Pro Mindset Podcast

Sean Callahan of Husker Online joins Pro Mindset host Craig Domann to talk about everything Nebraska football. Callahan who is a prominent member of the media covering Nebraska football shares his perspective on the recent transfers and the best utilization of the transfer portal. He mentions that the transfer portal is here to stay, and college coaches should expect players to transfer each year and coaches need to allocate a few spots each recruiting cycle to transfers in addition to the normal high school and JUCO recruits.
Callahan also shares his belief that “Big 10 money” is the ultimate equalizer in the Big 10 and the main reason there are no pushovers in the Big 10 like there was in the Big 12. The Big 10 money has created parity as every school has the same resources to compete in the arms race (facilities race), as well as all Big 10 school have similar coach’s payroll expenditures. Most importantly, every Saturday, regardless if Nebraska is favored or not, the Cornhuskers have to be ready to play.
Callahan has an insider’s viewpoint about Luke McCaffrey’s entry into the transfer portal, as well as Adrian Martinez’s growth, leadership and prospects for 2021. Callahan and Domann also discuss the intersection of zealous fans, social media and student-athletes. In today’s world, fans can reach out and direct message (DM) players in a professional and sometimes unprofessional manner.
Callahan shares his prediction on the 2021 Nebraska Cornhuskers’ record.

Pro Mindset Podcast Host Craig Domann welcomes Rick Burton to Pro Mindset Podcast. Burton is currently the David B. Falk Endowed Professor of Sport Management in Syracuse University’s David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, as well as currently serves as Syracuse University’s Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR). Prior to his appointment at Syracuse in August 2009, Burton served as the chief marketing officer for the U.S. Olympic Committee overseeing the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics.
Before joining the USOC, Burton spent four years as the Commissioner of Australia’s Sydney-based National Basketball League (a two-continent league with teams in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore). Burton led the University of Oregon’s Warsaw Sports Marketing Center to international prominence serving as both its director and executive director during his eight years in Eugene, OR.
Burton has written two books on sports marketing as well as 20 Secrets to Success for Student-Athletes Who Won’t Go Pro and Forever Orange, which highlights Syracuse University’s 150 years. He is the co-author of the textbook “Global Sport Marketing: Sponsorship, Ambush Marketing and the Olympic Games” and in 2016 finished a book for SU Press on his collected opinion columns from Sports Business Journal titled “Sports Business Unplugged: Leadership Challenges from the World of Sports .”
Burton has an unparreled perspective in sports marketing, business and education. Burton and Domann discuss the following issues in sports:
•Deshaun Watson trade demand with the Houston Texans.
•The Olympic “Spirit” and the needed selfish & focused mindset to be successful.
•Fair is for the Pigs! The State Fair is only place you find fairness.
•Tom Brady and his “GOAT-ness”
•Great vs. Great Mindset
•His book 20 Secrets to Success for Student-Athletes

Pro Mindset Podcast host and veteran NFL Agent Craig Domann discusses the Super Bowl, the star QBs (Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes) and the “passing of the torch” from Brady to Mahomes as the GOAT. Craig highlights Brady’s accomplishments and calls them the “marathon milestones” that Mahomes is chasing.
The big question for many fans is “Can Mahomes beat Brady with his unparalleled post-season records and individual statistics and become the GOAT?” Although Mahomes is on a great pace at the end of his third year of starting to surpass Brady, Brady has been the best for 21 years! Brady is the reason so many fans have hated the New England Patriots for always winning.
Craig dives into Mahomes’ background, success and mindset, as well as, identifies the natural hurdles Mahomes will have to overcome to succeed over two decades like Brady.
Craig shares some of the traits that make Mahomes special:
•Transformation of the QB position due to his creativity, off-platform throws, movement in the pocket and various throwing sockets.
•No quit – no fear mentality and his ability to come back from behind, especially in the post-season and to win Super Bowl
•Big play capabilities and big play mentality
•Knack for doing whatever is required to make a play, improvising to move the chains, escape to buy time and make a play
•Great pocket awareness, incredible field vision and great poise in the pocket
Craig shares that Mahomes greatest component of Pro Mindset is his ability to put on his game face and make plays. He has no fear and tends to be successful in big moments. Craig also shares his insight on the possibility of Mahomes breaking Brady’s records. Craig agrees that Mahomes (provided he does not have injury issues) will continue to chase Brady’s individual statistical records and will likely surpass Brady in several categories. However, Brady’s post-season records (e.g., Super Bowl wins, Super Bowl Appearances, Play-off appearances, Post-season wins, etc.) are more difficult to predict. Brady did not do it by himself and Mahomes cannot either. The organization, the team, all three phases of the game (offense, defense and special teams) have to thrive, the locker room has to be right-minded. Continuing, the division opponents (Broncos, Chargers and Raiders) have to be mostly down for the next 15 years, the Chiefs leadership, coaches and front office have to maintain continuity and unity in their vision for the next 15 years. Obviously, Mahomes has to stay healthy, stay hungry and dodge the inevitable contract disputes with the Chiefs. Furthermore, can Mahomes win as much as he has lately after head coach Andy Reid retires? Can the Chiefs replace the dangerous skill weapons on offense when they get older (Kelce, Hill, etc.)?
Craig believes it is too early to predict on such issues so far in advance and many outside Mahomes’ control.
Enjoy Super Bowl LV!

