Meet Clay Harbor, Tight End Renaissance Man
He played for five teams across a nine-year NFL career, was on "The Bachelorette," gives motivational speeches and, hey, maybe he's not done playing yet. We sit down with the fascinating tight end.
Back in college, when he was quite literally stuffing food down his throat, Clay Harbor had a vision.
He’d make it to the NFL. He’d be successful in life.
It all paid off.
We’ll be celebrating the greatest position in the sport this season — that glorious NFL Tight End — aplenty here at Go Long, so here’s my chat with one of the position’s compelling vagabonds. Harbor was a fourth-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in a 2010 draft that shaped the position in today’s NFL. While he didn’t collect rings like his pal, Rob Gronkowski, Harbor most certainly has stories to share. Harbor details how he bulked up at Missouri State to play tight end, how Michael Vick was received in the locker room fresh out of prison, sheds light on the “Patriots Way,” and… yes. We touched on his Bachelorette experience. Harbor has become a celebrity of sorts with 240K followers on Instagram.
Perhaps he’s not done playing yet, either.
In addition to the text below, you can watch the video below, listen on the Go Long Podcast feed — via Apple and Spotify — or hit play on the audio player here:
Nine years in the NFL — 114 catches, 1,170 yards, eight touchdowns. You’ve seen it all. Eagles, Jags, Patriots, Lions, (Saints), a touch of the XFL. My co-host at the podcast is running the XFL. Maybe we could set up a job interview.
Harbor: Tell him to give me a call. I’d love to play again. I’m actually in pretty good shape and we could get a different type of fan base out there because obviously I have the old NFL fans but you might be able to get some Bachelor fans in there, too. Some Bachelor in Paradise fans to the XFL. I’d love to play. The last time, my time got cut short because as soon as I signed, Covid happened and the season got cancelled so I couldn’t play in the game because I signed halfway through the season. I decided it was what I wanted to do at the time. So I’m ready to go.
We’ll relay the message. They had a good thing going, and you were probably hopeful to keep your career going. Then, freakin’ Covid.
Harbor: You had to go onto Team 9 if you wanted to come on. So I decided I wanted to play halfway through the season. I go to a tryout. I was surprised at how good I felt and how my body was holding up. Coaches were like, “Wow, you’re very impressive. You’ll be on a team here shortly.” I started getting calls to sign with a team, and then literally Covid happens.
Where does it start for you? I know you went to a small high school. You get to Missouri State. When did you realize, “Alright. This football thing? I could do something with this?”
Harbor: In high school, I was more of a basketball player. I was known around the area for basketball. It was something I looked for in colleges. I was very athletic. I could jump. I was dunking in eighth grade. The summer of eighth grade, I’m dunking a basketball.
Eighth grade?
Harbor: Eighth grade. In eighth grade, I got second place in the state in the high jump. I could jump and I was tall. I grew early. I was 6 foot 2 in eighth grade and I grew one more inch to 6-3. My brother, the same thing happened to him. We thought he was going to be Shaq. He was so big. He was 6-2, 6-3 in eighth grade and just never grew another inch. He got a lot of basketball looks but was just a little bit shorter. So he decided to go to Missouri State to play football. And he's one year older than me. I started getting looks and offers and I got hurt my senior year of basketball. So a lot of the bigger schools dropped out. I said, “I’m just going to play football with my brother.” We were very close back in the day. I went there and played football with him. It was a great four years of playing together.
It blows my mind how growth spurts can change. Getting to know Ben Coates, we remember him as this behemoth ramming through everybody with the Patriots. He was like 6-2 up to his senior year of high school and then he grows another 2-3 inches, another 30 pounds. He blows up. I think we remember him as this viking, this conquistador. You were a freak of nature. At the Combine, you blew up — 4.62, 40-inch vert, 30 reps at 225.
