Beating the Coverage: Defying Limits, On and Off the Field

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to condition specific protocols. I've seen firsthand the difference Neutrodyne makes in my patient's health and in practice. Hey everybody, Dr. Rob Silverman here, Proven Health Alternatives. I am a former pro football player, entrepreneur. This guy is exciting, let me tell you. Mr. J.J. Burden. JJ, what's going on, man? Hey Dr Rob, it is good to be here. We're very excited to have you. I'm sure I'll get a lot of great feedback on your appearance. Looking at your history now, I remember watching you play on TV.

You famously played in the AFC Championship game with the Kansas City Chiefs. Some unknown quarterback, Joe Montana, was there. I saw you as a pro football player. I know that you were a outstanding sprinter, Olympic level sprinter. You're now a fabulous entrepreneur. Tell everybody, how do you get those three things tied together? What's the thread? It goes back to my childhood. I was raised in Northeast Portland, Oregon. The hood, single parent mom, dropped out of high school when she was a junior, worked really hard, set a great example.

But Dr. Rob, at a very young age, I wanted something different. That why was driving me at every phase of my life to create opportunities for my future family and do the things that I didn't get to do. And that was a motivating factor. So that's why, as you know more about me, it didn' matter how small I was or what people thought, I'm going to figure out a way to get it done. Well, you certainly did. I mean, your listed at 510, 157 pounds. Now that's the size of a second basement in my era, not a NFL wide receiver.

You were a walk on at the University of Oregon. My understanding is the only reason you went there was they would let you run track. How did you overcome those physical limitations? I think, you know, I always believed in my, my abilities, obviously I had the gift of athletic ability, but I've always matched it with hard work and believe that, when you're a talented person and you put in the work, You could achieve something great. And having so many people doubt me at different phases, always had that chip on my shoulder.

I'll show you. You know? I went to Oregon on a track scholarship. And my dream was really the Olympics. But because everyone said I was too small to play division one, that's why I begged the coach to let me try out. And I'm just trying to make the team. I wasn't trying play in the NFL. That underdog mentality is just one of the things that has always pushed me through from level to level.

Introducing JJ Burden 4:46

You know, resilience and mindset are apparent with you, without question. You got cut by four, what was it, four teams in five days? Yes. I mean, did you ever hear of the word quit? No. It was a crazy week, you know. Getting released by Cleveland on Sunday and then getting rejected by the Chiefs, the Lions, and Packers in a five-day period. But I think it was just always knew I could play. I was still dealing with a knee injury and I wasn't a hundred percent. And I had seen the competition, so I knew what I.

Up against. So it. Was just a matter of me getting a 100% and then choosing the right team. That's what kept me going because I know I can make it, I just had to get healthy and get on the. Right team now you caught. If I recall correctly, if I'm wrong, 241 career passes. I think that sounds right. You played in an ASE Championship game and you weren't offered a football scholarship in college. Well, not division one. It was the three, division three and division two. And quite frankly, I just felt I was a D1 athlete.

And so recruiting wise, I was a really good long jumper. I wasn't one of the top jumpers in the nation in high school. So I knew I'm getting a track scholarship. Every division one school that was recruiting me I'd say, what do you think about me trying football? And everyone said no, except for Oregon. Oregon said, you come here and run the first year, You have our blessing to try to walk on the second year. And I just wanted the opportunity to get my foot in the door. Now you got, as I said before, to play with one of the greatest quarterbacks ever.

One of greatest football players ever, huge old time athlete, a fath of mine, Joe Montana. So what's that like to getting in a huddle with a guy who's known as Mr. Clutch? Well, there's two reactions. One is there. There's a starstruck aspect. You're like, man, that's that Joe Montana, you know. So it took me a little time to get over that. And and I'll and i'll tell you a quick story. The very first huddle, the very We call X hooks of Joe's first pass is coming to me and I'm all excited. 12 yard hook turned around and he hit me in the back of the head with the ball.

Now this is a route I've run a thousand times and He goes, he goes come here kid. He says, I don't wait for you to get open. I already read the defense. You gotta get your head around faster. And it was like news flash. You're playing with one of the greatest and there's the reason why so you better step up your game and it just it really just lifted my performance playing With him outstanding so Got to ask you the question. Who's a greatest guy that you played against on the other side of The pigskin.

