Mindset, Resilience, and Elite Performance from the NFL to Entrepreneurship With Chris Streveler

with Chris Streveler

Mar 13, 2026 · 01:33:26

I'm so thankful that I was able to have that mindset, jump in headfirst into the CFL game, embrace it, because had I not done that, I probably would've never got that chance to go start those games. I would've never had success in the CFL. I never would've made it to the NFL. And it's just kind of this snowball effect of how do you make the most of this day? How do you stay present in this moment? And if there's an opportunity for you and it presents itself, you'll be ready. If it doesn't present itself and there's not an opportunity, You're going to have no regrets because you did everything you could.

Hey, welcome back to the Total Entrepreneur Mind Body Spirit Podcast, where we help entrepreneurs like you tap into that ROI of prioritizing mental, physical, and spiritual health. Today's guest is Chris Drevler. He's an 8-year NFL and CFL veteran quarterback known for his leadership, relentless work ethic, and commitment to helping others maximize their potential. He's the co-founder of Ground Up QB, one of the fastest growing quarterback training systems in Arizona, where he develops athletes at every level and prepares them for pivotal moments like their pro day. Beyond football, Chris is a sought-after speaker on leadership, mindset, and overcoming adversity, and he's actively building a real estate investment portfolio in Arizona as he expands his impact beyond the game. The conversation was really great. I enjoyed it. I think you're really going to like it too. His story is super inspiring, and no matter what, I think you're going to find a way to relate to it.

Hey, welcome back to the show.

Welcome back to the Total Entrepreneur Mind Body Spirit Podcast, where we help entrepreneurs like you tap into that ROI of prioritizing mental, physical, and spiritual health. Today's guest is Chris Strebler. He's an 8-year NFL and CFL veteran quarterback known for his leadership, relentless work ethic, and commitment to helping others maximize their potential. He's the co-founder of Ground Up QB, one of the fastest-growing quarterback training systems in Arizona, where he develops athletes at every level and prepares them for pivotal moments like their pro day. Beyond football, Chris is a sought-after speaker on leadership, mindset, and overcoming adversity, and he's actively building a real estate investment portfolio in Arizona as he expands his impact beyond the game. The conversation was really great. I enjoyed it. I think you're really going to like it too. His story is super inspiring, and no matter what, I think you're going to find a way to relate to it. Chris, welcome to the podcast. Really great to have you here today.

Thank you, man. Excited to be here.

Yeah. So, the big thing I wanted to talk to you about was the connection between elite performance in an athletic arena and elite performance in business. So, that's like the overarching idea, but we can maybe back up a little bit and just maybe talk about your earlier days like high school, college. You know, most young kids who play football probably dream of playing at the highest level, right? NFL, CFL, whatever. So, what was your mindset like back then? And is that an aspiration you had and how did you deal with that? All that type of stuff.

Yeah, it, it was, it was always my goal as a young kid. And one thing my dad instilled in me from a very young age was if you want to accomplish your goals, you got to work hard. And so I remember being in 6th and 7th grade, like just preparing for our little peewee football season and like, you know, I put the helmet on and like go run sprints in the backyard or like I had a little path mapped out around my neighborhood where I'd ride my bike 10 miles a day because I'm like, well, I don't really know what I'm doing, but I know I have to just work hard and try to get in shape if I want to be better than other people. So, that was instilled in me from a very young age. And, once that was kind of put in my mind, it was always my goal to go Division 1, get a scholarship, and ultimately go in the NFL. And, I was always that kid that was like, I get a textbook and you put your name in the textbook, I'm like, I'm going to do my signature because one day someone's going to look back on this and be like, oh, that's Chris Trevler's signature. And so, I just kind of always had that in my head, but the only way that I knew how to accomplish things was just by trying to work harder than other people. And, that's still kind of my mindset to this day.

Yeah. And, that's a common theme, right? I mean, a lot of people even though they may have natural intelligence or talents, there's still that element of effort that's required, right? So, how would you balance that in terms of just your natural abilities in terms of athleticism And the amount of effort you put in and how those matched up?

Well, I think, I think they kind of go hand in hand because yes, I was, I was always naturally gifted. I was always a good player. But I think when you talk about a leadership standpoint, it's really important to show that standard of what it looks like to work hard because just because you're a good player doesn't necessarily mean you're a leader. And so when you're a quarterback, you really have to take a lot of that on and, and you're accountable for wins and losses. And so when you do that, You have to bring other people along with you. It's not enough to just be a good player. And so that was kind of always my mindset as I got older of like, I'm going to need all these guys. We got 22 guys on the field. We need everyone doing their thing. So, you know, not only am I going to try to be the best player, but I'm going to try to be the hardest worker because I don't ever want to have to, you know, if I push these guys and say, hey, I need you to do more, I need them to see me doing it too. I don't want to have to push them and them not see me setting the example. So that's kind of how I've always approached leadership is just if you want somebody to do something, Set the standard for how it should be done. And there's no problem there.

Yeah. Leading by example. And I think the quarterback is uniquely positioned on a team for that, right? Because you're just naturally the leader of the team and, and that sort of thing. Yeah.

Yeah.

So one of the things that I heard you talk about was just being ready all the time, right? I think the, I forget what the context was, but you were saying, you know, you weren't the starter at the time. But you were like, hey, I gotta, I gotta prepare as if I'm gonna start or I'm gonna play. All right. So talk us a little bit through that mindset.

