Defenses, plays, audibles — QBs recall these things every Sunday afternoon. Mental mastery is key. Let Seattle Seahawks star Russell Wilson, 29, teach you his secrets.
Learn intensely.
“I love drawing things out; I love watching film. But there’s nothing like the intensity and the feeling of actually playing the game—and practicing that way as well. It’s high-intensity concentration, simulated crowd noise, and I have to remember certain things or recite certain things or visualize certain things.”
Play to your strengths.
“Sometimes the play dictates itself. I don’t think you want to overthink it. You just go with your best plays and stuff that you do really well. Simple wins: You just have to be able to do the simple things right.”
Call an audible.
“You recognize the matchup—that’s where all the film study comes in. We have adjustments within the play. And then you talk to the line, you talk to the receivers, you talk to everybody, telling them whatever the term is. When you get to it, everybody knows what they’re doing.”
Learn from others.
“I think about how in our schools today, if someone goes to the guidance counselor, people think that person is weird. I want to change that thought. How can we learn from other people? How can we learn from the experience of failure? I’ve been working with a mental-conditioning coach, Trevor Moawad, for years.”
Sharpen your mind.
“Before a game, I do this with Trevor: me reciting ‘1,’ ‘2,’ ‘3.’ It sounds crazy, but it gets my mind sharp and clear. For example, [Moawad] will say ‘1,’ I’ll say ‘2.’ He’ll say ‘3,’ I go back to ‘1.’ He says ‘2,’ I say ‘3.’ With loud music. Then we’ll change it up with a clap, then we’ll change it up with a noise, so ‘1’ may be ‘1’ but ‘2’ may be a clap and ‘3’ may be a certain noise. And we cycle through that for several minutes straight. It’s a small tactic, but when you’re playing the game, you’re able to stay focused in the moment.”
Set goals
“Don’t become bored with consistency. All I ever want to do is be super-consistent. I want to be the most consistent player on the field. And that’s how you prepare, that’s how you watch film, that’s how you study, that’s how you live your life in what you do.”
Bounce back from an interception
“Adversity is temporary. You need to snap into the moment and not panic, not worry about outside forces. Your self-talk has to be great: I’ve been here before. I’m here. You have to believe and have great confidence.”