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Wulf's Den: Locker room advice for starting a new job

September 13, 2023

Aug 24, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown before a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

When preparing to set forth on a new opportunity, some people are relentless in seeking advice and counsel from everyone they trust. Others on the lazier side of the spectrum simply ask those in their general vicinity.

Bo Wulf: So you have changed teams more than most of the guys in this locker room. What would be your advice for someone who’s starting a new job?

Fred Johnson: Like –

Wulf: At a new company.

Johnson: Like, in the NFL or?

Wulf: Could be for anything. Use your experience.

Johnson: I mean, I don’t really think you can use –

Wulf: (Laughs)

Johnson: What the NFL job transition is like to the corporate world, ‘cause there’s more job security in those.

Wulf: OK.

Johnson: There’s more piece of mind. You’re not constantly battling for a job every day. You know what I’m saying?

Wulf: That’s true.

Johnson: Because you could have a job, you could work at a company for 10 years and be totally secure that you gotta go to work every day, that you have a job every day.

Wulf: Right.

Johnson: You could be on a off day in the NFL and get called and they be like, ‘Yeah, come bring your stuff in.’ And now you gotta change cities, change your life.

Wulf: Right.

Johnson: I don’t know. I think the one thing I would say is don’t be scared to attack change. Don’t just, don’t-give-up-on-yourself type stuff. Always put your best foot forward so you don’t have regrets.

Wulf: That’s good advice.

Johnson: Yes, sir.

Wulf: Did it get easier for you the more times you had to do it or harder?

Johnson: Oh no. No. Not at all. Because, I mean, a lot of places it’s just politics and you just the odd man out. And a lot of places, like, it’s just, if you – like, I feel like the only time it gets easier is if you know you did everything correctly. And you just can’t –

Wulf: There’s no spot.

Johnson: You can’t choose the cards you dealt.

Wulf: Right.

Johnson: I think it gets hard when guys realize there was more that could’ve been done. So no, it didn’t get easier. Granted, there were some places that I loved at the time that I would be at, and have a lot of memories with the guys on the team.

Wulf: I feel like one thing that does correlate between your experience and a regular person changing jobs is, like, what you really want is to feel recognized and your effort is appreciated. So I feel like, for you, getting on this roster, getting that acknowledgement must have been meaningful.

Johnson: I mean, definitely. For sure. It was definitely meaningful. That extension, when my agent told me about the extension they wanted to try to do and stuff like that, I’ve never had that. So just to be a guy from being a three-star athlete in college, I played one year in high school to go to college. Then I went from playing in college to undrafted. Making a team undrafted, first time, then going three, four years. And then last year (in 2022) was my first time on practice squad, like the bottom of the barrel, it just made me realize I love the process more. Trying to make a team, trying to add value, show my worth. And this year, making the team, just made me realize I was doing the right things.

Wulf: So my question is, as someone who has changed teams before, what would be your advice to someone who is starting a similar job at a new company?

Kentavius Street: Ohhhhh. Be open to change. Be open to change, be willing to look dumb, ask questions that you’re uncertain of and be confident in those questions. And always welcome different thoughts. Being used to – going from one company to another, the culture’s going to be completely different, so you gotta be able to adapt to what they do and be confident and comfortable in that. That’s probably my biggest thing. Just be open to change.

Wulf: OK, I like that. Be willing to look dumb is a good one.

Street: Yeah.

Wulf: Because you gotta figure stuff out, right?

Street: Exactly.

Wulf: Did you get better at it the second time?

Street: Yeah. No doubt.

Wulf: OK.

Street: And I think it also helps having people that know that you’re trying to do your best in asking those questions. Because you have some cultures where it’s shamed upon to ask questions. They just want you to know.

Wulf: Sure.

Street: But being here, the culture’s so welcoming, everybody wants you to do your best. It’s really good.

Wulf: This is a tough one for you because as an adult you’ve only ever worked in the same place, but knowing that, what would be your advice for someone who’s starting a new job at a new company?

Brandon Graham: Hold on, say that again?

Wulf: What would be your advice for someone starting a new job at a different company?

Graham: As far as like –

Wulf: ‘Cause you’ve only been in one place.

Graham: Oh yeah, yeah. So say it again.

Wulf: So what would be your advice to somebody who’s starting a new job somewhere else.

Graham: Um, you know what, my advice would be try not to say too much and try to take in as much as you can early on. Try to see what’s the culture like. Then you try to implement what you believe in on top of what they believe in, then try to come in the middle and just work your butt off every day. I think it’s just, coming in with a worker’s mindset of just, ‘I’m coming in to learn, be the best version of me I can right now.’ And like I said, just be open to learn. Because people don’t sometimes like when people come in thinking they know right away and you ain’t never even been here.

Wulf: Right.

Graham: So you don’t even know what’s going on.

Wulf: Right.

Graham: Yeah, so I think it’s like what I tell the rookies. Come in, try to learn. We know you know some stuff, but play silly at first.

Wulf: OK.

Graham: Then, eventually, when you start making plays –

Wulf: That’s what someone else said, don’t be afraid to look dumb. Ask questions.

Graham: Yeah! Straight up. You know what I’m saying? It’s OK. You got people coming in thinking they know it all, they don’t need nobody’s help, whatever. Or they got it ‘cause of what they did at this other place. It was hard at this other place, so it gotta be easy here. It’s like, nah, it’s a difference. For sure.

Wulf: As somebody who has changed teams, what would be your advice to somebody starting a new job at a different company?

