#182 - Striving For Excellence with Oshiomogho Atogwe

Send us Fan MailFrom an early age, Oshiomogho Atogwe focused on the micro-steps needed to continually grow and learn and constantly refine and improve his skills as a football player. And as Atomic Habit’s author James Clear says, it’s the ‘aggregation of marginal gains over time’ that leads to long term lasting success. Little did Oshiomogho  know it at the time, but he would go on to be one of the best high school players to ever come out of Windsor, Ontario and also go on to receive a scholarship at Stanford University and be a defensive standout on the team. This would lead him to be drafted in the 3rd round of the NFL draft by the St Louis Rams and play 8 years in the NFL. 5 years with the Rams, 2 years with the Redskins and then finish his career with the Philadelphia Eagles. In our discussion, Oshiomogho and I talk about his journey in the NFL and what it was he came to better understand about himself through this experience. He has always been guided by his faith and the deep spiritual framework that he puts into action in his life to honor the talents and strengths that he feels he has been given and the responsibility to give back to the world in special ways to serve others with the gifts that he has been blessed with. Oshiomogho believes that a great coach has the power to change a persons life and that it is a role that cannot be taken lightly. Using his own experiences as an example, he speaks about the impact that his high school coach Harry Lumley had in his life and the difference he made. As a college football player myself and being from the same hometown, Windsor Ontario, it was great to connect with Oshiomogho  and have this discussion on my podcast. Wherever you are in the world listening to this, I hope you enjoy the conversation and share it with at least one person you feel with benefit from listening to it as well. About Oshiomogho Oshiomogho Isaac "O.J." Atogwe (born June 23, 1981) is a Canadian former professional American football free safety who served most recently as the secondary coach for the Memphis Express of the Alliance of American Football (AAF). He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Stanford. Atogwe was also a member of the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles.