It’s a phrase thrown around a lot in sports, usually referencing a player’s commitment to their game. It can refer to responding to adversity: “he showed he was all-in after throwing an early interception, leading the team to a touchdown drive.” It can reflect the mentality of a team: “they were all-in, showing great hustle on the pitch tonight.” But to the man who made the word’s popularity soar in the late 2000’s, it’s something more.. It’s a lifestyle, not a decision.
New York Giants Team Chaplain Jean-Paul Gonzalez visited Ursinus’s athletes this past Monday, September 22nd, looking to share his strategies for team success. The chaplain has accumulated fame through his “all-in” message, one which became the rallying cry behind the 2011 Super Bowl Champions, the New York Giants.
With Helferich Hall packed, Gonzalez’s story captivated the athletes, a rallying call for many of the Bears’ teams. In just an hour, the speaker exemplified what it means to be “all-in”, something to look for as the Bears hit the field in days to come.
Small Beginnings
A key reason why Gonzalez’s story was so relatable for many of Ursinus’s athletes, was his connection to them. Gonzalez was a Division 3 athlete himself, playing basketball at Messiah College. The chaplain’s career at the Division 3 level, he said, has given him a great respect for all the athletes competing in it.
“You don’t get any scholarship, most of you aren’t making money,” Gonzalez said. “It’s all about your love for the game.”
The chaplain described his own journey through the Division 3 level as something that prepared him for the challenges of life. He told stories of constantly comparing himself to former teammates and peers who were able to go Division 1, while he was stuck at a lower level. But by putting in the work, he was able to find peace with his choice.
“I was constantly trying to get better,” Gonzalez said. “I was putting in the same work as those guys, always working on my game.”
It’s something the speaker emphasized to the athletes, empathising with their struggles.
“I’ve been in your shoes, working so hard when it feels like no one is watching,” Gonzalez said. “I can promise you, it’s worth it.”
A Giant-sized Mission
Gonzalez took his talents to the NBA Draft after his time in college, selected by the Los Angeles Clippers. But in L.A, the speaker couldn’t find his calling. He pointed to feeling disinterested in the NBA, wanting to make an impact back in the community he came from. It led him to drop out of the league, pursuing a career in education.
“I just wanted to help kids like me succeed,” he said.
Gonzalez began his journey aiding children in the prison system, as he worked towards a degree in education. He would show up often, helping with tutoring, playing basketball with the children, and generally serving as a mentor. It was this work which got him noticed by the New York Giants.
“When I asked them how I got noticed, when I got asked to speak to the team, they told me it was that they had spotted me doing this work at the local prison, uplifting kids,” Gonzalez said. “It just shows how important it is to do the right thing, even when no one is watching.”
Defining “All-In”
As they entered the talk, each student-athlete was given a poker chip. Gonzalez gifted the same chips to the Giants back in 2010, when he talked to the team.
Gonzalez explained that the chip’s meaning is derived from the game of poker. He encouraged the Giants to “push their chips all-in,” as you would at a poker table, in order to come together as a team after a 6-6 start.
“It shows a serious commitment,” Gonzalez said. “You’re channeling everything you have into whatever you’re doing.”
The result of the talk? The Giants went on a miracle run, winning 3 of their last 4 games to reach the playoffs. They would go on to win the Super Bowl, one of football’s greatest Cinderella stories after topping the heavily favored New England Patriots. Throughout the entire streak, the team mentioned Gonzalez and being “all-in” as the main factors in their turnaround.
Gonzalez described his pride in seeing the message displayed by the team, as the Giants rolled through their win streak.
“To see “all-in” on all these towels and shirts, it meant a lot,” he said. “I had thought I had bombed the talk [with the team], but it had given them life.”
Gonzalez encouraged the athletes in attendance to similarly “place their chips all-in,” for whatever required their commitment.
“It’s so important to be fully present, to be all there,” Gonzalez said. “Being ‘All-In’ means taking advantage of the opportunities right in front of us.”
There should be opportunities aplenty for the Bears over the next few weeks, with fall sports gearing up for conference and winter seasons just beginning. In the end, they’ll hope to heed Gonzalez’s message, and see the results; achieving the impossible, just like that Giants team before them.