Olamide Zaccheaus: A new job at a different company? Damn. Um, stay true to yourself. Obviously there are things that you have to get on board with, but there’s things that you know that work for you. So just continue to do that.

Wulf: So, having just changed teams, what would be your advice for someone starting a new job at a different company?

D’Andre Swift: Like somebody going somewhere for the very first time?

Wulf: Yeah, like a similar job, but at a new company.

Swift: Outside of football?

Wulf: Yeah, but it could be football too.

Swift: Taking it one day at a time. If you a new guy somewhere, getting to know whoever you working with, people in the building, building relationships. Whatever you doing, just getting better one day at a time. That’s really what I would say.

Wulf: OK! That’s good.

Wulf: As someone who has changed teams, what would be your advice to someone who is going to a new job at a different company?

Darius Slay: Oh shit, I don’t know. Just, uh, damn. Just be yourself, really. That’s me. I just be myself. Yeah, just be yourself. That’s the best way.

Wulf: As someone who has changed teams a couple times, what would be your advice for someone who is starting a new job at a different company?

Zach Cunningham: Hmm. I guess I would say, for me, just going in with a good attitude. Just trying to have an open mindset and a good attitude. Like you said, I’ve done it a few times at this point –

Wulf: Right. You’ve made some good first impressions.

Cunningham: Well yeah. That’s part of it. Just go into it and try to make the best of the situation, try to take full advantage of the situation, whatever it may be. That’s what I try to do.

Wulf: As someone who has changed teams, what would be your advice to someone who has taken a new job at a different company?

Terrell Edmunds: Starting a job at a different company? Oooo, that’s a good one. I would say, go in there eager to learn. Go in there selfless and make sure you put in everything you have and show them exactly what you can do. And then just learn from other people that’s been there, and the bosses over there that can help excel what you’re doing.

Wulf: OK. That’s good, thank you.

Edmunds: If that makes sense.

Wulf: I think it makes sense. That’s all I need.

Edmunds: That’s a good question.

Wulf: Having made a successful transition from one team to another, what would be your advice for someone starting a new job at a different company?

A.J. Brown: Uhh. Develop a routine, stick with it, regardless of the feeling or the moment that may not seem like you’re doing good.

Wulf: OK.

Brown: Because once you get in a routine, everything starts to flow. Continue to work hard. Get there early, leave there late. You know? That’s my secret.

Wulf: That’s good advice.

Wulf: Now that you’ve gone through switching teams for the first time, if you had to give advice to somebody that’s changing jobs, what would it be?

Rashaad Penny: (Looks quizzically)

Wulf: Like going to a new company.

Penny: Hmm. That’s a good one. Um, dang. I mean, shoot. Like, fit in.

Wulf: OK.

Penny: Fit in. Getting comfortable. That’s really the best thing I got.

Wulf: OK.

Penny: I haven’t really thought about it.

Wulf: How did you go about doing that?

Penny: I mean, just fitting in with the running backs. Before I got here, I got to stay some with Boston (Scott) and Kenny (Gainwell), and that kind of gave me a tell on how they are and who they as people. And just being around them every day, it made things feel comfortable for me, like we have a bond.

Wulf: OK.

Penny: It’s pretty cool.

Wulf: So as somebody who has changed teams a few times, what would be your advice to somebody who is starting a new job at a different company.

Marcus Mariota: (Chuckles) Um, just be open and honest. Be yourself. And I think being able to just take in any sort of critique, good or bad, and just understand that it’s not personal and it can help you be a better person. So, yeah. I think, for me, I’ve always just tried to be myself, but also be open to what other people might try to encourage you to do.

Wulf: OK. And has it gotten easier for you each time?

Mariota: I would say so, because yeah, the amount of times I’ve done it. The hardest part for me, personally, is just moving different cities. But I am very blessed to be a part of this organization and the previous organizations as well, just because there’s a lot of good people in the buildings who have made that transition a whole lot easier.

Wulf: One quick for you that you are maybe not qualified to answer because you’ve only worked in the same place.

Lane Johnson: OK.

Wulf: But what would your advice to somebody who’s changing jobs, going to a new place?

Johnson: Ah! I mean, get to know the guys.

Wulf: OK.

Johnson: That’d be it. So you don’t feel like a loner, I guess. So, get to know your teammates. Get to know – a lot of people in this locker room have been different places. So they have different stories. Get close to them and communicate. That’s really it.

Jason Kelce: What do you got, Bo?

Wulf: Um, it’s tough for you because you’ve only worked in the same place for your whole career –

Kelce: This is very true.

Wulf: If you, what would be your advice to somebody who’s changing jobs, going to a new place?

Kelce: Huh!

Wulf: (Scoffs)

Kelce: I really don’t have any advice. I would be very welcoming to that advice, potentially.

Jeff McLane: Is this a personal thing?

Wulf: Maybe.

Kelce: I think, I think in general, whenever you’re embarking on a new path – because I haven’t changed jobs –

Wulf: Right.

Kelce: But I’ve certainly had coaching changes. This is my fourth head coach in the NFL. I think, keep an open mind. Don’t come in with expectations or preconceived notions about the way things need to be or the way things are. I think that whenever you’re embarking on a new path, you should be ready to take as much in, ask questions and learn as much as possible. And everybody’s gonna have different ways of doing things, whether it’s a different culture. There’s gonna be different techniques, different jobs you might be asked to do. I think whenever you’re embarking on trying to do so, try to have as much of an open mind and curiosity as possible.

Wulf: I appreciate it.