I mean, that's something that was really ingrained in me when I got in the NFL. Um, you know, and it's different when you're in high school and college because a lot of times you are the best player. So you're playing and you're getting those reps in practice. So it's, it's different when you get to the NFL as a guy who had to go to the CFL and was an undrafted guy. Like, It got to the point where I'm kind of scratching and clawing for everything I got in my career. And so I'm getting, you know, maybe a couple reps at practice. I went a long period of time with the Jets my first year there where I didn't get any reps in practice. So at that point, the conversation becomes, how do you, how do you still continue to stay locked in and stay ready for this opportunity when you, when sometimes you don't even know if it's ever going to come? And so that's how I started to kind of develop The mental side of, okay, what are some of these techniques I'm going to do to stay ready? That way, if I do get an opportunity, I can take advantage and there's no excuse. So, you know, it became a matter of throwing extra routes after practice, the ones that I didn't get to throw, and like spot guys up and kind of get those extra throws, doing a little bit extra conditioning. So I was in shape in the back, like when the starter's taking a rep, I'm mentally taking that rep too. I'm standing 5 yards behind, I'm reading the defense, I'm thinking through what my read's going to be. There's been times in my career where I'll even go as far as to like do my drop and like simulate a throw. So, just all these little things that are going to help you take those mental reps and stay ready. That way, when you get in the game, you've already put in that work and you're ready to take advantage. Because again, as a quarterback, as a backup, even if you're the number 2, you're not going to get reps in practice. So, you have to develop a process to stay prepared.

Yeah. And, that whole idea of practicing mentally, there's actually research out there that shows that your body doesn't really know the difference between something you think happened and something actually happened. So, I think there's some— There's some wisdom and some genius in that. Like, you're standing behind the quarterback, you're watching the defense, and you're going through it in your mind. Is that something you always did when you were younger? Is that something you kind of learned as you progressed through the sport?

Yeah. I mean, like, I always tried to be like locked in at practice, right? But I was usually starting, so I usually kind of gotten all those reps and then it'd be like, all right, the backup go in. Like, I'm in the back now. I'm still paying attention, but it wasn't as important. It more became like that when I was a pro. And, as you go down the rabbit hole of what you're talking about of the mind not knowing whether it's a real rep or a mental rep, I've gone as far in my later years of my career of like, how much can I amp myself up to feel exactly like I'm going to feel in the game? Breathwork, visualization, all of these things to try to simulate that feeling. That way, when you do have that feeling in a game, you've been there before and you know how to act. So, You know, you can kind of take it as far as you want, but to me, the more realistic you can make that feel and make that timing and that thought process and that sense of urgency, the better off you're going to be from a mental rep standpoint.

Yeah. And it's interesting that, you know, in professional sports, that's a thing. Like, people buy into that, they get it, right? But that doesn't necessarily translate, like, say, into an MBA curriculum, right? Because we never teach students. I mean, we tell them things like, hey, dress for the position you want to have and that sort of thing. But we never really get through the, you know, that mindset stuff, right? Like, hey, these are the things you got to think about for the job you want or the position you want or the deal you want to make or whatever it is. So I think that's really interesting. Yeah.

And I think, you know, although you're not standing in the back, like watching somebody make a sale or like do a deal, there is still an aspect of like, it all comes down to having a process of how do you prepare? And in anything, I believe the aspect of preparation is extremely important. So You know, that idea translates. Now it looks different from a mental rep standpoint, but what are you doing to stay prepared when you do get that phone call where you have an opportunity? Are you going to be ready for it because you're putting in the work now and having a professional process? It's not like you just get a job and all of a sudden you're just a professional and you have this professional process. This is stuff that's refined and developed and, you know, you take losses and you learn from it and you stack your wins. And so although it's not directly translatable, I just think the general idea of having a process is super important in all aspects.

Yeah. And, and back to mindset, another, I, I heard you, um, it was in the interview somewhere, you, you were talking about the fact that, um, you, you went to the CFL and, you know, you could have considered that a, you know, like a demotion or a negative thing, but you're like, hey, I'm here now and I'm gonna, I'm not even gonna think about the NFL. I'm gonna do this while I'm here and do the best I can at it. And you went on to have some pretty good success in the CFL. Talk to us a little bit about that transition and then back, and then, you know, the big success you had in, in the CFL.

Yeah. I mean, I was always just of the mindset of be where your feet are and try to take advantage of the opportunity you do have, especially in a world right now. I coach young athletes and it's so many of them struggle with the idea of social media and Instagram and, oh, this guy's got this offer and this guy's going here. And like, it's very easy to get caught up in that. And my mindset's always just been, I'm just going to run my own race. And I was in a unique position in college because I was at the University of Minnesota. I was there for 3 years. Kind of struggling to get on the field. You know, do I transfer? Do I kind of just like play special teams and kind of just ride out my time and move to the next phase? Well, I decided to transfer and go to South Dakota. And when I did that, I almost looked like I just had like a second chance on my career because at that point I had kind of already set down the fact that like, all right, I can't get on the field. Like I'm probably not going to go pro. Let me just go and play college and enjoy the position that I love, which is quarterback, and dive into that as much as I can. And I wasn't really ever thinking about it in this way, but looking back, it was like just being present where my feet are. And yeah, I went from Big Ten to the Missouri Valley. I took a step back, but I made the most of that opportunity and I worked hard, played for 2 years, and all of a sudden the CFL comes calling. And, you know, I thought the NFL might happen. It doesn't happen. I jump at the CFL and I was just so thankful at the time that I had an opportunity to play pro because I didn't even know if that was going to be a possibility. So, Although it was initially disappointing I didn't go to the NFL right out of college, I'm still thankful for the opportunity to go to the CFL. And just a quick story with that, I'm thankful that I had that mindset because when I signed in Winnipeg coming out of college, didn't get an NFL minicamp, didn't get a tryout, none of that. So I go straight to Winnipeg, I sign on, I'm competing for the third-string job, which is pretty standard. Like you usually have a 1, usually have a 2, and then there's like a couple young guys competing for the 3. So there's like me and 3 other guys. Well, the first day of camp, the backup quarterback retires. So now the backup job's open, which is a very unique position. Like that usually just doesn't happen where like day 1 he's like, yeah, I'm done. So now the backup job's open. And so not only am I in a new country, but anybody that knows anything about the CFL, I'm learning a completely new game. There's 12 dudes on the field. It's a bigger field. The receivers can run at the line of scrimmage. So I mean, there's all these moving parts. So I'm just trying to, take it day by day and learn as much as I can. So I'm kind of stacking days and having an okay camp. First preseason game rolls around, I have a great preseason game. So we're kind of rolling into the next game. There's only 2 preseason games, so you really got to make them count. The last practice of training camp, our starter goes down and tears his meniscus in his knee, the very last practice. So now the starter job's open. So I now find myself in a position where I've, I've won that third string job.