Former Cowboys NFL offensive lineman, Bill Nagy joins Pro Mindset host Craig Domann and shares his football journey from playing high school football in Ohio to college football for the Wisconsin Badgers to the Dallas Cowboys. Bill played offensive line and was drafted in the 7th round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Bill was drafted the year (2011) the NFL locked the players out until the first week of August. Consequently, Bill did not get to participate in any off-season program with the Cowboys his rookie season. The day after the lockout ended, he signed his rookie contract and reported to training camp with Cowboys. Bill started from the jump for the Cowboys (opening game starter) less than 35 days later. He was a quick study and his experiences with the Badgers prepared him for the NFL.
After the NFL, Bill went into college coaching and was on Coach Chryst’s staffs at Pittsburgh and then at Wisconsin before Bill decided to go into the private sector to have more time with his family. His wife, Jessamyn, played volleyball at Wisconsin, and they have three young children. Bill currently works as a risk management consultant at Hausmann-Johnson Insurance in Madison, WI.
Bill goes down memory lane as he shares his experiences and challenges with the Badgers who eventually had 14 of the 15 offensive linemen play in the NFL. He earned himself a starting position going into his third season only to have it taken away when he was in a moped accident (lady ran a red light) just two weeks before the start of Fall camp. He gives an account of watching his starting and playing opportunities that season fade away as his rehab took longer than expected. The title of this pod is in reference to the mental battles he had while dealing with the emotions of earning a starting spot only to lose it because of a freak accident off-the-field.
Bill talks about the most impressive player that he played with at any level, DeMarcus Ware, and Ware’s strong belief system. According to Bill, Ware’s excellent performances came not just from his outstanding athletic abilities but also from his unmatched confidence and belief that he was the best.
Bill and Craig discuss the business of college football and how the business side of the college game mirrors the NFL. College players today are far more knowledgeable and sophisticated in terms of their rights, opportunities, utilization of the transfer portal, branding and positioning themselves for the NFL.
Craig and Bill talk about old-timers Drew Brees and Tom Brady related to their passion and love for the game and their competitive fires. They agree that both Brady and Brees have the uncanny ability to have a rookie mindset and passion that defies their age.
Bill and Craig talk about many other topics including:
•Would Bill allow his son to play football and why,
•Who is one of coaches that he respects and learned the most from,
•What makes the University of Wisconsin and Badger football special, and
•Bill shares his perspective as a college football coach (Pittsburgh Panthers & Wisconsin Badgers).

Long-time NFL front office personnel man Mike Ackerley joins Pro Mindset host Craig Domann and shares his perspective on what creates “draft value” and the difference between the front office mindset and the football coach mindset related to evaluating and drafting players. The NFL Draft is the #1 supply chain mechanism for NFL teams adding talent to their rosters. Mike also discusses his personal experience as the West Coast Scout for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers leading up to the 1993 NFL Draft when they drafted safety John Lynch out of Stanford University in the third round. He shares insights about the scouting and coaching opinions about Lynch, as well as, the impact of Lynch’s pedestrian 4.73 forty time at the NFL Combine. Lynch was widely considered a 1st round performer but was rated a 3rd rounder in terms of draft value due to his speed concerns. This month Lynch is again a finalist for the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame in Canton, Ohio. Lynch is looking to become the 5th player from the 1993 NFL Draft Class following Willie Roaf, Michael Strahan, Jerome Bettis and Will Shields.
Prior to his 20+ year NFL personnel career, Mike coached in college football for 20+ years as well. In fact, Mike was Craig’s position college at the University of Kansas. As a seasoned college coach, Mike believes he had an edge in scouting since (a) he was accustomed to scouting players as a college coach as a part of his recruiting, and (b) he could relate to and anticipate what his pro coaches were looking for in terms of evaluation factors.