Oh, definitely. Um, deon sanders. Wow, Definitely. He just Dion was just, I played against him twice and as much film as I studied on him, as as, much as i was able to look at his tendencies, he was still hard to beat because he just so gifted.

From Childhood to the NFL 7:49

Physically, mentally and, but yeah, by far. And I've played again some great cornerbacks, Rod Woodson, Daryl Green, they were all good but Dion, was the best. Dara Green is probably the fastest guy in the NFL ever, right? Yeah, Darrell was fast. I mean, you told me all of I'll disclose that you ran a four point three three forty yard dash. That's still fast today. Yeah it is. But it's weird, though, when you're playing in a game and you know a guy like Darryl Green is faster than you and. You can tell it.

It's like, oh my goodness, usually I'm faster in all the DBS, but you could clearly see he had some amazing speed. Now you take a guy like Jerry Rice, maybe the greatest wide receiver ever, one of the great football players ever. And he ran, I think it was like a 4-6, which is sort of slow for a wide-receiver, but they made a claim that he was faster in the game than he getting faster in cleats than he was in track shoes. Yeah, he had great game speed. And I watched him many times play beat guys that were running a four, two or four or three or for four.

Some players are like that. They're not really good with the watch. You want to time them on the 40, but you get them in the game and they play at a whole different level. So at some point, some of those measurements, a la Tom Brady, don't always correlate to success. Exactly. They don. You know, because you can't really predict how a player is going to respond when the lights come on. When the pressure is there, you might think the four or two guy is gonna outperform the 45 guy, but that doesn't.

Always happen because there's all these other intangibles that play a role in your success at that level. You know, I went to a Magic Johnson seminar, and I'm a magic fan. Larry, Magic, they saved the NBA, in my opinion. And I asked Magic about all that. I said, you know Larry was a little slow. He wasn't that muscular. he was 6'9". And he just looked at me and he said they don't give you any KG for your heart. and i believe that that travels not just in sports but through life. So before I close your football chapter, would you let your sons play football?

I d- They did not play. And I didn't push them to play, I did want them the play I just wanted to see if they were interested and they weren't. So I, so we didn' go that route and I'm happy they didn play to be honest, but they don't have any regrets. You know, they saw dad hurt. They saw me with ACL tears and ice in my body all the time. I don' think they wanted t play and i was fine with that. I mean, you're in great shape. You're 60. Make no bones about it. No pun intended. Played pro football.

So obviously you probably had some concussions. Had multiple injuries. What do you do in your daily routine to keep yourself so fit and healthy? I'm very active. It's part of my daily, I would say my, daily method of operation. I try to get free weights in four days a week. Mix in cardio. Don't do anything fast, anything explosive because I just, can't really anymore. So it's all slow and consistent, but whether it is the Peloton bike, going on an hour walk with my wife, I try to just stay consistent.

And then I tried to eat from a nutritional standpoint, I would say 80% of the time I eat very healthy. But I like that 20% where I can just eat whatever I want. So I just try and live a healthy lifestyle from day to day. Beat the coverage. You're a new brand. Let's people spot patterns and exploit opportunities. How did you develop that idea? and how are you bringing it to life through your website, your keynotes, and guys, get ready, second book.

Joe Montana and NFL Greats 11:46

Yeah, no, thank you for asking. Yes. So I've been speaking for 10 years now and I have my first book, but after speaking it for ten years, I just felt that it was really time to take it And I hired a two market media to work with my website team to really start with, give me a hook. I need a look. Something that's me. That's my story. An authentic that I can teach from. And ironically, I was telling them the story about how when I would play Dion and have to study his technique. and the CEO goes, so you had to beat the coverage and it was born.

And I loved it because I think, yeah, even though as a wide receiver, my job was to, you know, is it man or zone? Okay, where's the hole? How can I take advantage of it? But also in life, I just think everybody faces coverage. It's anything between you and your objective or anything thing between your goal. That could be anything. So we're about two, two I guess 50% of the way done. We're planning to launch the new brand in September, the New Website, The New Keynote, and then, like you said, working on book number two.

