Elvis in ’68. Sinatra in ’74. Bills v. Oilers in ’93. All worthy comebacks.
However, there’s a new contender for best comeback of all time.
TCU’s triple overtime win over Oregon in the 2016 Valero Alamo Bowl: “The Kolhausen Comeback”.
From the agony of defeat to the thrill of victory, “greatest comebacks of all time” don’t just happen by accident.
How can you prepare to win more, live smarter and maybe even pull off your own comeback in 2016?
Next Man Up
With only 48 hours notice, Bram Kolhausen, TCU senior quarterback, was thrust into the starting lineup January 2 in San Antonio versus the #11 Oregon Ducks.
Thursday he was holding the clipboard, Saturday he was leading the huddle. As a US Calvary bugle might’ve signaled in different times, “Boots and saddles, boys.”
By halftime, however, TCU was losing 31-0. That’s right, 31 points. With two whole quarters left to play, the Ducks were rolling—hard.
For comparison, 1,463 college football games had been played since a team trailed by 31 points and came back to win. That’s 21,945 quarters of football, or 87,780 minutes of game time.
Down by 31? Gas up the bus, it’s gonna be a long ride home.
Except that it wasn’t.
The TCU comeback magic that unfolded next must have had Sir Ernest Shackleton himself fist-pumping from the grave. The first-half beatdown by the Ducks turned into an epic second-half rally by the Frogs.
It began with a field goal by TCU’s First Team All-Big 12 kicker, Jaden Oberkrom, with 10:42 left in the 3rd quarter.
31-3.
Then, a 26 yard pass from Kolhausen to Jaelan Austin. (4:18 left in 3Q)
31-10.
A 2 yard run by Kolhausen. (0:36 left in 3Q)
31-17.
Another Oberkrom field goal. (7:45 left in 4Q)
31-20. A 2 yard run by Aaron Green followed by a two-point conversion pass from Shaun Nixon to Buck Jones. (3:32 left in 4Q)
31-28.
Finally, another clutch field goal by Oberkrom from the 22 yard line. (0:19 left in the 4Q)
31-31. Tie ball game.
And, this doesn’t even count overtime. And, by overtime, I mean three overtimes…
How. In. The. World?
Your Superpowers—What Are They And How Do You Use Them?
If you want to get anywhere worthwhile in life, you have to know who you are. (See this Tom Rath Q&A for an insightful primer on the importance of strengths-based leadership.)
What turns you on, what turns you off? What energizes you, what depletes you?
What are your natural talents and how will you use them to achieve your goals?
Understanding how you naturally think, feel and behave (your natural talents) is the Rosetta Stone for how you should spend your time and energy. Which relationships you nurture and which relationships you let go. What skills you develop and where to focus your effort.
Ask 100 different people what they want to achieve this year, and you’ll get a variety of answers. Ask the same people what personal talents they’ll use to achieve their goals, and you may get lots of blank stares.
If you’re down 31 points at halftime, do you know the personal strengths you’ll lean on to play, much less win, the second half?
Surprisingly, most don’t.
Know Thyself
Bram Kolhausen took the field Saturday knowing he had what it would take to lead his team to victory.
He knew—better than anyone else—his specific talents and how to apply them.
Remember Stephen Covey’s Fifth Habit? “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”
While this advice rightfully stresses the importance of listening better, here’s a slight twist: “Seek first to understand yourself.”
Success can only begin with a clear understanding of who you are and the value you deliver.
Just as great comebacks don’t happen by accident, exceptional self-awareness doesn’t happen by accident either.
One of the best ways to begin this journey is by taking the talent assessment found in StrengthsFinder 2.0.
Tom Rath’s ground-breaking book was the best-selling book on all of Amazon in 2013 and 2014 and still resides in Amazon’s Top 10 list. There’s good reason for this. It’s a life-changing, self-knowledge goldmine.
This strengths journey takes time, commitment and thoughtful introspection.
In this age of distraction, no easy task, but the payoff is worth it.
Triple Overtime
A favorite line within the strengths coaching community is “you cannot be anything you want to be, but you can be a lot more of who you already are.”
Get it?
You already possess the talent you need to achieve every single one of your goals this year.
When Elvis, Frank and the 2015 Horned Frogs needed a comeback, a common thread tilted the odds in their favor. They confidently knew their strengths and how to deploy those strengths to achieve their goals.
While you probably won’t be 31 points down in front of 7 million people in a bowl game, you may find yourself on the disappointing end of a job interview, promotion or an important work project.
If and when that happens, will you know how to make your own greatest comeback or will you tell the bus driver to get ready for a long ride home?
Start the year by discovering and owning your unique talents.
They’re your personal edge for everything you want to achieve this year.
For the most fun three hours of college football you’ll see this year, click here: Frogs/Ducks 2016 Alamo Bowl – Entire Game. *31-0 Second-half starts at 1:28:17. **31-31 Overtime starts at 2:43:25.
For game highlights, click here: Frogs/Ducks 2016 Alamo Bowl Highlights.
If you enjoyed this post or want to discover, grow and focus your natural talents, please drop me a line at hello@strengthslauncher.com. I’d love to hear from you.
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