Mm-hmm.

But I'm now the starter and I ended up starting my first 3 career games in the CFL, which had not happened since 1990, that a rookie came up and started their first 3 games in that league. Because for all those reasons I just mentioned, it's a different game and it takes time. And, you know, so I'm so thankful that I was able to have that mindset, jump in headfirst into the CFL game, embrace it, because had I not done that, I probably would've never got that chance to go start those games. I would've never had success. in the CFL, I never would have made it to the NFL. And it's just kind of this snowball effect of how do you make the most of this day? How do you stay present in this moment? And if there's an opportunity for you and it presents itself, you'll be ready. If it doesn't present itself and there's not an opportunity, you're going to have no regrets because you did everything you could. And so that's kind of how I've always approached it is whenever this thing ends, maybe it's my rookie year, maybe I make it 8 years, who knows? I just don't want to have regrets at the end of the day.

Yeah. So there's, yeah, it's just that mindset of being ready and, you know, I love, you know, just being where your feet are. Right. And I think that's, yeah, you know, I see that with, especially with the young people I work with, they're always thinking about where they go next or next or next. They're kind of thinking too many steps ahead and they'll never get there if they don't focus on where they are now. So I really, I really like that.

Well, and it's so easy, like to just go down that mental rabbit hole and play the what-if game. Like, especially in sports, like, and any really intense business, because you never know. I mean, I've blown out my knee the last 2 years. Like, I've been cut 5 times. Like, if you play that hypothetical game, you're going to drive yourself crazy. So it's all about, like, what can I do today? What can I actually control today to try to move the needle? I can't control a lot of these other things, but I can control how hard I go. I can control having a positive attitude. I can control being good to the people around me. And, if I do that, at the end of the day, you have no regrets. So, that's kind of always been my mindset and I think it kind of carries over to all kinds of aspects of life.

Well, yeah. And, it definitely carries over to business because you take the athlete who's maybe a pretty good athlete when they're younger and they're like, oh, yeah, someday I'm going to make it to the NFL, but they don't actually put in the work or they don't do the things right in front of them that they need to do. It's analogous to somebody who's like, yeah, hey, one day I'm going to start my own company. Uh, but they don't take that step. I can't tell you how many youngsters I talk to who, who want to be entrepreneurs, want to have their own company. They even have good ideas, but they, they just don't take that next step. Like even talking to a customer, a potential customer, or doing some sort of iteration. So it's really just, it's having the aspiration, but then you got to do something with it. You got to put yourself in that place. Yeah.

Yeah. I put something, I put something up on social media the other day and I'm like, dude, my mindset for 2026 is just like, I'm getting shots up. Like, I'm gonna shoot the ball. Like, it's not about waiting in the corner. When that ball comes to me, I'm gonna get up a shot. I might miss, but yeah, ball's probably gonna come back to me. I'm gonna shoot it again. So like, that's kind of, I think what you're saying is like, it's not just about being in the right position. It's about trying to, trying to take action. And even if it doesn't work out, you're probably gonna learn something from that and be better off moving forward. Like, we can learn from our losses just as much as we can our wins. Yeah.

And that, that speaks to resilience, which I find that, you know, now that, um, so, so we met at, at NFL Biz Week last year.

Mm-hmm.

And then since then I've been doing a lot of work, um, you know, with our athletes at Syracuse University and just really understanding that mindset. But resilience seems to be such an important part of it. And the way it was described to me is like, you, you've, you flub a play or you make a mistake, right? You can't, it can't get in your head. You can't be thinking about it. You can't let it affect the next play. You gotta move the hell on, right? And that's similar to business. And it sounds like your career is just one example after another of that. And, you know, you move on and then it seems like you've moved into progressively better things.

Yeah. Well, I think that's, I mean, as a quarterback specifically, right? The ball's in your hands. So if I throw an interception, even if the receiver runs the wrong route, I'm the guy that threw the ball. So how do I mentally reset and not let that compound? And, you know, I've always stuck by the phrase of you'll flush it. That play's over. I'm going to flush it. I got to move on to the next thing. And I think that's such an important aspect of life and business and being resilient is like, how do you keep pressing forward? It's easy to get discouraged, especially when you fail, especially when you make mistakes. But like, how do you have the mindset to just accept that, take the positive from it, learn from it and move forward and not make that same mistake again? Like, and so that's something I like as a quarterback, you just, you have to take ownership and accountability for your mistakes and the team mistakes as But, you can't let it eat you alive. So, you have to have a process to mentally reset. And, I think a lot of that kind of goes back to the mental rep thing that we were talking about of having a mental process of how do I accept that, get rid of my feelings, move on, take the positive lesson, and keep pushing forward.