So I'm excited about it because it's a unique message to me, I think, in a very overcrowded motivational business, you know, motivational speaking business. I love the metaphor of beat the coverage. That's great. They hit the nail on the head, if you will. So my question is, what's that second book really about? Do you want to share? Yeah, absolutely. Well, the second Book with the title, um, The whole thing is really to build on the framework. So I've come up with like six steps that make the Framework of beat the coverage and the book is pretty much going to revolve around that.

so with a keynote to, to you know, it's the six Steps are it, know the field, find the holes, play to your strengths. Drop your game plan, put in the reps and then execute and adjust. So those six steps will be really much the framework of the key work, keynote as well as the book too. You're an entrepreneur in health and wellness. Tell me what's your most effective strategy for growth? And what's the hardest lesson you've learned from all of that? The most effective strategy for growth is leading by example.

I mean, when you can be an ambassador of health. You already said it. Hey, you're healthy. When people see that, that you don't just talk the talk, but you walk the walk. They want to know what you're doing. What are you doing? You're 60 years old. You look like you still play. So that gives me opportunities to share with people, like, try to figure out what their goal is, what solution they're looking for, and just share it with them what's working for me. And I think that has been one of the best strategies in terms of helping other people by being ambassador of health.

We actually met today, per se. And I can say that we are interconnected in that you believe the same thing I do, that center candle can light all those other wicks. and you wanna carry and be that center candle. And that's compelling. You're imbuing me with enthusiasm to work harder and I thank you for that. No, I think you too. I, you know, and when people go to my social media pages I just want them to get something that they can use. They can find value, whether it's motivational, inspirational, some kind of success tip, or whether its health, just wanna be the beacon of encouragement

Beat the Coverage Brand and Book 15:30

and inspiration and setting the example too Let's do a rapid fire. I mean, you play fast, right? Yeah. You said, Randy, everything that Randy Morse was at 5'9", 5', 10", and he's 6'4". So, what's something that most people don't know about you? Ooh, that my legal name is LeJordan J. Burden. And my dad found the book in the library and a French book. It was Lee Horden and then he changed it to Le Jordan and my oldest brother could not pronounce it. And he started calling me JJ and that's where JJ came from.

Wow. So when I tell people that they go, are you from France? I'm like, No, I'm not. What was your highlight of your football career? My first touchdown, because as you already touched on, just dealing with all the rejection that I dealt with and not giving up and then getting cut by the Chiefs that third year and being brought back and playing in Seattle my first game and I scored a 33-yard touchdown. And Dr. Rob, that was kind of like that. Yes! I finally made it and that's why that ball sits over there in the corner of my office.

That's the highlight of career. Not quitting, not giving up and finally making it. What's your highlight in your career outside of football? Family aside. Oh, family aside because I was going to say being married to my wife 35 years. kudos on that yeah that's that is man that s a highlight for me we just celebrated two weeks ago and it's one of the things i'm most proud of to be married to my college sweetheart 35 years amazing congrats thank you so what quote do you like to use a lot in your keynote speeches that really exemplify who you are i would say when opportunity knocks You don't answer door.

You rip the door off the hinges and you make opportunity stay. That's a little something I made up because that's basically what I did. I created the opportunity by walking on at Oregon and then when they gave me the shot, I blast through that door and Had no idea I'd play in the NFL, but that's what happens when you really maximize the opportunities or rip the door off the hinges and you make that opportunity your own. If you had to have one health ritual per day, what would it be? One health, ritual one that I'm not already doing.

Well, I mean, No, one that you can be doing. What's the one thing, if you were to tell the listeners that, you need to do every day? I got to get better sleep. That's The Health Ritual. I have, I'm trying to, get, better, sleep because I can't survive off of four and five hours a day. Got to be at seven or eight. that has been the new goal I am really working on. Trying to have a better routine at bedtime and get to bed at the right time because when I get seven to eight hours of sleep, i'm like a machine the next day, What's the number one question people ask you?

What was it like to play with Joe Montana? Oh my goodness. I would have never thought about that. It's not touchdowns. What would it be like playing with him? That's a number-one question that people asked me. If you were the commissioner of the NFL, if you could answer this, please, what would you do to have a declivity in the amount of concussions? Well, they've done quite a few things, quite few changes. Um, I don't know. I mean, with what they've already done, there's not a lot they can do. It's a contact sport.

