Desire. Confidence. LOVE OF THE GAME.
There are very distinctive and powerful traits that must be within an athlete to separate them from the rest. The word “Pro” must mean exactly that; The best of the best.
Hometown football star Dylan Donahue IS all of those traits and more and he’s decided to play for the Billings Outlaws this season. His love and enthusiasm for the game are unmatched when asked what he loves the most.
When you first see Dylan in person, it’s an experience like no other. It’s like meeting any physical “star” of any era…. A gladiator or a Roman Olympian. He is HUGE in person and it takes a moment to get used to his super human size. And, yet, he is the most genuine, trustworthy and kind man you could ever hope to know. He’s truly sincere about his passion for life and his beloved sport of football.
I asked him repeatedly what makes the game, and a player, great. Here are a few of the words he uses to describe what it takes to be a football success.
DRIVE: Desire to win or be successful requires that you maintain high goals in athletics and that you respond positively to competition. The true desire to attain athletic excellence.
AGGRESSIVENESS: Belief in yourself and the assertive aggression to win. A determination not to allow others to push you around in competition.
DETERMINATION: Willingness to practice long and hard. You have to persevere, be patient, and practice unrelenting work habits. Works on skills until exhausted.
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY : Accepts responsibility for own actions; accepts blame and criticism even when not deserved; willing to endure physical and mental extremes.
LEADERSHIP: Enjoys the role of leader and may assume it spontaneously; you must attempt to influence or direct others in a postiive way.
SELF-CONFIDENCE: Donahue believes in unfaltering confidence in oneself and the capacity to deal with unexpected situations well and to speak up appropriately for your own beliefs to coaches and players.
EMOTIONAL CONTROL: The game of football demands the player be emotionally stable and realistic about athletics. Dylan says you can’t get easily frustrated by bad breaks, calls or mistakes.
MENTAL TOUGHNESS: Accepts strong criticism without feeling hurt; can bounce back quickly from adversity; does not demand or require excessive encouragement from the coach.
CONSCIENTIOUSNESS: A player needs to be exacting in character, dominated by sense of duty; and will not attempt to bend rules and regulations to suit their own needs.
TRUST: Accepts other people and gets along well with teammates.
Look for Donahue Monday night against the Topeka Tropics along with the rest of the Billings Outlaws when they play at the MetraPark. It promises to be a great game. GO OUTLAWS.
