ALL CAPS PREVIEW: MISSISSIPPI STATE

MY MOTHER IS 74 YEARS OLD. SHE’S RETIRED AND HAS BEEN IN A REFLECTIVE PLACE ON HER LIFE. WE WERE TALKING THE OTHER DAY AND SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT HER PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL CAREER AND SHE TALKED ABOUT HOW ALL OF IT WAS DRIVEN BY A CONVERSATION SHE HAD WITH HER FATHER WHEN SHE WAS COMING TO THE UNITED STATES FROM INDIA. HER FATHER TOLD HER THAT IF SHE DIDNT SUCCEED AND HAD TO COME HOME THERE WAS NO OPTION TO SEND HER BACK. THIS IS THE SAME CONVO MY GRANDDAD HAD WITH MY DAD IN SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES.

AS A RESULT ACCOMPLISHMENTS DON'T MEAN MUCH TO MY MOM AND LET’S BE CLEAR SHE’S DONE A LOT IN HER PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL LIFE. SURE ACCOMPLISHMENTS CAN WARRANT SMALL CELEBRATIONS, BUT SUCCESS ISNT THE GOAL. IT’S THE MINIMAL DAMN EXPECTATION AND QUITE FRANKLY NO ONE GIVES YOU CREDIT FOR MEETING THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.

THIS SOUNDS LIKE AN UNHEALTHY ENVIRONMENT TO GROW UP IN AND PERHAPS IT WAS...BUT IT FRAMED WHO I AM AS A PERSON. I BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE ARE DRIVEN BY ONE OF TWO THINGS: THE DRIVE FOR SUCCESS OR THE FEAR OF FAILURE. I AM FIRMLY IN THAT SECOND CATEGORY.

DON'T GET ME WRONG. SUCCESS IS GREAT. AND IMPORTANT. BUT ANYONE IS CAPABLE OF LOVING SUCCESS. AND SUCCESS MEANS YOU HAVE A CHOICE AS TO WHETHER YOU WANT TO GET BETTER FOR THE NEXT GO AROUND OR WHETHER YOU’RE CONTENT TO SIT STILL AND DO WHAT YOU HAD ALWAYS BEEN DOING.

THERE IS NO DAMN CHOICE WITH FAILURE. NONE. YOU HAVE TO GET BETTER. YOU HAVE TO WORK HARDER. THE BEST THAT YOU GAVE IN THAT GAME WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. YOU HAVE TO DO MORE. YOU HAVE TO FIX THINGS. YOU HAVE TO RUN AWAY FROM THE FAILURE BOOGEYMAN THAT’S CHASING YOU. THERE IS NO DAMN CHOICE. AND SOMETIMES THERE IS FREEDOM IN NOT HAVING A CHOICE.

THAT’S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. THERE’S NO DAMN CHOICE BUT TO DO BETTER. EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF THE COACHING STAFF AND THE 85 MAN ROSTER DOESN'T HAVE A CHOICE. SATURDAY DID NOT FEEL GOOD. AND IT’S TIME TO REMEMBER THAT FEELING AND WORK HARDER. DO BETTER. DO YOUR JOB SO THE MAN NEXT TO YOU CAN DO THEIRS.

I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE CAPABLE OF BEING BETTER BECAUSE IVE SEEN IT. AND I BELIEVE OUR TEAM FUNDAMENTALLY KNOWS THAT WHO WE WERE ON SATURDAY IS NOT WHO WE ARE. AND THAT SHOULD PISS US THE F OFF. THIS ISNT ABOUT PLAYING SCARED. THIS IS ABOUT PLAYING ANGRY. ANGRY AT OURSELVES, ANGRY AT THE OTHER TEAM, JUST ANGRY AT THE WORLD.

I NEVER SAID THIS WAS A HEALTHY MENTALITY. BUT IT’S DAMN EFFECTIVE.

WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY THIS WEEKEND TO RUN FURTHER AWAY FROM THAT BOOGEYMAN AND FIND SUCCESS. WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE UP FOR WHAT WE DIDN'T DO LAST WEEKEND BY WORKING OUR ASSES OFF THIS WEEK IN PRACTICE AND ON THE FIELD THIS SATURDAY. YOU DON'T GET A REWARD FOR DOING YOUR JOB. YOU GET THE SATISFACTION OF HAVING DONE YOUR JOB. A WINNING MENTALITY AND WORKING OUR ASSESS OF IS THE MINIMAL EXPECTATION BECAUSE THIS TEAM HAS THE DNA TO DO EXTRAORDINARY THINGS.

EVERYONE IS CAPABLE OF LOVING SUCCESS. HOW MUCH DO YOU HATE LOSING. HOW MUCH CAN THAT HATE DRIVE YOU?

I BELIEVE IN THIS PROGRAM AND ITS COACHES. I BELIEVE IN OUR PLAYERS. I BELIEVE IN ZACH MFING CALZADA. I BELIEVE IN OUR ABILITY TO DO WHAT IT TAKES TO BE BETTER AT OUR JOBS AND TO DO OUR PART.

AND I BELIEVE THAT IF WE DO THOSE THINGS, WE’LL COME OUT WITH A DAMN WIN.

IT’S TIME TO BEAT THE EVERLIVING

EVERLOVING

COMPOUND

COMPLEX

FIGHTIN TEXAS AGGIE CLASS OF 2001 HELL OUTTA

miss st.