Your job is to hit other people. And I think they'd done a great job with like, um, you know, penalizing for the hits that we used to take from Ronnie lot up top. You know? I've done. A better job of like when I had concussions, when played, he went to the side, they gave you some smelling salt and you went back in. They've done a better job of the concussion protocol. Take your helmet. You're not playing and you might miss a game or two. So I have to apply the things that they've. I don't know what more they can do, which they haven't already done.

What misconception about performance coaching, entrepreneurial coaching? Would you love people to drop? They think it's easy for us because we were, I was a professional athlete. I have a lot of the struggles as everybody else, you know what? It's not as easy as people think. I had my good days, I've had bad days. My days I don't feel like it. You know, still have the same challenges as everyone else.

Health, Growth, and Speaking Lessons 19:48

So the habits that I teach about, have to try my best to exude that discipline and that consistency and do these things when you don' really feel it, so that's the thing. And I say that because there's so many people that say, oh you're 60 years old and you are in amazing shape. It's so easy for you because you was a pro athlete. I'm like, no, it's not. That was like 35 years ago. So I would say that people just think it is easy. For me, but it no it has the same challenges as everyone else. It was 35. Years ago, and you really let everybody know that you work hard.

If I were to open up your book, beat the coverage and look inside. Give me one thing that everybody can apply to their life today. So I've got my friend out in Switzerland and I always refer to him and he's like, Rob, whatever you do, no matter how deep you go, give me that one implementable takeaway. And he has written four books, so I'm sure he wants to hear what's that, what is that tangible piece? I would probably say every challenge has a crack in the coverage. Success goes to those who are prepared, spot the gap, and execute with purpose.

Outstanding, I love that. I can guarantee you that's going to be on my thread as a quote without question. How does preparing a keynote compare to like writing a book? Yeah, that is a really good question because the keynote, you're looking at a 60-minute keynote which I'm currently writing. So it's trying to still get the six points in, still get a powerful, engaging introduction. Get a strong conclusion that makes them want to just run through the door, but also making sure each one of those points has a good story behind it and has it clear action step.

So it's just trying to condense, get it all there, but making sure that when you're telling the story that you make the point, you give an action step. So, it was just crafting all of that. The book obviously is going to be different because there's so much more room and full transparency. My first book I wrote, the second book, I'm using a ghost writer. I'm not gonna write this time. I knew it was a ghostwriter. And the ghost writer is not named AI, I got you. Yeah, exactly. So keynoting and public speaking for the last 10 years, i'm going to ask you, and I will concede, that I remember making a 600 slide presentation for 12 hours.

Six hours on one day, six hours the other. In day one I was done. The first time I went out there, how has the practice, the coaching, preparation changed you to be able to reach the people to keep them engaged and motivated to want to grab that action step? It's changed a lot. And I think of my very first keynote, a friend of mine worked for Merrill Lynch in Overland Park, Kansas. He said, come talk to my team. I had notes, notes slides. I was all over the place, you know, but from there I grew as a speaker and I learned one is you don't need 60 slides, we could do it in 35 slides and really just been able to teach and give people value, you know, not just there to entertain, but really give them something that they can walk home with and put into action.

And I think I've gotten better and better. and you find out what their needs are, what they're challenges are. I've gotten better at, okay, let's tailor this a little bit so I can accommodate the needs of this company. And that's where I think I'm gotten in better. We're still working on it, we're improving, but I definitely have improved in the last 10 years. AFC Championship game or keynote, What made you more nervous? A FC Championship Game. The number one challenge of being a professional athlete, professional football player, was playing under constant pressure.

It was constant. And I would see guys struggle with that. They couldn't push through that because you're constantly being scrutinized. You're constant being evaluated. Your on film and it's all the time. That's where I think I had an advantage because You know, I was used to proving people wrong. I wasn't used. To trying to work my way up where that pressure was like, OK, i've been here before. But I'll tell you, though, there's nothing like the pressure in the AFC Championship game. There's something like it because every mistake is going to be on film for the next 20, 30, 40, 50 years.

If you didn't play football. So I look at Derek Jeter, New York guy. I see Tom Brady. I mean, now he's a commentator. See him as a commendator and an underwear model, if you will. Tim Duncan, some sort of kind of leader and stuff like that. Kobe Bryant, entrepreneur par excellence. What would you have done if football wasn't in the cards?

