From Soccer Player to Pro American Football Kicker at 36 | Dean Faithful’s Story

Dean Faithful went from playing football around the world to becoming a professional American football kicker in his mid-30s.In this episode, we talk about his journey from soccer to American football, learning to kick during lockdown, getting a scholarship in the US, being drafted into the CFL, and hitting a game-winning kick in front of 35,000 fans.We also get into the mindset behind late-career reinvention, transferable skills, kicking mechanics, resilience, self-employment, and why getting really good at your craft still matters more than chasing shortcuts.0:00 Life in Colorado, the UK, and starting over18:00 How Dean accidentally became an American football kicker22:30 Learning to kick from YouTube during lockdown28:00 Losing his scholarship and rebuilding through Twitter33:00 The difference between kicking a soccer ball and American football39:00 Why live kicking changes everything45:00 Athleticism, size, strength, and the kicker stereotype52:00 Building Game Day Kicking57:00 Getting drafted into the CFL1:05:00 The game-winning kick against Calgary1:13:00 Life after Canada and building the next chapter1:20:00 Coaching kickers and doing things the right wayDean Faithful:Instagram: @dean.faithfulWebsite: gamedaykicking.comEmail: [email protected]