Harbor: I always talk to my buddies about that. They start talking trash. I go, “Bro, I had a 40-inch vertical. I jumped over 10 feet.” At my pro day, I got down to a 4.53 in the 40. Thirty reps at the bench press. In training, I’d get 33, 34 reps at 225. I was always good at that testing stuff and I came into college as a wide receiver. I had that speed, that athleticism as a wide receiver and our tight ends got hurt my sophomore year of college. We had two tight ends get hurt. I’m the biggest wide receiver so they say, “Clay, you’ve got to move to tight end.” I went from being a backup receiver, a decent receiver at Missouri State, to playing tight end. I go, “Wow. This is a lot easier to get open. I’m not running against these cornerbacks? Now, I’ve got this linebacker that has no agility. He’s not used to guarding wide receivers at tight end. And maybe a safety to go against? And half the time you’re getting zone coverage?” I noticed that was a lot easier. Obviously I wasn’t great at blocking. I had to gain weight. I came into college at 187 pounds. I left college at 252 pounds. At the NFL Combine. So I gained over 60 pounds in my five years at college.
Holy hell. How did you gain that much weight?
Harbor: I once gained 20 pounds of muscle in 20 days. If people say, “That’s not possible,” you can talk to my brother and my Mom. I came home and, the whole break, all I did was work out and eat. If I wasn’t working out, I was eating. It was one of those two things. And I hear people say, “I don’t have that build. I can’t gain that weight.” I was a wide receiver. I was a point guard. I was a cornerback. I was lanky. If you really want to gain that weight, it might not be healthy at the time — I’ve been able to keep it on — but it’s possible. I would dip sandwiches in water just so I could digest it. I’d be chewing food and there’s no saliva left for me. I’d put water in my mouth just so I could actually digest it and swallow it. Because the NFL scouts told me, “You’re 220 pounds. You’re not going to be looked at as a viable tight end.” OK. We’ll see. I gained 20 pounds in 20 days. A pound a day.
Like Joey Chestnut with the hot dogs. That’s why he does the water. It does not look enjoyable.
Harbor: I was literally Joey Chestnut for Christmas break. My Mom was making me food. She knew my goal was to gain weight so I could play in the NFL. I came from a pretty poor family, so they’re scrapping money together just to buy me food. It was a fun time. My aunts and uncles would give me $10, $15 just to buy food to eat and try to gain weight. They were the biggest fans. They’d car pool down to Missouri from Illinois to watch the games. It was a pretty fun time.
What are you eating? Does it have to be healthy? Could you pound Whoppers and Double Quarter-Pounders and try to turn that into muscle?
Harbor: It wasn’t that bad but it definitely wasn’t healthy. Looking back at it, I thought it was healthy. My Mom would cook us shredded beef or put some roast in the Crockpot. I ate a bunch of sandwiches. My Mom would make me sandwiches. She’s hilarious. She just loved cooking for us. That was her favorite thing to do. Me and my brother, anything we wanted. “Mom, can you get us a sandwich?”
At some point, though, it can’t be enjoyable to eat that much. I’m picturing that scene in “Matilda” when the fat kid is eating that cake. Cake’s great. But when you’ve got to eat a cake that is this big, at some point, it’s not fun. It’s not enjoyable.
Harbor: It was a job. I wasn’t doing it because I liked the taste or it was fun. I was literally eating just to gain weight. I said, “OK. How do you gain weight? Good weight?” I would work out as hard as I could. Kill myself. I’d do my running. The rest of the time, I was eating. I go, “I’m not going to gain weight and get slower.” I’m making sure I was lifting as heavy as I could, as much as I could. I’m running still. I’m eating. I’m eating. I’m eating. I ended up gaining all that weight and went from a skinny wide receiver to a pretty bulky tight end. That’s how I got drafted to the NFL. If I never did that, I never would’ve gotten drafted.
You had those insane numbers in Indy at the Combine, in addition to getting into the 250s.
