I felt a strong connection with this week's guest because we played football with the same style. Griffin Murray was a preferred walk-on for the Rutgers University football team (where we met). Like all walk-ons, Griffin had to do whatever he could to stand out on the field and earn the respect of his teammates and coaches. Early on in our conversation Griffin acknowledged his struggles with learning disabilities and difficulty in making friends while growing up, but that he ultimately found a home and a purpose in football. Griffin wasn't the kind of player who was going to whip out an Odell Beckham catch or ever wow coaches with his 40 time, but he always made his presence felt with his heart and intense passion for the game. You can feel the passion and intensity in Griffin's voice throughout the entire interview. Everyone has experienced those "Ohhhhh" moments in a football game either as an athlete or spectator. These instances usually come after hearing the crack of the helmets colliding. Griffin relished in these moments...And so did I. Griffin embraced his role on the field as The Disrupter and was never afraid to get in your face. Unfortunately, fulfilling this role was often at the expense of his health. Griffin and I had a really interesting conversation heart and toughness in this episode. He says heart is hunger in the moment and toughness is time. I had never thought about toughness in this way before, but it makes complete sense. Griffin put it in these terms, heart is a game, but toughness is 13 games. I really like this definition of toughness because whats the point of playing injured and sacrificing your body if you can't live to fight another day? This is where Griffin explains the decision athletes need to make to play smart and to understand there is a difference between being injured and being hurt. Run out of bounds instead of lowering your shoulder, don't lead with your head, take the path of least resistance. "You are doing your teammates a disservice by playing hurt, when ones ego gets in the way, you have to ask yourself, who are you hurting the most. If you're at 90% the guy next to you has to give 110%." According to Griffin, coaches would often say throughout his career "if your maintenance outweighs your production, its time for you to leave." Griffin has come to realize that you are doing your teammates a disservice by playing hurt, when ones ego gets in the way, you have to ask yourself, who are you hurting the most? If you're at 90% the guy next to you has to give 110%." During the interview, Griffin uses a c
