Coach Ben Johnson asked Cairo Santos If He Wanted the Opportunity

With about eight minutes left, Cairo Santos lined up for a 53-yard field goal that would have given the Bears a two-score lead. He missed. The ball hit the upright, announces couldn’t stop saying “doink” and the Patriots had life.

Fast forward a few minutes. The Bears have another chance to put the game away, but now the kick would be from 58 yards. Five yards farther than the one Santos had just missed. Longer than any field goal he’d made in his 13-year NFL career.

Coach Ben Johnson initially called for a punt. Then he asked if Santos wanted the opportunity. Santos didn’t hesitate. “I want it.” Johnson trusted him. His teammates trusted him. And more importantly, Santos trusted himself. He stepped up and drilled a 58-yard field goal right down the middle. Career long.

I woke up thinking how awesome that moment really was. Some pretty powerful lessons in those few minutes. First, confidence isn’t believing you’ll never fail. It’s believing in your ability to respond when you do.

Second, one mistake doesn’t erase years of preparation. Santos didn’t suddenly become a better kicker in those few minutes. He was the same guy who had just missed. The difference was that he refused to let his last attempt define his next one.

And finally, there’s a leadership lesson here that I love. Johnson could have played it safe. He could have let the previous miss influence his decision. Instead, he listened to his player and trusted him with an even bigger opportunity.

Think about how powerful that is. Having someone believe in you at a moment when it would be easy to question yourself. Whether you’re coaching athletes, leading employees, raising kids, or just trying to navigate life, people are going to miss sometimes. So are you.

The question is whether we create environments where mistakes become something to learn from or something to fear. And when your next opportunity comes, will you be willing to take it? Don’t let your last miss convince you that you’re incapable of making the next one. Sometimes the biggest moment of your career comes just minutes after one you’d rather forget.

Bear Down.

Justin M Boyd