Yeah. So, I know you work with young players too. And, I was wondering if you've seen a difference or shift in them because it seems like resilience is one of those things, especially for young kids now where everything is so public, right? If they fail on social media, it's very public and they just feel it so deeply. Have you noticed anything different about the younger people you're working with, or is it pretty much the same as it's been?

Man, it's such a different day and age now. Like, kids are so different than when, like, I was a kid. You know, I'm 31 now, but, you know, these kids are now 14, 15, 16, 17. So they're in high school and it's like, Everything is so public, exactly to your point. So I think it's really easy for these kids to hear the outside noise. And as an athlete, when you are in the public spotlight, and I always tell the kids this, as you get to higher and higher levels, it's gonna be more and more eyes on you. So number one, it's important to have great character and carry yourself in a professional way at all times, because you never know who's watching. And if you make it to the NFL, and you weren't treating this person right, they're gonna have something negative to say about you. So start carrying yourself like you're gonna go be an NFL superstar. And then number 2, it just becomes, how do I block out the noise? Because you're going to have bad games. It's only— you may be the best player in high school, but you might get to college and throw a couple interceptions and lose a game, or you may get to the NFL and get injured or whatever that may be. There's going to be adversity at some point. So you need to understand, how do I put the blinders on? How, you know, don't ride the roller coaster of the ups and downs. Stay focused. Learn how to block out this outside noise. And there's going to be people around you that their opinion matters and they're going to support you. you no matter what. So how do I lean into those people in the tough moments and can block out the external noise? I'm always going to be appreciative of all the fans and the people that show me love. But at the end of the day, I've got my circle. I know what's important and I'm going to run my own race. So I think it's an important skill for young athletes to learn, especially in this day and age of social media, of like, how do I put that down and stay focused and not worry about what everyone thinks about me?

Yeah. Do you find that you're working with those youngsters on that? Like, so besides just the technical skills of quarterbacking, are Are you also working on those types of things with them?

Oh, totally, man. Like, especially with quarterback, because like, yeah, there's the technical aspect of it, but everything we've talked about, we haven't even talked about throwing the football yet today. And I've been a professional quarterback for 8 years. Right. So this is what I tell these kids is like, man, you know, I, I've beaten out a lot of guys who can throw the football better than me. There is so much more to that pie of playing quarterback. And a massive piece of it is the mental piece. So I love doing work with kids in the classroom. I have a nice little office setup where I got the film. You know, I have the whiteboard and it's like there's kind of two facets of that. Number one, how do you watch film? How do you take in information and process information and make good decisions? You gotta, you gotta know the X's and O's better than anybody on the field. But number two, number two with that would be like the mental aspect of leadership, resilience, like we're talking about overcoming adversity, all things that are super near and dear to me because I've been through a lot of these things. And that's why I like sharing it with kids because I understand how important it is. And my journey is, it's very approachable for kids because it's not like I was like that 5-star dude that went to Alabama. Like, I had one offer coming out of high school. I had to transfer colleges. I had to go to the CFL. I got cut 5 times. I've torn my ACL twice. You know, I had— it's just, there's been so many adverse moments and I've just continued to push through. And because of that, I've developed a mindset that's resilient. And I'm excited to apply that to the next facet of life and share it with these kids. That way, when they get in these situations, they have an example of somebody that's been in that, in their shoes and has pushed through and been successful. So I try to use my story as an example for them and also kind of push them in their own direction of like, you don't have to be me, but like some of these things, maybe develop a process and like, here's some things that I did. Maybe you can do them. You just kind of like push them in the direction of, hey, here's the information. You start to develop your own process as you go through your journey here.

And I think it's relatable too, right? And it's good for them to see you and say, all right, yeah, this guy, it didn't always go his way, right? Everything he wanted, he didn't get. He had to pivot a few times and he had to get through tougher times. I think that's really important because like you said, especially if they're just looking at the guy, the 5 stars, the guy's multiple offers coming outta high school and they're not that kid, they don't have anybody to relate to. So I think that's really important. Yeah.

And it can be discouraging for kids too because like I said earlier, man, they're all so worried about what other people think and what other people have. And like, just because this guy has an offer doesn't mean that you can't get an offer. Like, there is plenty, there's plenty of, you know, we can all eat, everyone can go get their offers. And as long as you are taking care of your business on a day-to-day process, that's what you can control. And let's not worry about what he's got and what he's got. Let's worry about what we can do to be better today.

Yeah, that's something I learned pretty early too in my business career is that you, yes, you have to be conscious of what your competitors are doing, but you can't be so wrapped up in it that it changes your strategy radically, right? So I think that that's an important thing for sure. Well, let's, let's switch gears and, and talk a little bit about your, your CFL championship. I, I was checking that out. I, I was watching some film and everything the other day and checking it out. So yeah, I mean, just like, what, what, what did that feel like? Like, what, I mean, that, that's, that's an incredible achievement, you know?

Well, man, you, you, you did, you got down the rabbit hole, man. You're watching film, you're doing all that. I don't know if you saw the parade video, but that, that was, uh, pretty, pretty epic too. So yeah.

Yeah.

