Unveiling the True Story of Robert McCune

From Dreams to the NFL: My Journey to Success

My journey to the NFL began with a simple love for football. My life journey, just like my road to the NFL, has been filled with obstacles and setbacks. With my faith in the Lord, I know anything is possible. This is the story about me, Robert McCune.

Growing up, I spent most of my time running track, where I discovered I was fast. But it wasn’t until my junior year of high school that I decided to try playing football. I attended John L. Leflore High School in Alabama. I was not given anything growing up; we had to earn everything we had.

On the football field, I instantly fell in love with the game. I played running back at first and then switched to the defensive side of the ball. I knew instantly this was where I wanted to be. I liked the contact and felt I was really good at something. Maybe this could take me somewhere.

My high school coach played a pivotal role, taking me on visits to the University of Alabama, which fueled my dreams of playing at a big school. For a young man like me, the dream of playing college football seemed like a long shot, but I knew if I worked hard and stayed determined, I could chase this dream. I did not know how to chase it, but I was going to run after it as fast as I could.

Even though I was performing well individually, my high school team wasn’t doing great. Despite this, I began receiving offers from smaller schools to play college football. But deep down, I wanted to play for a major program like Alabama. Unfortunately, without a scholarship offer, I had no way to pay for college.

That’s when my sister suggested I join the military, explaining that they would pay for my education. The plan was simple: stay in top shape, join the Army, and walk on to a Division I school, hoping to earn a scholarship. Sometimes, plans sound simple, but there are so many ups and downs and twists and turns. It takes determination to overcome every obstacle and keep chasing your dreams. Where there is a will, there is a way.

At that time, the NFL wasn’t even on my radar. I just wanted to get to the sidelines of an ESPN game and, of course, earn a college degree, something no one in my family had achieved. Playing on TV for a big school was my dream at this point.

Serving my country is one of the proudest and most prestigious accomplishments of my life. Looking back at it now, when I enlisted in the Army, I weighed 190 pounds. After eight weeks of basic training and months of keeping myself in top condition, I graduated weighing 220 pounds. Over the next four years, I served in South Korea, Kuwait, and Afghanistan, all while staying in the best shape of my life.

I was clocking 40-yard dash times in the 4.2 to 4.3 range at 220 pounds—faster than I had ever been. Many times, I did not know if I would ever get an opportunity to play football again at a high level.

As my time in the military was coming to a close, I knew it was now or never to pursue my dream of playing at a Division I school. With no internet to help me out, I picked up a phone book and started calling colleges. The first two schools I contacted, the University of Alabama and Auburn University, turned me down. South Carolina did the same.

I could have given up there, but I had come too far. This was another hidden lesson in life—believe in yourself and your abilities, and someone will give you that chance and the break you need. After the first several attempts, my cousin, Tiger Jones, who had earned a scholarship to Louisville, gave me an idea. Why not try calling them?

When I reached out to Louisville, the coach asked me about my size and speed. I told him I weighed 220 pounds and ran a 4.2 in the 40-yard dash. He was shocked and asked if I could come meet him in person. At the time, I was still in the Army, so I had to get permission from my sergeant. After some paperwork, I got the green light and drove from Savannah, Georgia, to Louisville, Kentucky—a nine-hour journey.

Upon arriving at Louisville, they showed me around and introduced me to the coaches, which felt surreal. They gave me shorts, shoes, and a shirt and told me to wait in the locker room. As I sat there, the excitement hit me—I was finally on a college campus, a step closer to my dream.

The coaches led me into the weight room, where a 60-yard track awaited. I stepped onto the scale: 220 pounds. The coaches were all waiting with stopwatches to see me run this 40-yard dash. Looking back on it now, if I ran a slow 40-yard dash, my dreams could have been snatched away from me right there. The pressure was on.

I stretched, got in position, and took off down the track. As I crossed the finish line, I could hear one coach yell, “4.2!” and another say, “4.3!” They looked at me and asked, “When do you get out of the Army?” I told them that if I got accepted into school, they would let me out early.

The next day, they accepted me on the spot. I drove back to Savannah with my acceptance letter, handed it to my sergeant, and within two weeks, I was out of the military and on my way to Louisville.

When I arrived, the coaches placed me with a senior linebacker who graciously let me crash at his place for the summer. During that time, I impressed everyone with my dedication in the weight room. That was just me—I knew no other way than to outwork everyone to reach my dream.

By the time school started, I had settled into a dorm and was balancing classes and football practice. But then, I hit a major obstacle: I found out my tuition wasn’t fully covered. My in-state tuition was paid, but out-of-state fees—around $8,000—were not covered.

With no money and no scholarship, I was kicked out of my dorm and forced to stay with a teammate. I hid my situation from the coaches, hoping they would eventually offer me a scholarship if I continued to work hard.

But after months of struggling to get by, I knew it was time to face reality and go home to Alabama. This was another lesson and where I could have lost my chance at chasing this dream. I went to speak with the head coach, intending to thank him for the opportunity and tell him I was leaving.

When I walked into his office, he was shocked and asked how long I’d been struggling. I told him it had been months. In reality, I had struggled my whole life. I always trusted I could find a way. He looked at me, paused, and then told me he and the coaching staff had been discussing my future.

He told me to stick around, and he would see what he could do. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the next day, he called me into his office. When I walked in, he grabbed me, put me in a headlock, and said, “Don’t you let me down.” Then, he told me I was on full scholarship.

I was overwhelmed with emotion—it felt like a dream come true. To understand the amount of emotion I was feeling, you would have had to walk in my shoes through this journey. I was never handed anything; I was not recruited to play Division I football. I just was good at something, believed in myself, and had a dream.

From that moment on, I gave everything I had to football, knowing this was my one shot.

Played as a linebacker, contributing to defensive strategies and team victories.

Excelled in defensive plays, earning recognition for leadership and performance.

Guides clients in achieving fitness goals through personalized training programs.

★★★★★

“His commitment to excellence is evident in everything he does. A remarkable individual.”

Emily Johnson, Colleague