first two minutes with hashtag max out, I do a daily drawing. I pick a winner and they get coached by me often. They get max out gear. They get to meet my guests. All kinds of crazy things happen. So all you gotta do is make a comment the first two minutes. If you miss the first two minutes, at the end of the week, we pick somebody who just made a comment every day at any time.

• 50:57Ed Mylett?

  So just comment on my stuff on Instagram and you're probably gonna win something eventually. So I hope you enjoyed today's program. It was a life changer. I know it was for me and I'm sure it was for you. God bless you and max out your life.

• 51:10Speaker 03

  This is the Ed Mylett Show.

• 51:15Speaker 03

  This podcast is for those who want to do more, see more and be more.