But, um, No, it was great, man. It was, it was, I mean, you want to talk about adversity? I got a, I got a little quick story for you there too. So, you know, in 2019, that's the year we won the championship. The previous year was my rookie year. We kind of spoke about it. I had a successful year, started a few games. The starter came back, had a package, still was a key contributor to the offense. So we ended up falling short in the, in the finals and didn't make it to the championship. So the next year, about halfway through the season, the starter goes down and tears his rotator cuff in his shoulder. So now I'm the starter and, you know, we're going through and we're in a position to go ahead and make the playoffs. And the second to last game of the season, I end up breaking my ankle and I tore a couple ligaments in my ankle. It was a pretty serious season-ending injury situation. And I'll never forget, I got a call from the head trainer. I was at the grocery store and I just, He told me what the prognosis was and I just started crying because I put in so much work. We're about to go to the playoffs and it was a tough moment. And I just remember it was like 2 days there where I was just not myself. You could probably get a feel for my energy today. I'm very high energy, I'm very positive, and when it's not that, it's very obvious. And so I had kind of a couple days there where I was hanging my head and just not being myself and people feel that. And then I remember waking up on the 3rd day and I was like, you know what? I'm going to try to come back. I'm just going to try to see how far I can get and if I can come back. And so that day I spent about 8 hours in the therapy pool, just stretching and like jogging in place, just anything I could do to just try to make it feel better. And I did that the next day and the next day. And I did that over a course of like 10 days. And eventually it kind of got to the point where I was like pressing the trainer like, hey, like I kind of want to go see if I can run. And see what I can do. He's like, all right, fine. Show up at 6:00 AM tomorrow and we're not going to tape you. We're not going to give you any Toradol. You're just going to go out there raw and see what you can do. I was like, okay. I remember telling everyone in the locker room that day, I'm like, I'm going to go run. It's going to go good and I'm going to play. Just watch. They're like, okay, whatever. So I go out there, sure enough, 6:00 AM. I'm gritting my teeth. I'm running. I'm just trying not to limp so I could show them that I'm okay. Get through the session. He's like, I think you can play. I'm like, let's go. So we go to Calgary that week, it's -10 degrees. I end up having like 22 carries for like 90 yards. I rush for a touchdown. We end up winning that game. We end up going on to ultimately win the Grey Cup. And so all of that adversity that I had gone through in a span of like a couple weeks leading into the playoffs and through the playoffs, it just made it so much sweeter when we ended up winning it because It was just like, I wasn't even supposed to be playing. Who knows if we would've won it if I didn't? You know, it's obviously a team game, but just to be able to push through that and show myself that, like, if you set your mind on something, just because somebody says it can't happen doesn't mean that that's true. So I just kind of set my mind on that. I'm like, well, let's see if I can. And I did. And we ended up winning. And we hadn't won a championship in 30 years at that point with, you know, in the CFL, there's only 9 teams. So that's a pretty long time to not win one. And man, the celebration with the city and the fans was just unbelievable. We had a big parade and, you know, obviously me overcoming the broken ankle and getting to play and play a key role. It was just extremely exciting and like just validation that if you put your mind to anything, you can accomplish it. And again, hard work pays off. Yeah.

I mean, that is, that's the craziest story. You know, just coming back from like, just, just willing yourself saying, no, you know, I'm going to see what I can do. I mean, that's You know, a lot of people might've just been like, yeah, broke my ankle. That's the end of the season. Woe is me. And, you know, I'll come back next year. But yeah, that's, that's pretty wild. I really love that story.

I mean, it's cool. Thank you, man. I got a lot of them. I could tell you probably stories for like 3 hours. We only got like 45 minutes, so I'll keep it pushed.

That's great. So, so now, now let's transition to the NFL. So what, so you had an amazing season and, and what happens from here?

So, okay. That was all interesting too, because, you know, even before I broke my ankle, my agents hit me up like, hey, the Buccaneers want to work you out. Hey, this team, this team. I had like 10 teams that wanted to work me out. So that was another factor with the whole broken ankle thing was like, you know, you might not be ready for these NFL workouts if you play through. But at that point I was just so set on like, I owe it to my team to try to win a championship and see this out. And if there's an opportunity in the NFL, it's still going to be there. So. I ended up missing like 10 workouts and I only ended up working out for 3 teams after the season. So that's kind of how that process works when you're coming down from the CFL is you kind of go, you do a workout and essentially like a tryout to sign a contract. Doesn't mean you make the team. It just means that if you sign a contract, you're now on the 90-man roster for OTAs. And then at the end of camp, you're cutting down from 90 to 53. So you basically have a foot in the door. They give you, you know, a pair of socks and a jersey and say, all right, you got a chance over these next 4 months to make it. So tried out for 3 teams, was fortunate enough to get to sign with the Arizona Cardinals. And man, crazy, crazy year because that was COVID. So, you know, I moved out to Arizona, was getting ready for OTAs and they shut everything down. So there was no OTAs, no nothing. I've got this apartment, I know nobody out here. So I found a gym where some guys were working out at. I had a great set of dudes that I would throw with and still get work in. But we went like 5, 6 months without doing anything, so I wasn't getting paid. And so it got to the point where August rolls around, we're now in fall camp and I'm the 3. And I told this story on social media recently too. But again, it's super— it's very relatable is I was the 3. I wasn't getting any reps. So I'm sitting there at camp for like 2 weeks and I'm like, I have no path to make this team. Like, I'm literally doing nothing at practice. What do I do? So I just saw him doing a special teams drill one day and I'm like, I'm just gonna hop in. I'm just gonna hop in and do some special teams. Like, I, I know I can run fast. Like, let me at least just show him I can run fast. So I run down on kickoff and I'm just trying to run as fast as I can just to try to show him something. The next day I come into the building and special teams coach grabs me. He is like, hey man, like, what'd you run your 40 in at your pro day? It's like, I, I ran a 4.4. He's like, really? Okay, let's, let's get you in some special teams drills today.

