If your 8-year-old had just a few minutes to sit down with NFL star and Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young, what do you think they would talk about? Last week, this exact scenario played out as Young sat down virtually with 8-year-old East Idaho News correspondent, Emmy Eaton, for an interview in her series, “7 Questions with Emmy.”
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In the interview video, Emmy asked Young about why he started playing football, his favorite moments from his football career, his favorite thing about being a dad, and his biggest accomplishments. But their conversation started with Young’s experiences with the law of love, about which he recently wrote a book. He went on to share one of his most meaningful, first-hand experiences with this principle from the football field.
When Young started playing for the 49ers, the team who had already won two Super Bowls and he considered everyone on that team to be “world famous.” As Young tried to find his place among the team, he said people didn't treat him “as well as they could have.”
“I was practicing one day, ... and I did something wrong,” Young said. “I heard some of the other guys on the team laugh and say something rude … and hurtful. … And it was a tough spot for me to be in. ... But in that moment, Ronnie Lott, who was kind of the leader of the team, stopped everything and told the guys who had made fun of me, ‘Look, when I was a kid, my dad told me that no matter what I did that he had my back. And that has been fundamental to me. I want everyone on this team—especially you guys—to know that on this team, no matter what happens, I have Steve’s back. And because I have his back, we’re not going to put up with that.’ … To me, standing in the moment of a strained relationship, and Ronnie using his authority to heal my relationship with those guys, … [created] an environment of love and understanding, and then suddenly our relationship changed.”
Emmy also shared that she sometimes gets really anxious and nervous about things and asked for Young’s advice on dealing with the challenges of anxiety, something Young has often talked about.
“If you’re a worrier, recognize that it can be good, and it can be bad. And recognize that sometimes being a worrier makes you more aware and makes you more prepared. ... Try to find the places where you’re worrying and it’s actually hurting you, keeping you back, or keeping you from being who you can truly be, … and let go of that worry. Just because you’re a worrier, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s important to find the good parts and get rid of the bad parts.”
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For her bonus questions, Emmy asked Young about his favorite junk food and his favorite way to eat a potato. You can hear his answers and watch the full 17-minute interview video on EastIdahoNews.com.
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