Family, Mentorship, and Life Advice 24:58

Well, first I would have went back to track and field. Um, I was a 26 foot, too long jumper. Probably would've gone 27 plus. So I think I could have had a good track career. Um, I always wanted to get into coaching. I did dab a little bit in coaching But to be honest and I tell my wife there this is I wish that I had knew back then what I know about Speaking now and what about being an author because I just always want it to share I Always wanted it teach people and i thought coaching was the way to do it but in Coaching you only coach in this segment in This group, you know, so I would hope that I had been introduced to becoming a speaker because like you, man, oh man.

I just love it. And I would have had probably a few more books than one by now. Well, you're on that path. It's fabulous. Let's get, let me ask you a couple of questions about family and personal. You know, You mentioned your wife, 35 years again. Congratulations. Your family grew from three to eight children. How'd that happen? Well, back in 2007, my wife and I at the time, we had our three children, which was our game plan, three, children. But I received a call from my nephew, Justin, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

And there were some problems going on out there with my sister and my brother-in-law. So I flew out and then 24 hours later, I found out it was a lot worse. And 24 hours later after that, I was in a courthouse with a judge and the judge said, you're the next to kin, Mr. Burden, and we're going to take your five nieces and nephews and place them in five separate foster homes. So what would you like to do? So you can only imagine that moment totally caught me off guard. But I always like to say this is what the game of football taught me.

Sometimes in life you got to call an audible. And I did what any smart husband would do first. I was like, Judge, let me call my wife first, okay? But it was a five minute conversation. My wife Rain and I said, Let's take all five of the children and we merged them into our family and overnight, We went from a family of five to a Family of 10. And it was a valuable lesson on both sides. I think we impacted their lives, but they also impacted our lives too. But they're all grown now. They're are all out of the house.

It wasn't easy, But I'm just glad we were able to make a difference. Wow. That's compelling. A man of probity. Love it. So what's next? What's Next? Well, September, I'm supposed to release my new website with the with a new brand beat the coverage. I'll release My keynote then and then I start working on my book. And then once I get that I want to introduce my first beat, the Coverage Coaching program on My website. So that's that fourth in the line of my to do list with this new Brand outstanding.

Now, you don't do a lot of podcasts. I'm lucky. Like, I mean, like I was told, our common friend said, You don' really do alot of podcast. You're comfortable, you're articulate, your flowing, Your conversational. You got to get that message out. I know. And I turned down a lot, but that's what I shared with your team. Once I release this, I will start accepting a of the interviews, But you are the first one that gets to hear what's coming about Beat the Coverage. So I'm glad to be able to share that first with you and your audience.

I mean, you told us a little bit about your background, I get it. I had two parents, and I grew up in a poorer section of the Bronx. Speaking to that 15-year-old right now, single parent, who's deciding on which road on that left or right side of that fork, what would you tell him? Believe in yourself because I didn't believe in myself early. I did. And I'd say believe yourself, believe what you're capable of and whatever you can do, just grab every single mentor that comes your way and try to learn something from each one of those because they will kind of shape your personality or maybe almost replace the father figure that you didn' have in your life.

You know, my white mom was amazing. but I didn't have that father figure. So it was like, what coach or what uncle or relative can I learn from? And that's what I would tell him. I said, just gravitate towards those mentors and learn as much as you can. Did you, was sports your way out? Yes, it, and quite frankly, you know, my mom had married this guy who we found out was had a drug habit, and it was really bad. But it sent my house in spirals. My older brother left and my sister. So sports was like, that was the avenue.

That's how I'm getting out of this house. And that that motivation to make a difference and getting that scholarship, because I knew I wasn't going to get there any other way. compelling, compelling without question. How can people get in touch with you? JJBurden.com. That's my website. Plus I am active all over social media. The username JJ Burden, I try to be consistent and yeah, just reach out, say hello and enjoy some of my content because it's very intentional. I'm trying to give you value every single time.

Fabulous. This has been quick. It was a blowout at the beginning. I mean, you just blew everybody away. No single double coverage. We got it on too bad Deion wasn't here to slow you down and spend more time with us, but it was great. Thanks so much for your time, everybody. Proving Health Alternatives, special guest appearance, JJ Burden, Dr. Rob Silverman, always yours in health.