Veteran NFL Agent and Pro Mindset host Craig Domann gives his perspective on whether a player should declare for the NFL Draft or go back to school. This year (2021 NFL Draft) is a unique year because not only are the typical three-year players (redshirt sophomores & true juniors), four-year players (RS- juniors & true seniors) but also the five-year players (RS-seniors) are eligible to enter the 2021 NFL Draft and are also eligible to return to college for the 2021 season. The NCAA gave a blanket do-over year for the 2020 season meaning it does not count their eligibility. Players that normally would have no choice but to pursue the NFL now have the opportunity to come back.
Players need to note that there's probably 50-100 guys that receive accolades that they will go in the first round of the NFL Draft. There’s probably only 15 – 20 consensus first rounders. However, every single year, there's only 32 guys that get their names called in the first round. Obviously, there are a bunch of athletes who feel lied to and betrayed…and who go in the later rounds, thus “bumping” other athletes who were told they would go in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th…and so on…rounds of the NFL Draft. All this said, Craig advises players to use his 3-step decision-making process to make their decision.
Craig acknowledges that this decision is probably one of the most important decisions they will make. Craig points out that the attraction and temptation is obviously to go pro. However, he suggests players utilize a decision-making process to make the best decision. In this podcast, Craig comments on and reviews the pros and cons, some of the critical decision factors, and shares a handful of the important NFL indicators, and shares his 3-step decision-making process. The key is the players should use good judgment.
Craig discusses the questions that a player should consider when he has this decision to make. There are five questions a player needs to ask himself in order to do the due diligence needed to make an informed decision. The authentic answers to these questions will dictate what he should do.
In the end, Craig advises players to consult their Maker, look into their heart and make the decision that is right for them.

Bob Wylie joins Pro Mindset host and veteran NFL Agent Craig Domann and talks about how chemistry and relationship between (a) the head coach and his assistant coaches, and (b) the coaches and the players determines the likely success of a team and season. Bob shares his belief that players don’t care about the schemes and game plan unless and until the players feel the coaches care about them as people. Bob was known to get birthday cakes for his players and celebrate their birthdays in the position meetings and he also sent their spouses and kids birthday and Christmas gifts.
Bob, a nearly 30-year NFL coach, has been part of many staffs and with several different head coaches. He shares his experience with the 13-3 Chicago Bears when Dick Jauron was the head coach. Coach Jauron encouraged his coaches to provide input, share ideas, and speak up when they had a dissenting opinion. Bob went further in encouraging his players to do the same. He mentions that he told his players that it is okay to disagree and have a different opinion, but it is not okay to be disagreeable.
Bob shares his perspective that communication is the separator between the winning programs and the losing programs. Bob believes that success is 80% communication and 20% technical (scheme, personnel, game plan and X’s & O’s). The philosophy and vision must be consistently communicated throughout the program. Communication in a football program naturally has two parts: the coach communicator that communicates the message and the player recipient who has the choice to accept the message. It’s a simple process but one that fails often in a locker room. Additionally, Bob shares that a coach’s communication is about teaching a player instead of telling him and, equally important, a player response is either a fixed or judgment mindset or a growth mindset. In a judgment mindset the player blames someone or something else for his mistake or error, whereas, a player with a growth mindset responds by searching for ways to get better, improve and correct his mistake.
Bob describes mindset as framing the interpretation of the millions of bits of information and stimulus a player takes in during a moment before a player or any moment in time. He says every coach expects his players to have a good mindset, but few coaches tell the players what a mindset is and/or describes what a correct mindset looks like. Bob’s a fan of a growth mindset!

