Ever had a dream or a goal that seemed so impossible that no one – not even your father or coaches – believed in you? Rashad Jennings knows the feeling.
The former New York Giants running back once dreamed of becoming an NFL star when he was a child. Unfortunately, he was a fifth-string running back who struggled with debilitating asthma and a 0.6 GPA – that’s not a typo.
One day, when four running backs were injured in a game, Jennings finally got his chance to play. From there, he went on to play college football, earn a 3.5 GPA and spend eight years in the NFL. Imagine that no one believed he could do that back then?
After he retired from the NFL, he went on to win Dancing With the Stars, and recently became the author of The If In Life: How to Get Off Life’s Sidelines and Become Your Best Self. In this book, he shares the inspiration, determination and drive that has marked every chapter of his life.
I had a chance to ask him some questions about his career and his life and to give me some predictions on what will happen during this upcoming NFL season – and on Dancing With the Stars, of course!
I love the title of your book. I think titles are everything. How did you come up with The If In Life?
Rashad: It’s a play on words. When you spell out the word life ‘if’ is in the middle. It’s the foundation of the word. I wrote 15 chapters of exploring these ifs in my life, these major points. If I wouldn’t have had a loving mother; if I wouldn’t have had two older brothers that made sacrifices; if I would have responded the wrong way to racism; if I wouldn’t have started taking ownership and responsibility. If, if, if, and I don’t stop for 15 chapters. It’s going to force every reader to find their own ‘if’ in life.
You’re only 33 years old and have a whole life ahead of you. Why write a book now versus, say, 20 years from now?
Rashad: Between now and then, I plan on writing 20 more books! I wanted to write one now because I feel like motivation in truth and inspiration never change, no matter the age you are. I never wanted to wait because you never know if you’re being a seed in another person’s life or you’re watering what’s already been planted. My life — my stories — have an impact. I think it’d be almost, to a level, selfish of me not to share them. I wanted to inspire people and let them know that dreams actually do come true and came true for a very overweight, chubby kid, glasses, asthma, 0.6 GPA, fifth-string running back that was lost and clueless. I’m your average guy, I’m your average dude by far, and there’s nothing special about me. It’s just the positions I’ve found myself in. I want to be able to share that.
I’ve seen you dance. You’re not average. You’re way above average. Speaking of dancing, who’s going to win Dancing With the Stars — Josh, Adam, or Tonya?
Rashad: That’s tough. You’ve got Adam, who’s exceptionally good. You’ve got Tonya, who’s been great on the dance floor, and the people that get to really know her story start to see her side, and I love that, because she’s definitely creating new chapters in her life. Then you got Josh. He’s flashy, he’s got swag, he’s got moves, so it can go any way. If I had to pick one, I might go with a shocker, Tonya.
Which of your previous three teams, the Jaguars, Raiders, or Giants, will have the best year this year?
Rashad: Jacksonville.
Where will each of them finish?
Rashad: I got them first.
Las Vegas has set win totals for all NFL teams, Do you think your previous teams will win more or less than projected.
– Giants (7 wins)
Rashad: We’re definitely going to win more.
Raiders (8.5 wins)
Rashad: They are definitely going to win more.
Jaguars, eight and a half.
Rashad: Definitely win more.
How many yards will Saquon Barkley rush during his rookie season?
Rashad: That’s tough. I got him over 1,000. I predicted him winning Rookie of the Year two months ago. Now that he’s a Giant I’m really going to hold him to it.
Between Saquon Barkley and Leonard Fournette, who will be the first to lead the league in rushing?
Rashad: I will go with Barkley.
Which wide receiver is the best comparison to Odell Beckham Jr?
Rashad: I would have to go with Antonio Brown.
What are your thoughts on what happened with Eli last year and should he be benched at any point this year?
Rashad: I can’t answer for this year, but I don’t feel like he should have been benched last year, I can say that. There were some ups and downs and there was some inconsistency with the whole lineup. There was a lot of movement in the front parts, and front parts in the offensive line and three of his best receivers went down. There were a lot of things that were moving. Eli has big shoulders though. He always puts the wins because of the team, and the losses are because of him. I expect him to come out and have one heck of a year.
The Rashad Jennings Foundation obviously means so much to you. I have a sweet spot for your reading challenge that you’ve done, especially being a writer, and especially in such a digital age when the kids are so attached to video games. What has it meant to you to see kids participating in wanting to read more?
Rashad: It’s such a thrill. The Rashad Jennings Foundation is where we focus on reading, education, and literacy, and making it fun. We’ve been inside of over 35 schools with over 500,000 books read by the youth. I’ve just got so many love letters from parents and teachers talking about how enthused their kids have been to read. In this digital world, in all the things that we go through, one thing that’s for sure, reading is always going to be necessary. I love it because I grew up with a reading comprehension deficit; I was bullied; I was picked on; I was made fun of and I had low self-esteem because of it. Sure enough, I was going to focus on that through the Rashad Jennings Foundation.
Thank you Rashad!
Rashad: That was fun, thanks!
For more information!
To find out more about Rashad’s book, please visit TheIfinLifeBook.com.
If you would like more information on the Rashad Jennings Foundation, please visit http://rashadjenningsfoundation.com.