Harbor: At 250. If you’re 220 and running a 4.5 and a 4.6 with a 40-inch vertical, it’s OK. But we had a guy who did that. His name was Dorin Dickerson. At the Combine. He was literally me before I gained the weight. He had those numbers. He ran a 4.4. He jumped 40 inches. But they said, “This guy is 220 pounds. How is he going to play tight end?” So I literally had a person who was very similar to me. So I said, “That’s probably what would’ve happened to me.” And his numbers were very impressive. But I think he lasted one or two years in the league.
You were in the 2010 draft.
Harbor: 2010. Rob Gronkowski, Jermaine Gresham, Jimmy Graham, Aaron Hernandez, Tony Moeaki, we had a good draft. There were like 22 (actually 19) tight ends drafted. I was the 10th or 11th tight end drafted and I was in the fourth round. Usually in the fourth round, you’re like the fifth tight end drafted.
Dennis Pitta, too. That draft is so fascinating. It’s wild how Bill Parcells, Sean Payton, so many big names were deciding who went where. Certain coaches liked certain tight ends. You were thrown right into the middle of all of it. You’re part of the discussion because you’re part of that revolution. You’re seeing where the position’s going then — Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates are doing their thing — and you know you have athleticism to offer at this position that’s evolving before our eyes.
Harbor: I like the old-school tight ends that’d block, too. Because I was always a guy who’d mix it up and block. I thought I could’ve been a really good receiving tight end if I got the opportunities to be that guy, but I never did. And then I had injuries. I felt I left a lot of catches on the field. But I think I respect that the position is meant to be a two-faceted position. You’ve got to block. That’s why I respect Gronk so much. I played with Gronk. Gronk is a guy who could block like an offensive tackle but he also made plays and could be a great receiver. That’s what a real tight end is, a guy that’s going to go out there and be able to run power, run zone to him. Run outside zone to him. But you’ll also be able to throw a pass up the seam. He’ll catch a ball over the middle, take a hit and give his team the first down. He’ll be a red zone threat. A guy like Gronkowski. That’s why I pick Gronk ahead of Travis Kelce as far as all-time tight ends. Kelce is the best receiving tight end I’ve ever seen as far as his route running, his hands, his natural elusiveness. But you’ve got to give the edge to Gronk because his blocking sets him apart.
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You have an unpredictability. If you’re a tight end on the field playing the “Y,” or in the slot. Split out. In motion. If a team knows, “This dude might be crackbacking here and taking on a D-End or he might be going down the field,” psychologically, it opens up so many doors. Kelce doesn’t necessarily do that. Gronk’s rookie year, he broke Kyle Vanden Bosch’s neck. He cracks back, takes him out and it looks like such an innocuous play. But he did that in addition to whatever he wanted to down the field.
Harbor: Absolutely. If you’ve got a “Y” and he’s on the right side of the ball, they know they’re not running zone at Travis Kelce. They’re not running power. I just don’t think he can do it. Specific guys, you don’t do that to. You’re taking away a big chunk of your possibilities. If you’re a guy who can hold up in-line, it really changes things and opens up so many things for your offense. Then you get a guy who can split out, it opens up another thing. And that’s what Gronk could do, too. You’ve got two good tight ends. So instead of running a two-tight end set two tight, you’re running two tight ends in the slot. And they’ve got two linebackers in the slot. You want a tight end that — when they bring him in — they’re bringing in another linebacker. They have to bring in a big package. They’re not playing him with a nickel. If you’re playing him with a nickel, there’s nothing you’re benefiting from as far as the passing game if they can use a nickel to guard him. What’s the point? Hopefully he can take advantage of that nickel in the running game. Move him. But if you can’t, the whole point in my opinion as a tight end is lost. Because the matchup might as well be a receiver on a nickel then instead of a tight end on a nickel.
You took pride in doing it all. I’ve got to think that’s a reason you lasted a decade in the NFL.