Ryan Hannam, former NFL TE, joins Pro Mindset host Craig Domann and shares his football journey from Northern Iowa to the Seattle Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys. Ryan played tight end and was drafted in the 5th round of the 2002 NFL Draft. Ryan played in 58 NFL games during his career including Super Bowl XL (2006) with the Seahawks and caught two passes in the Super Bowl.
Ryan talks about the biggest adjustment going from 1-AA Northern Iowa to the NFL. His philosophy was simple: Put your head down and work hard until somebody tells you not to come to work. He mentions that NFL players are bigger and faster, but there is a place for players with borderline athletic ability if they are reliable, consistent and trustworthy.
Ryan shares his free agency experience after his contract expired in Seattle. He loved Seattle and planned to come back, however, the Dallas Cowboys made an offer he could not refuse and the Seahawks wished him the best. Ryan gives vivid details of the day he spent in Dallas and getting an excellent offer in free agency but was still expecting to return to Seattle. Finding out signing with Dallas was in his best interest was an eye opener for him. He calls it his “cold water in the face” moment.
Ryan is very transparent about his experiences, expectations and his adversities. He talks about the life lessons he has taken from his NFL career and has carried them forward in his business career and in coaching his two daughters. Ryan was inducted into the ISHSAA Hall of Fame in November, 2020. He is a Partner at Financial Designs, LLC in Cedar Falls, IA.

Pro Mindset host and veteran NFL Agent Craig Domann tackles the topic of winning vs losing. He shares his perspective on the differences between winners and losers, including discussing the following:
oWhat’s more important – 5-star culture or 5-star players?
oWhat separates winners from losers?
oIs it Culture? Talent? Coaching?
oIs it more about the players or the coaches?
oIs it player personnel management (recruiting or drafting)?
Naturally, some teams just know how to win, and others don’t. The Pittsburgh Steelers have a long history of winning over the past five decades. They are also the only undefeated team in the NFL going into week 12 this season. By contrast, there is only one winless team in the NFL this season – New York Jets. What’s the difference?
Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, North Dakota State are just winners in college football. They have been winners over many decades and through numerous coaches. Kansas, UTEP and others just haven’t figured it out even though they have changed coaches several times. Winning programs create new and innovative ways to win, whereas, losing programs are imaginative in finding ways to lose.
Craig shares his six (6) key elements you will find in a winning culture. These six elements are the secret sauce to turning a program around:
oConfidence & trust by and between coaches and players
oMental, physical & scouting preparation
oPractice game situations at game speed with intensity and intentionality
oVisualize and create a winning movie in your mind
oDiscipline and awareness
oAvoid loser miscues, moments and situations
The bottom line is that winning is a joint venture and interdependent relationship between the coaches and the players.
GO BE A WINNER - WIN THE MOMENT AND WIN THE DAY!

John Register joins Pro Mindset host Craig Domann as he continues his story beginning with the defining decision of his life which was to amputate his leg or not. John shares that the decided to amputate his leg because the pain was too unbearable, and he believed amputation would alleviate the pain. He stated he did not realize that the pain would not go away and that he would endure the additional agony of phantom pain.
John’s decision to amputate his leg also was a decision to save his life and begin anew. John adapted to his new normal and went back to what he knew best which was competition. He competed in the 1996 Paralympics in swimming which was a key component of his physical therapy. He also earned a Silver Medal in the 2000 Paralympics in track and field.
John shares his belief that inspiration is the catalyst to motivation, motivation in turn causes actions, actions then lead us to transformational results. Those results inspire us, and they allow someone else watching to catch the vision.
He states his belief that we all are an inspiration to someone. Whatever part or stage of life that you're in right now, you are inspiring somebody. Somebody is watching your actions, your motivation, the words that you are saying and communicating and somebody is aligning with your actions because they have caught your vision and want to align with you and follow you to the degree that your actions and words are in congruence.
John loves COURAGE! He says that having courage doesn’t mean that fear is not there. Instead, courage is when you act despite fear being there. Courage is acting on the hope that life on the other side of fear is greater than the fear you may feel in the moment.
The unintended consequences of his leg amputation are the positive impacts he has made on other people’s lives. Just like Dolphins in the water who use sonar waves of echoes to locate and to know where they are in the water because the signals they send out bounce or come back to them. John resonates with this analogy as he has found the same thing with people he has shared his story with.
John also discusses the following topics:
•What does “New Normal” mean?
•His son taught him that it wasn't about the race but instead it was about the relationship
•Redefining Moments - There's no book that tells you how to jump