Mm-hmm.

So I go and I do special teams drills again that day. Now I'm like the 4th string off returner on kickoff return, and I'm like the 3rd string personal protector on punt. So by no means have I made the team, but I'm like at least in a drill. So I do that for a couple more days and it's like, wow, this guy actually is trying to do special teams. He's a quarterback. Like, he obviously cares. He's athletic. So they give me 2 reps at quarterback that day. I throw a completion and I operate the offense. Well, long story short, by the end of camp, I'm in a full-blown competition for the backup spot. I'm, I'm have a package of plays on special teams. I end up winning the backup job at quarterback when it was never even a competition. And I end up having a package of plays on special teams and making that active roster. And so just kind of, oh, and then not to mention I wasn't getting paid. So I had like $500 to my name by the time I made the team. It was like, I'm either gonna have to move in with my dad or I gotta make this team. So, you know, it was just an, just a kind of a crazy ride of like, How do I find a way to provide value? And, you know, you go back to the business people that you talk to, like, I think that is such a valuable lesson to learn in all areas of life of like, don't worry about your role, man. Just worry about how can I provide value? What can I do to move the needle? And that was my mindset. Not that I wanted to be on kickoff or wanted to be on kickoff return, but I'm like, how can I show 'em that I can add value? And it ended up getting me on the field. You know, fast forward, I end up playing 4 years in the NFL and get an NFL pension.

Mm-hmm.

And had I not jumped in that special teams drill that day, It probably would've never happened.

That is, that's incredible. And yeah, it's analogous to businesses too, where, yeah, like you said, don't worry about your role. Like a lot of people might be like, well, it's not my job, it's not my role, it's not my thing. But yeah, just to be able to say, hey, how can I get noticed here? How can I create some value? I mean, that's, yeah, that's really, that's incredible. Yeah. I love that advice. Yeah.

Yeah.

Wow. So, so you played with the Cardinals and Jets, and then who else did you play for?

So I was with the Cardinals for, uh, 2 years. I got released kind of at the end of the— towards the end of the season, which, you know, I got a lot of stories, but I ended up getting released from the Cardinals kind of out of nowhere. I was on the team for 2 years. And, uh, so I ended up signing with the Ravens. I'm with them through the end of the '21 season. I get released. I signed with the Dolphins. I'm with them through OTAs. They draft a guy, I get released. And so then, then, you know, you mentioned the Jets. That's kind of how that fell into place is I was kind of on my way out of the league. Like I got cut 3 times in a matter of like 6 months and I'm sort of sitting there like, all right, do I go back to the CFL? Well, the Jets call my agent and they're like, hey, you know, we need a camp arm. You know, our quarterback roster is basically set. Like our 3 guys are going to be on the team, but like, we just need an extra guy, excuse me, to be present for camp to just kind of help with drills and whatever. I'm like, Okay, I guess I'll go. So, you know, kind of a similar story, man. I go, I go 3 weeks at camp. I don't get a single rep in practice because I'm the 4th string, like no walkthroughs, no nothing. And, you know, first day of camp— excuse me, first preseason game, Joe Flacco doesn't end up playing. Zach Wilson ends up going down in the game. So they basically come up to me during the game and are like, hey, like you're about to go in in the 4th quarter. I haven't taken a snap. I haven't done anything. So, you know, to bring this conversation full circle to the mental rep piece of it, thank goodness I have been doing those things because I can't even imagine the nervousness I would have been feeling had I not been paying attention and had just kind of mentally checked out, which I was close a couple of times, man. It's hard when you're there for 3 weeks, you're not doing anything. You're like, I'm just about to get cut again. Like, I know what this looks like at this point. But, you know, we talked about Inner Circle and I just kind of when I was going through that, man, I had like Randomly, like 4 or 5 people hit me up one day, just like checking in on me and like kind of just encouraging me in a weird way. And I listened to that and I leaned into that because I was struggling. And I was like, you know what, you're right. I can't give up. Like, I was so close to just giving up. I'm like, I just have to see this out and just keep doing extra work and just let ships fall where they may. So fast forward back to that first preseason game. I go in in the 4th quarter and I end up throwing 2 touchdown passes and a game-winning touchdown pass with 17 seconds seconds left and we win the game. And, uh, I'm not even kidding, man, I don't think half the team knew my name before that game. And after the game, the head coach goes, man, how about Strevler? And everyone starts cheering and chanting my name. And like, I got to break the team down. And, uh, and, and so, you know, long story short, that ended up happening 2 more weeks in a row where I went in in the 4th quarter and led a 4th quarter comeback. And, uh, I, you know, threw another game-winning touchdown pass in the last game of the preseason with 10 seconds left, and we ended up winning. And, uh, yeah, I ended up finding my way on that roster, um, when I hadn't gotten a rep 3 weeks in camp. And, um, so, you know, again, it just kind of goes back to that mental process and how do you persevere and do you have an inner circle and just, just all these things I've talked about that have just continued to come to fruition time and time again in my career. And that's why I'm so passionate about the things that I believe because I've seen them come to fruition. And as a guy who just like probably shouldn't have got to play 4 years in the NFL, this is how I was able to do it. And so, um, you know, I'm just, I'm so passionate about it and I'm just so thankful for all the opportunities I've been given. And been able to take advantage of.

