by Dr. Joe Deutsch and Dr. Thomas Orr
The path to success is not a straight line to the top, in fact the path is usually full of peaks and valleys. Given his recent success coming back to his boyhood team has given Carson Wentz another peak, however if we look at his life we can see how his grit, faith and determination has been consistent. While discussing the importance of mentorship with current Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) President Joe Deutsch we were reminded of not only his story, but how his story has evolved since Dr. Deutsch shared his remarkable story in my textbook. Considering his next two games will be played in Dublin and London, the success he had can be parlayed into more success, or if the opposing teams have their way, they will frustrate Carson. Regardless, understanding the character of Carson is very important to see how he will carry on with his mission on and off the field even as he plays for his sixth team in six years. This short story has aged well because success for Carson comes from the impact he has made.
Here is the story that Joe shared with us;
“In 2010 Carson Wentz finished his high school career as a quarterback for Century High School in Bismarck, North Dakota with very little interest from most colleges. Determined to prove he belonged, Carson made a You Tube highlight video of his plays at quarterback and sent it to all the Division 1 schools in the region. Carson’s heart lied at North Dakota State University, as his brother Zach was a current baseball player at NDSU at the time. As soon as other schools started looking at Carson’s 6’ 5” frame and cannon of an arm, several schools including FBS programs began to make offers. Loyal to his roots, Carson chose North Dakota State, despite the fact that their starting quarterback, Brock Jensen, was only going to be a sophomore and went on to win three National Championships and is the winningest Quarterback in FCS history.
Carson bought his time and worked hard every day. He formed relationships and bonds with his coaches and teammates based on his immense work ethic and his constant pursuit for improvement, including constantly watching film. He would eventually get his opportunity to lead the Bison in his redshirt junior year and helped them to win their fourth consecutive FCS National Championship. In 2015, Carson’s senior year, he missed 8 consecutive games at the end of the season, due to injury. He refused to accept that his season was over and rehabbed as much and fast as he could, only to be cleared to return in the FCS National Championship game, where he led the Bison to their 5th consecutive title. His stock continued to rise and he went on to be chosen #2 over all in the NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, only to have his MVP worthy rookie season end early with another injury. He came back his second season and again ended the season early with a different injury. Carson’s career in some ways, has been marred with roadblocks or what some might even call disappointments.
The true story of Carson Wentz is his sheer will to persevere and to never lose sight of his goals and aspirations. Serving as Carson’s Academic Advisor afforded me the opportunity to sit down with him and sometimes just talk about life. No matter what road blocks have been put in his way, he has persevered and used those challenges to inspire new goals and accomplishments. Carson possessed the ability to look at the positive and not even entertain the idea that something that happened may cause him to decide he cannot reach his goal, although it just might change his goal and desire. Carson’s work with the AO1 Foundation has defined him far beyond his skills and accomplishments on the football field. The “Audience of One’ reminds athletes that win, lose, or draw, with the lord in your presence, you seek to perform your best and enjoy the fruits of your labor, regardless of what the scoreboard or others have to say. I am very proud of the man Carson has become and regardless of how he performs on the football field, his positive impact on people cannot be measured.”
Dr. Joe Deutsch, North Dakota State University Professor and College Adviser to Carson Wentz, (2019).
Excerpt from Page 45 of Sport and Violence; A Critical Examination of Sport by Dr. Orr and Jamieson. Book available here; https://sagamorepub.com/products/sport-and-violence