Persistance

In looking to brand my company, I began looking around the house for a caricature of myself that I had received back in 1978. It was a picture of a tough, rugged ball player with one exception; the head was a wild boar’s head. Whenever I’m called “Hog”, people ask me if I’m offended and I let them know that I am very proud of that name because it represents a strong point in my personality.

In football, teams will usually review their game films to see how they played , correct mistakes and find ways of getting better.  Early in the season my rookie year, we were studying the previous day’s game when my coach noticed my block. Having played at Alabama during the wishbone days, I had grown accustomed to a four-point stance and when we got into short yardage situations, we would get low to the ground. Well on this play it was third and one on the one and we needed the yard to score the touchdown. Needless to say, I got down in my best four-point stance with my nose inches above the ground. When the ball was snapped, I came off the ball and started driving. Although I wasn’t moving very far, my legs kept churning and finally the ball carrier hit the hole behind me and scored. Seeing my block, Red Miller, my offensive line coach yelled out, “Way to root hog him out of there!” With that one of the veterans started chanting Hog, Hog, Hog. And the name stuck.

To me it was always a compliment to be called Hog because it was a tribute to my tenacity and my attitude of persistence. Some way – somehow, I was going to get the job done. The problem is that the same strength, when not dialed down, became my biggest weakness. Getting the job done was more important than anything else and I didn’t mind who or what I left in the wake. My goals became the focus and everything else had to take second place. If I sensed that people on my team weren’t giving their best to win, they would feel the wrath of Hannah. My wife calls this, “The Grizzly”.

Persistence and focusing on winning are good things but we all have to consider when they’re out of control, when our greatest attributes become our worst weaknesses. So in the future please continue to call me Hog. I look forward to it. But, I hope I am never called “The Grizzly” again.

Principle:

“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.

Zechariah 4:6