Yeah, that's the craziest story with the Jets, right? I mean, like, just, just not even thinking. I mean, you're just there as the camp arm and then next thing you know, you're, you're throwing game-winning touchdowns. That's, it's just wild. You know, and, and I think that's good advice for any, anybody listening, you know, and I talk to students about this all the time where, you know, maybe they get an offer for a job that's not exactly what they want to do and their first reaction is just to blow it off or brush off because You know, that's not me, or I'm better than that, or I need this, or I need that. But kind of analogous to you just being there in camp, like if you're there in the company and you start showing value and you start creating a network, when that opportunity shows up, you know, you're going to be there for it. So, so just, just get on the field in the first place, right? Or get in the locker room in the first place, put yourself in the position where you can be noticed, and then eventually do the thing that you want to do. I think that's so important for young people to hear.

Yeah, 100%. And, and like the people around you respect you when you have that mindset of like, like everyone knows if you're doing something that like you're not necessarily supposed to be doing or like you don't want to do, but if they see you doing it with a smile on your face and working hard, they're gonna respect you for that. And, um, Yeah. You know, I, I'm, I'm, I'm fortunate that, that, that has been my experience of like guys knew I wasn't getting reps. I was frustrated. And then to get to go in and have success, like it told people a lot about my character. And I think that applies to exactly what you're saying too, of like, Hey, this might not be my ideal situation. This may not be my ideal role, but I get to control my attitude every day. And this is where I'm at. This is the reality of the situation. I'm going to do this with a smile on my face. I'm going to put my best foot forward and the people around me are going to gravitate towards that. It's going to lift others up and they're going to respect me more for it.

That is great advice. I mean, that, yeah, you just do it with a smile on your face, have a good attitude. And I don't know, I don't know what you think about this, but My experience and my feeling is that if you do that and you put that out there, that's all going to come back to you, right? It's just that, that's what you attract. Yes.

Yes. What you put out there comes back to you. And that's why I always, like, when people ask me what my values are, like the core of me, work hard, be good to people. Hard work is going to pay off in some way, shape, or form. Like it doesn't mean that you're going to go to the NFL, but you're going to learn a lot of lessons by working hard. You're going to learn a lot about yourself. And if you treat people right, that's going to come back to you. And if you don't burn bridges, who knows when you're going to see this person? Maybe there's an opportunity there. And so it's like those 2 things, man. I just think that there's always a way that you're going to reap the benefits of this somewhere down the line, even if it's not immediately.

Yeah. And I think all those kids you're working with are really lucky to have that exposure to somebody who thinks and acts that way. That's really good.

Thanks. I appreciate that.

Oh yeah, absolutely. All right. So, so now you, so you've had, had an injury. So are you completely done with professional football or is there like something in the back of your mind thinking, you know, kind of like your ankle injury? Are you thinking you might go back or is this legitimately it for you and you're onto the next thing?

Yeah. So I haven't put anything out publicly, but I did record my retirement video the other day. I'm just waiting for that to get produced and put out there. It's, this is going to be it for me. I've torn my ACL the last 2 years in a row. It's not a matter of giving up. It's more of a matter of I have a family, I have a 1-year-old daughter, and it's just kind of a perspective thing of I don't feel like I have anything more to prove. I'm extremely thankful for all the connections and the experiences I've got to have. And I'm personally just so excited to move on to this next phase. And I just have so many things going on right now that it's just super energizing to get to try to apply this same mindset we've been talking about for 35 minutes To the next aspect of life.

Yeah. Well, so let's talk about that. What is next for you? What do you got cooking here?

Yeah, well, we mentioned Biz Week, so we talked about that a little bit. And Justin Pugh, former teammate of mine with the Cardinals, he started up a media company called Thursday Sports. And so I've been doing some broadcasting stuff for them and just doing some football content and sharing my knowledge of the game and the position of quarterback, which I love doing. It's super natural for me. Obviously, I do my private quarterback coaching here too. So it's kind of all in the same vein. And then actually, me and my fiancée are co-founders along with another couple that we know out in Arizona of a new dating app that we just launched in Phoenix. So we just got in the App Store. We've fully launched out in Arizona. It's called Going Steady. So it's an intentional values-based dating app. So we've tried to address a bunch of the pain points with current dating apps and kind the culture surrounding them and try to apply that to our app. So we have, you know, a lot of bot detection and so you can't really catfish people. We've really led with values piece because, you know, we want to align people on the deepest level possible and then get to, you know, attraction's obviously important, but how do we align on these deeper levels and build from there? So we've made some cool features in our app where like the profile picture's blurred out. It shows you all the values that you're aligned on. So that's kind of the first thing that you see, you get the feel form, then you can kind of reveal the picture. We've also limited swipes and matches and all these things and really tried to slow down the online dating process to make it feel more intentional. A lot of these apps now are kind of gamified where it's like, all right, I'm just gonna play the numbers game and just, just get as many people as possible. We wanted to kind of get rid of that and make this an app for people that really want a connection. They ultimately want to get married, they want to have kids, they want to start a family. So, how do we give them kind of an intentional platform to slow down that online dating process and try to give them something real? So, that's the app portion of it. And then, the other piece of it is we're doing a ton of in-person events. So, we actually have a big event at one of the nice hotels here in Scottsdale. We're doing a Pilates event. So, we're trying to get out in the community as much as we can because that's an aspect in this day and age that's kind of lost of like, how do people connect in real life? A lot of people are doing things online and How do you get people to communicate in real life? So we're kind of starting a men's group around that of how do men be better leaders in their lives and in turn their relationships, because you're working on yourself, you'll be ready for that relationship when it comes your way. And, you know, just trying to build that community around this app so that people can see who we are and feel what we're doing. Because sometimes when you say you're a dating app, people kind of roll their eyes.

Mm-hmm.