Harbor: Absolutely. I did special teams. I played fullback basically for the Jaguars one year when we had a new-style offense. I’m in the backfield running power, running iso against middle linebackers. I’m doing all the fullback stuff. I’m running routes from the backfield. The protections are completely different back there — you’ve got to scan and see. So for me, whatever I need to do I’m going to do. I completely put my pride to the side. I think I’m better than a lot of these guys. I’m running routes. I’m watching this. I know I’m better than this guy. But I’m going to do my job and I’m going to stay in this league and take care of my family.
2010, your rookie year, that Philly team could’ve won it all. If Desmond Bishop doesn’t grab DeSean Jackson’s ankle, right? That’s an Eagles win (in the wild card).
Harbor: Unbelievable, man. I remember Riley Cooper in the end zone. Michael Vick. End of the game. We’re down five. We’ve got a jump ball in the end zone and the guy intercepts the pass to lose the game and we’re all, “Ugh.” And the Packers go on to win the Super Bowl that year. We thought we were a team of destiny. You have Mike Vick coming back and showing he can play at a high level. He’s in the MVP talk. Our first game of the season is against the Packers and our last game of the season is against the Packers. I remember I had a holding call in my first game — my first-ever game. LeSean McCoy scored a touchdown and I got called for holding. You talk about wanting to bury your head in some sand somewhere? The Philly fans? “Boooo! Get this guy out of here! Boooo! Harbor, you suck!” I’m like, “Oh my gosh. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
We see Mike Vick on TV all the time now. It’s been a few years since then. But people forget that when Andy Reid gave him that opportunity — out of prison — it was not received well. There was a lot of backlash. Rightfully so. The detail of what happened with Bad Newz Kennels was disgusting. How was he received in the locker room? What was that transition like?
Harbor: People weren’t happy. There were people protesting outside the facility. There were a lot of people writing articles. News people coming in. We had a lot of national news coverage that year. Every week there was a ton of national news people in the locker room. Vick, in the locker room, he’s a polarizing figure. This guy was the first pick. He got a $100 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons before that was even thought of. There was an aura about Michael Vick. This guy was incredible. Growing up, I was playing as him in Madden. This guy was special. He was the nicest guy ever to everybody, and then he’s our starting quarterback. And he’s making plays out there with DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin. It was a fun time. Brent Celek, my counterpart. Everyone in the locker room loved him. Nobody ever really brought up the dog thing. This guy did his time in federal prison. People have killed people and not had to do that. It was disgusting. I’m a huge dog lover, too. People really forgave him. Mike did his time. He rehabilitated himself and realized that wasn’t something that was acceptable or anything any rational human should do. But in the locker room, we all looked up to him because of who he was, where he came from and everything he had been through. To come back to that point, to be this guy who was still passionate and motivated was cool.
I don’t know if we’ll see that again where somebody gets locked up, they’re out, they’re signed and they’re playing at that level. It’s wild that he was in the MVP conversation. Not only is he away from the game. He’s in federal prison.
Harbor: He’s in federal prison. Away from the game. Not working out. Not around football at all for two years. Taking two years to not do anything? That’s tough. That’s kind of like the Cassius Clay thing. Not to that extent because Cassius Clay came back and ended up winning the heavyweight championship. A guy like Henry Ruggs, maybe he can do his time and hopefully rehabilitate himself. I don’t know. That’s tough to do. Hopefully some of these guys in similar situations can rehabilitate themselves and their careers.
The “Dream Team” the next year, we can skim past that. Things didn’t work out in Philly. Ironically enough, your two best seasons statistically were in Jacksonville. You weren’t winning a lot of games, but what did you take from your time with the Jags?
Harbor: I became a better player there, and it was unfortunate because we were the worst offense in the league both seasons. So you have 300 yards with the Jaguars, I mean, that’s like having 700 yards somewhere else. We were literally the worst offense in the league. You’re not getting many opportunities. It’s hard. I loved it there. I should’ve never decided to leave (in 2016). I had the same offer from Jacksonville, New England, a couple other places and that’s when I decided to sign with the Patriots. That short stint I had with the Patriots. Looking back, I should’ve never left Jacksonville. My career would’ve been a lot different. I go to New England. I knew they had Gronk. I knew they had signed Martellus Bennett. But in my opinion, I’m better than Martellus Bennett for sure. I’m better than A.J. Derby — they had just drafted a tight end. Michael Williams, a guy who played for them a lot. My agent’s like, “Hey, they’re going to offer you this decent contract but this is a deep tight end room.” I’m like, “I don’t care. In my opinion, I’m one of the best in the league.”
