Tackle What's Next

FOREWORD

Sean McDermott

When Eric told me he was writing a book about how to move on from big moments of transition, I knew he was the right man for the job.

I first met him in 2017 after joining the Bills, and his reputation preceded him. The strength coach at the Carolina Panthers was a big fan of Eric and had worked with him at Louisville. He told me an impressive story about Eric lunging toward the finish line just so he could finish first in an off‐season conditioning drill. He was just known as the guy who was always giving an all‐out effort.

And that's exactly what I saw when we began working together in Buffalo. Here was this outstanding and talented player who backed it up with preparation and work. Because of his approach to the game, I felt we were somewhat equally aligned early on in our time together. We had a similar approach and I knew that this was a player who would help get us off the ground and help get us there to where we are today.

The word process gets thrown out a lot in football, but that's because it's still the foundation of excellent performance. If you study peak performers in any industry, in particular sports, once they have a great process down, the day‐by‐day routine, which basically in our business is Monday through Saturday, or the entire off‐season, it sure makes things a lot easier come September through February. Those who stick to their process consistently give themselves the best chance to be peak performers in their line of work.