But when you get in front of people, they can see your intentions, they can feel your energy, and they can see the community that you're building. it comes off in a totally different way. So I'm really excited about it. I also do some public speaking on mindset and leadership stuff too, which I'm pretty passionate about, as I'm sure you can tell here. So got my hand in a couple different pots and it's been really exciting to work on these things.

Yeah. So did you and your wife meet, or your fiancée rather, did you guys meet on a dating app or did you meet in person or how'd that come about?

You know what? We didn't. We were actually out here in Arizona and it's a super small world thing actually. She went to the University of South Dakota. I went to the University of South Dakota, but she was 2 years older. So she was leaving as I was transferring in. So we kind of knew of each other, never met. And then she was working at the Mayo Clinic out in Scottsdale, and I was playing for the Cardinals, and we kind of met up and see we had similar interests and kind of hit it off. But the idea for the app kind of came from the fact that a lot of people meet on apps nowadays. It's just the way things go. But you'd see these people where they'd be in a relationship for a couple years, and then they'd get to the point where it's like, I never wanted kids. Oh, I totally want kids. And it's like, we probably should have addressed that like right away. So now we're not in our mid-30s having to kind of start over because we didn't want kids and we never really talked about that and aligned. So that was kind of the motivation behind it of how do we encourage people to get married and have kids and start families by starting on a level. And if that's not your thing, that's totally fine. Then just align with somebody on that so you can kind of start from there and build. So we didn't meet on an app. But we've seen this happen a lot with people in our circles and in our lives, and we just wanted to kind of help be a part of the solution.

Yeah. No, that's, so it's interesting, like, you know, to get the app going, right? And that's a question that a lot of students studying entrepreneurship or even young graduates who want to start their companies, they just don't know that first step. So walk me through like the ideation, like, hey, I've noticed this problem, I want to create an app, and What is it? What's the first step you take to get this thing to reality?

Yeah, well, it was kind of an interesting process because our friends came up with the idea and they were like, hey, like we have this idea. We think we're going to do this. We're like, okay, this is great. Like obviously this is the first step, you know, how do you address these points? And then it, I mean, it's really just like setting up the LLC and setting up the business and kind of starting from there. And it was interesting too because our co-founder Will, He had never developed an app before. He had no idea what he was— and he did it all by himself. So it's amazing how much information is out there and with the use of AI and all these resources that you have, like how much you can actually do if you kind of just sit down and try to apply it. So I don't take any credit for developing the app. I'm much more of like a person person. So from a networking standpoint and, you know, getting men on board and our leadership aspect of things, that's where I've been heavily involved. He has been the one that's kind of jumpstarted the business aspect of things and really like created the app. But I mean, obviously I kind of know how he did it there. So, but hey man, he gets all the credit for that because he's a beast for learning how to do that on his own.

Yeah. That's incredible actually, just learning how to code an app. I guess vibe coding is a thing.

Yeah.

But yeah, no, that's really cool that you just kind of went for it and did it. Yeah.

Yeah. And it's been exciting to jump into something too, man. Like, Yeah. We talk about Bizweek, we talk about all these resources for athletes. It's a hard transition because a lot of that identity is kind of taken away from you and your skillset. Throwing a football doesn't really matter for me moving forward except for coaching guys. So, it's a hard transition for guys. And, for me, it's been super energizing to get to jump into some of these things that I've already started to work on because I knew this day was going to come eventually. And so, So, kind of planted some seeds while I was playing and made sure to be networking and doing these little things that way when this day did come that I had some things to kind of jump into that I was excited about.

Yeah. And it sounds like you were consciously working on the things that were going to have a utility or last, you know, after your skill throwing a football was not useful anymore, right? So, you had mindset, you had gratitude, you had enthusiasm, you did things maybe you didn't want to do with a smile on your face. You know, all those things translate and it's, yeah, it's no wonder that you're, you're happy, you're achieving some success after the game and that, that's really great.

Yeah. Well, thank you, man. I appreciate it. And I just, just love sharing my perspective and journey with people and like just my perspective and not that I have all the answers or that I've been extremely successful post-football. Like I'm really just getting started, but I do believe in the mindset aspect of things and the fact of trying to stack good days and, you know, getting shots up and, And just getting reps. And that's kind of how I'm approaching things, man. I say yes to opportunities. I network with people, and I just believe that putting myself out there and showing people who I am, that there's going to be opportunities that continue to come my way because of that. And sometimes I don't know what that looks like, and sometimes it's a little scary and frustrating, but at the end of the day, I just want to trust that process and trust who I am and just continue to put myself out there in the best way possible.

Yeah. And you've been there before, right? Like you felt it, like you didn't know, you trusted and something happened. You didn't know, You trusted, something happened. So yeah, you've got those reps in too. Yeah.

Yeah. 100%. Yeah.

So if somebody's interested in getting ahold of you maybe for public speaking or something like that, or what's the best way for somebody to find you?

Totally. I mean, you can hit me on any social media. I'm very active on Instagram, TikTok. I'm super active on LinkedIn too. I know I kind of get like flack from my friends about it, but like, I love posting on LinkedIn, so I'm active on there. I also have my email in my bio on Instagram. It's just my name, chris.strevler@gmail.com. So, super easy to get ahold of me. I'm not hard to find. Shoot me a message. And like I said, I just love connecting with people. I'm always on the phone. So, if you want to hop on a call, want to shoot me an email, chop it up, talk about what that looks like to speak with you or your group, interested in the app, whatever that may be, I'm always willing to do that. So, please don't hesitate to reach out. Awesome.

Well, Chris, thanks so much for taking the time. I think this is a really great conversation. I hope people benefit from it. So thank you.

Yeah, me too. Thank you, John.