Jacksonville said I’d get a raise, so I let my pride get in the way. They still offered me a decent contract. I made an emotional decision instead of thinking through logically which would’ve helped me out. I go to New England. I sign with Detroit. I’m a free agent. I go to the Saints. You’re hopping around and now people see you as this journeyman tight end when I really had the opportunity to sign for another two, three years with Jacksonville. Stay there. I could’ve signed again. I really liked the system. So looking back, I really made the wrong decision. But I took a swing. I wanted to play with Tom Brady, Bill Belichick. I was taking two reps in OTAs playing better than Martellus. I get hurt. I come back for the last preseason game when they wanted me to stay on P.U.P., just to get through half the season on the Physically Unable to Perform List which I could’ve done. But I wanted to play. I lasted five games with the Patriots and, that year, they won the Super Bowl. It was right there in front of me. If I don’t get hurt, if I play well, then I’d probably be on Super Bowl-winning team.
You’re watching “28-3” that season against Atlanta. What’s going through your head? You could’ve been a part of one of the greatest comebacks ever.
Harbor: Man, that was tough. Because I went through all of training camp and OTAs with those guys. The season with those guys. I’m sitting there like, “Wow. I would’ve been out there with this team and won a Super Bowl.” I was happy for them because I had formed a lot of relationships with those guys. But I was still a little bittersweet because I felt like I should’ve been out there, too.
What is it like in New England with Bill? We’ve talked to Kenny Moore, and there are a lot of guys who’ve come out and said, “When I was a Patriot, I was depressed. They sucked the fun out of it.” And then there are guys who say, “When you win games, that’s fun. People don’t get Bill for who he really is.” But day-in and day-out, that grind, is it that darkness that people hint at?
Harbor: I wasn’t there for long but I enjoyed it. I came from Jacksonville, the most open and “do whatever you want” team compared to New England. In my opinion, I really enjoyed it. I thought it was fun. I thought it was a challenge but I always liked challenges. The conditioning was really hard and every day you’d go, “Oh man. This isn’t good.” But I liked pushing myself. And the offense was difficult to learn. All that. But it was definitely something that kept you on the edge of your seat and if you’re a guy who likes challenges — challenging yourself physically and challenging yourself mentally, it’s a mental challenge… every day you have to be up early. You have to be on your stuff. Because they’re going to let you know, “Hey, you can’t have a bad day here. This is a different kind of place.” It led to a lot of accountability and built your confidence. If you can last in this place, and succeed? Then, you can probably do anything.
A lot of people remember you from The Bachelorette, and you had a football experience there, right?
Harbor: You had to go there. I went to The Bachelorette and played football on The Bachelorette and actually broke my wrist. Which is insane. I’ve had this long football career and played against all these guys. What people don’t know about that moment, the Bachelor fans, is that the year before with the New Orleans Saints I ended up breaking my wrist. I tore a bunch of ligaments and the doctors had released me to perform and play and I didn’t think I’d be playing any sports on this reality TV show. I was there for dating. I’ve seen guys like Jesse Palmer do it and go on to broadcasting. I thought, “Hey, maybe this leads to something cool like that. A broadcasting job. Jordan Rodgers does that. Something cool like that. Who knows? I’ll take this opportunity. My career is winding down.” And they had me playing football in hockey pads with these guys. I’m not going to play. At the end of the game, we’re tied and I go, “OK, let me score a touchdown against these guys.” So I go and the first time I use a stiff-arm, my wrist just pops. The shit was never healed. I literally broke my wrist — ligaments, everything — and had another surgery.
