Off On The Right Foot – Doug Blevins and Adam Vinatieri

I love my job! I get to meet some of the most interesting and inspiring people in the world. Recently, in the course of conducting a search for senior sales executives for one of my client companies, I made the acquaintance of Doug Blevins. Because of his geographic location, Doug was not able to consider the particular position I was trying to fill. But my conversation with Doug was enough to make me want to know more about him – his story and his dreams. I share the story with you for two reasons: you, too, may be uplifted and inspired, and you may be aware of an inside sales position that may be perfect for Doug that would allow him to work from his home in the Southwest corner of Virginia.

Here is the beginning of Doug’s story in his own words:

I am the first and only person with a disability in history to become an Assistant Football Coach in the National Football League! Despite being born with cerebral palsy, which prevented me from ever being able to walk, I pursued my dream of coaching professional football and grew up to work for such teams as the New York Jets, New England Patriots, and the Miami Dolphins. Including a 5-year tour of duty as the Kicking Coordinator for the NFL Europe League.

In addition to working with the organizations listed above, Doug has developed his own kicking and punting consultancy business and school.

Doug Blevins Kicking & Punting, Inc. is a professional kicking development business that coaches and develops kickers and punters for high school, college, and professional football. We also provide our clients with a wide variety of professional Kicking Consulting services. Through DBK&P I coached/developed such NFL Kickers/Punters as Adam Vinatieri of the New England Patriots, Chris Hansen of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Aaron Elling of the Minnesota Vikings, Kris Brown of the Houston Texans, Joe Nedney of the Tennessee Titans, David Akers of the Philadelphia Eagles, Leo Araguz of the Kansas City Chiefs, Shayne Graham of the Cincinnati Bengals, Don Silvestri of the Florida Bobcats, David Cool of the Orlando Predators, Silvio Diliberto of the Amsterdam Admirals, Manfred Burgsmuller of the Dusseldorf Rhein Fire, Jesus Angoy of the Barcelona Dragons. Doug Blevins Kicking & Punting also provided Kicking Consulting services for the Toronto Argonauts and the Canadian Football League. Each summer we conduct Kicking Camps serving hundreds of high school kickers and punters all across the United States and Canada.

Doug, I am a New England Patriots fan, so the name, Adam Vinatieri jumped out at me. Please tell me about the development of your relationship with Adam.

Adam and I are like brothers. Adam is godfather to my seven year-old son. When he graduated from South Dakota State, one of his friends told him about my kicking school. He sent me a tape. He was raw, but he could kick the ball a mile. So, in the spring on 1995 he came down here to Virginia and we started working together. It took my wife and me a few days to figure out that Adam did not have any money and was living in his truck. We helped him get a job as a cab driver, but that was not good for his back, and it was effecting his kicking, so he got a job tending bar. Before too long, one of our citizens helped him to land a job as the bartender in one of our region’s most exclusive hotels. That paid the bills while we worked together to perfect his kicking game.

At that time, I was working for NFL Europe, signing all the kickers and punters and working with them. We signed him to kick for the Amsterdam team, and he was playing for them when he caught the eye of Bill Parcells and the Patriots. They signed him as soon as they were able, and the rest is history!

Editorial note: here is Adam’s bio as it appears in the Patriot’s Official Website:
http://www.patriots.com/team/index.cfm?ac=playerbio&bio=447

Doug, I understand that your coaching and teaching kicking is a part-time endeavor. Because of your physical condition, the best job for you right now would be an inside sales role that you could perform primarily from your home in Virginia. What would you like to say to anyone who might like to consider using your considerable talents to sell their products or services over the phone?

I was able to achieve these accomplishments because of an unyielding winning attitude! Just think of the exciting things your organization can accomplish by providing me with the opportunity to put that winning attitude to work for you. I have worked and succeeded in the most pressure filled environment in the world. The knowledge, expertise, and experience I have from working in professional football gives me the necessary tools to be a superb employee. I am a unique employee because I am very interested in being the best I possibly can be and achieving success. I do not approach any job or task with the philosophy of working fast to get home early. Going home is not one of my priorities! Achieving success and performing at an extremely high level is my priority! I think there are far too many people in American society today very happy to achieve mediocrity. I call that the watering down of the United States of America. That attitude and mindset is a disease that is eating away at the future of our country. If you provide me with the opportunity to be a member of your organization, you can rest assured that my focus is going to be on productivity and achieving success! I will be working fast to accomplish predetermined goals and objectives! I believe everything you do in life you should strive to be the best at doing it!

Thanks Doug. It sounds like you are ready and eager to help a new company kick on through the uprights!

If you know of a company that would like to benefit from Doug’s passion, motivational skill, salesmanship and energy, have them contact me and I’ll be glad to make the introduction. Doug also is well known as a motivational speaker, and would be open to accepting a limited number of additional speaking engagements.

Al