And then everybody is bringing it up. Schmucks like me. Everybody is watching at home on TV. But that experience probably raised your profile in a way that, who knows…?
Harbor: Looking back, I don’t have many regrets in life. But that show is probably a regret. I’ll be honest. It was a fun experience. I met a lot of cool people. I got a lot of friends from it. But as far as football-wise, I could’ve played a few more years had I not went on the show. At least two or three more years. If you look at it monetarily, one year of NFL football — the veteran minimum at that point is a million bucks — so it’s tough to pass that up. I would’ve had another million bucks and then there’s the contributions to your 401K, your annuities, all that. Monetarily, it wouldn’t have made sense if I would’ve known I’d get hurt and wouldn’t play a year in the league. And then I end up getting workouts. A couple workouts lined up after the Bachelorette. I work hard to get my wrist back in shape. And a freak accident happens where I’m training in New York City because the best wrist rehabilitation center is in New York City. There’s no fields. So it was like an arena football field but with concrete around it. I run into a wall trying to run routes out there. My trainer kind of led me astray there. Whatever. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t walk, couldn’t run. Finally I’m starting to loosen up. I’m starting to heal up. Finally, I think I’m ready to go. My agent’s like, “Do you really want to go to this workout?” It was the Buffalo Bills. I thought that was the perfect team for me. Brian Daboll was my old tight ends coach with New England. Loved the guy. We kept in touch. He said, “If you’re healthy and in shape, we’re going to sign you.” In my eyes, I’m as good as signed. I just have to do this workout and make sure I don’t injure this thing again. Halfway through the workout — because my side is so locked up from this — I tear my groin. I’m out for six months. That’s how my career ended.
What year?
Harbor: That would’ve been 2018. It would’ve been a perfect spot.
2019 is when things started turning around with Josh Allen, too.
Harbor: Yeah, in my opinion I had two or three years left in me. At least. The time off has really helped my body. That’s why I went to the XFL. Like, “Yo, I feel good. This time off. Instead of playing?” I feel much better and quick and now you’re going to talk to your buddy and get me back on an XFL roster. Tell them I’m ready to go and put a little bird in their ear that you have a tight end here who could bring a lot of new fans to the game.
When you’re building a league, the stories matter. They could do a Bachelor-like audition, something cool in the XFL, for somebody to get a roster spot. Have fun with it.
Harbor: We could definitely have fun. That’s half of it now. I want to have fun. I still love playing football. I’m still in pretty good shape. I thought about playing in the Fan Controlled Football League. Terrell Owens played in it. Johnny Manziel. They were trying to get me to play pretty hard this season. I was close to going, to play and have fun. I went and ran routes with some friends and trained with a buddy who just signed with the 49ers, Troy Fumagalli, who’s in Chicago. We were running. I was putting him through a lot of tight end drills and running routes with him. I was like, “Man, I feel good. I know I’m 35. But, hey, I feel good.”
Right now, I know you’re doing sports media stuff. What is your day-to-day?
Harbor: I do a lot of sports media stuff. I just signed with a Philadelphia-based company, Jakib Media. It’s a radio show with Derek Gunn. They’ve got a lot of Philadelphia writers. I just signed a deal with them to do a full season of Philadelphia Eagles football. Mike Kaye will be my partner. He’s a national writer as well. We’ll have our own radio time slot and podcast. I’m just starting up in the sports media field and it’s something I enjoy. Besides that, I do speaking events. Motivational speaking. I’m going to speak at my old college here in three weeks. And next week I’m going to the Illinois Principals Association to tell my story — how I came from being under-privileged to an NFL player and become successful.
We’ll have to get you back on to get into that. Imagine you’re changing lives.
Harbor: It’s really a passion of mine. You’re talking to these kids who didn’t know someone from their socioeconomic status could reach a specific goal they had in mind. For me, my parents were never married. I grew up in a trailer with 12 kids. I didn’t have a bed until I went to college. All this stuff. I talk about my experience, and then the people I’ve been around. Guys like Tom Brady. How I watched him, looked at him, took pieces of what he does and why he’s so good at what he does. Organizations like the Patriots. You find all these things and you put them all together and you really get a good view of why people are successful and what it takes to be successful in different industries.
Twelve kids in a trailer?
Harbor: Twelve people in my whole family. There was a lot of us in the trailer. Me, my Mom and my brother shared one bed.
How did you get from that point to here? What is that thing deep inside of you that drove you to this point?
Harbor: It comes down to routines, habits and discipline. You’re not going to change your life in one transcendent moment. You change your life when you change something you do daily. Me realizing that habitually I needed to change things. I was going to fail out of college. And then coming home and realizing I had to have better habits. I had to change my habits. Instead of coming home and playing Xbox, I had to do something. I unplugged my Xbox. I disconnected my TV so it made it harder for me to play Xbox. If I wanted to play Xbox when I got home from practice, I’m going to have to do all these thing to connect it. Now, I’m going to study. Things like that in the training room, the weight room, I was the guy who cut out of workouts a little bit early. “OK, I’ve got to change this habit. I’m not going to allow myself to skip this set. I’ve got to get this number of reps per week each workout at this number.” It was habitually changing my life and my day-to-day and consistently you stack, you stack, you stack. And it’s discipline. It’s not easy. Eventually, you see the gains. I’ve seen myself go from a skinny guy who redshirted, a backup wide receiver, to now a three-time All American. Just because you’ve got to do it every day. That’s how I was able to become the guy in school. I just got accepted into the Kelley School of Business as well. It’s a remote program but I’m working toward getting my MBA. It’s hard. I already looked at the class list. School starts in a month and a half. But I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be tough but as long as I have a good routine, if I keep disciplined and make sure my habits are there, I’ll graduate with my MBA in a couple years.
It sounds like “Atomic Habits.” You’re a walking embodiment of that book.
Harbor: Absolutely, “Atomic Habits” is a great book. I love that read. “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” is a great read. There are a lot of great reads out there as far as habits are concerned. Literally people ask me: “What is your secret? You came from this position?” It’s literally your day-to-day. It’s your habits. Your diet. You’re not going to lose 10 pounds in a day. You’ll have to habitually change the things you do. You have to get in the gym. You have to do cardio every day. My Mom has lost 50 pounds in the last the months just because she’s walking every day and eating right. She’s intermittent fasting. I’m going to do a big social media post about her in a week or so just how proud I am of her finally listening to me and just doing things and knowing that it takes discipline. It’s really impressive.
We’re so into instant gratification. Our generation. We’re living on social media, we want quick fixes, we want things to happen right this second. Things haven’t changed over hundreds and hundreds of years. It’s about putting in the work. You need a motor.
Harbor: You’ve got to. It’s like in Atomic Habits when he says you’ve got to get 1 percent better every day. To me, that’s huge. Just get 1 percent better every day. Read a little bit more. Do a little bit more cardio. It’s a consistency. Diet. Weight room. Reading. If you’re going through this MBA program, you see this whole course you’ve got to do. Oh my gosh. How do you eat an elephant? You eat an elephant one bite at a time. It’s something you have to keep chipping away at. You have to stay consistent, stay consistent, stay consistent and you’ll keep growing. Any aspect of life that I’ve seen it’s always that consistency and discipline.
And that’s how you go from impoverished, 12 people in a trailer, to a decade in the NFL and taking on MBAs.
Harbor: Absolutely.
I saw you floated out there that you were hanging out with Rob Gronkowski a month ago and that you don’t think he’s done. When you’re ready to break that news let us know.
Harbor: Unfortunately, I was wrong there. Gronk was in town. I was able to catch up with him. That was great. Literally I’m talking to him: “What do you think?” And he’s like, “I feel good.” The next thing I know he’s retired. I’m like, “Wow. C’mon Gronk.”
Nah, I think you trust your intuition there. He’s coming back.
Harbor: Yeah, he’s coming back I think.
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