'1%er': How Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey Forged His Own Path

I wrote this for the student-athletes, but anybody can apply it to their life. Life is complicated, but it doesn’t stop for anyone. You can either make it happen or watch it happen for somebody else, the choice is yours.

Author:
Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey
Publish date:
May 18, 2023 7:15 PM EDT

In this story:

Texas Longhorns

Everything you do is an opportunity cost. Any one thing you do, you're sacrificing something else. Anything lost can be found again, except for time wasted. Most people don’t think about that though. Then one day, they look back and wish they would have done more or made better decisions.

I don’t have this problem. I live my life intentionally. This intentionality and forward way of thinking has served me well and has allowed me to dictate my life in the way that I see fit.

Being a college athlete will provide you with many opportunities and place you on a platform that separates you from the rest of the world. You will be treated like you’re above others. Whether you like it or not, the reality is you’re held to a different standard than everyone else. This is not a bad thing. You earned that privilege and it comes with responsibility.

You asked for it when you decided that you were going to dedicate your life to your sport. You are blessed to be able to do what you do. Think back to the times when you didn’t know if you could make it. When everybody told you how great you were but you weren’t sure if you had what it took. When you knew you had it but nobody acknowledged your talent. When you prayed for just one offer. When you would do anything for a chance. You're exactly where you fought so hard to be.

Take pride in that. Embrace it. You earned it. It didn’t happen by accident. If you do it the right way, you can set yourself up for success in your playing career and in life after.

What does that look like? First and foremost, respect the game. You get out what you put in. Then use those same principles and apply them to everything you do.

I went from the No. 4,168 recruit out of high school to the No. 1 transfer portal target. I went from James Madison to Texas, and now, I’m a real estate agent being mentored by the owner of the largest real estate franchise in the world.

Here's how I did it.

I created this mantra after an average season of production for my standards and some inspiration from one of my teammates and brothers, Antwane Wells. It’s three words and two phrases.

Word one is INTENT - “Resolved or determined to do.”

Be intentional in everything you do. When you’re in practice, when you’re doing drills, when you’re watching film, or when you’re in meetings. Do these things in a way that will yield your desired result, whatever that is for you.

The second word is CONSISTENCY - “The achievement of a level of performance that does not vary greatly in quality over time.”

The consistent intention will separate you. You will build confidence, you will grow and the growth will compound over time. Then you’ll get to a point where you won’t even have to think about it anymore. It will become muscle memory. The beauty of consistency is the only person that will truly know if you’re doing it is you. You can lie to everybody else but you can’t lie to yourself. Your consistency will show and your coaches and teammates will take notice and watch the narrative around your character change. You will gain the respect of everyone around you and that alone will begin to open doors of opportunity.

The third word is PURPOSE - “A person's sense of resolve or determination.”

The truth is, sports are hard, school is hard, and life is hard. But guess what? Nobody cares. If you want that glory, that starting spot, that all-conference recognition, that All-American nod, that player of the year, or that NIL money, you gotta show up! When adversity occurs, your purpose has to outweigh any hardship you face, the human nature to give up when it gets hard or that little devil on your shoulder telling you to give in or give up.

It has to be bigger than the obstacle. And chances are the results you’re looking for are NOT going to come overnight, it’s going to take TIME and it won't be easy.

I can’t stress this enough, but you have to be PATIENT. Anything worth having is on the other side of hard. On the other hand, if you’re doing the first two words, YOU'RE GOING TO SUCCEED, you’re going to win and achieve your goals.

But To whom much is given, much is required. Luke 12:48. Your purpose has to carry you above achieving a goal. You have to adopt a standard of living that is rooted in progression, not a destination. Learn how to overcome adversity and handle success.

Those three words lead to the first phrase of my mantra which is CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL.

If you made it to this level of sports, you understand what it takes to be successful. You know when you're doing what’s necessary and when you’re not. Make it black and white.

Ask yourself, "Am I doing everything in my power that I can to be successful? Am I living right, am I showing up five minutes early to everything, am I finishing through the line every rep, am I doing every set on the workout sheet, am I watching enough film, am I studying my playbook every day, am I eating right, am I doing the necessary things to achieve my goals?"

Then once you ask yourself these questions and they're all yes, ask yourself "Am I doing these things in the way that will yield my desired results, am I maximizing my effort to give myself the best CHANCE to be successful?"

Not just going through the motions and taking a rep but attacking it.

Once you do that then you can live with the results. Another hard pill to swallow is that you can do everything in your power and still lose. Nothing is guaranteed.

You have to understand that but that understanding leads to the last theme of BLIND FAITH. I don’t know what God has planned but he brought me this far so I can't stop now. Do your part and leave the rest to him. He doesn't make mistakes. Trust in the lord and know he’s working in the background for you. For we walk by faith, not by sight. Corinthians 5:7.

Let him lead your life, align with God and blessings will rain down on you. You may not get what you want but he will give you what you need! What’s meant to be will be.

Following this mantra and conducting yourself in this manner will create positive identity capital for you. You will be regarded as someone who is hardworking, prompt, determined, and accountable. These are intangible qualities that will separate you and provide you with opportunities the average person would not receive. With the network that you have access to playing at a university, you can set yourself up for life. But, you have to take advantage of that.

Create relationships. Go out in the community, attend events, go show people who you are. BE AUTHENTIC, be kind, and be yourself, it will serve you in the long run. Then once you create those relationships leverage them. Ask questions, SEEK INFORMATION. Don’t wait for things to come to you. You can't find something if you don’t look for it. People look up to you and would love the chance to provide you with something of value.

USE IT.

The moral of the story? You are responsible for the outcomes in your life whether you know it or not. Don’t let anything or anyone dictate those outcomes for you. Take control, be intentional, and get out of your comfort zone. It works. Take it from me, a kid from Norfolk, Virginia that went from Lake Taylor High School to James Madison to The University of Texas, to a soon-to-be Millionaire real estate agent.

It can happen to you too. Write your own story.

I made the decision to stop playing football and become a real estate agent because I understand my purpose is bigger than just a game. My biggest goals in life are to be a great father, a great husband and inspire young black boys to be bigger than our situation and be men of character.

When you come from where I do, there isn’t much inspiration to do anything other than be in the streets, pick up a ball, or rap. As a kid, I wanted more. I knew there was more out there for me, but I didn’t have the resources or people to help me see it.

I want the youth to know that you can make it from where we’re from and there's no limit to what you can be. I want to help them see that we can achieve the lifestyle we want in other ways, and be more than what society has tried to force us to believe we can be. I think the timing was so important because it makes a statement.

It was so unexpected from a guy that had the trajectory that I did but I know there were a lot of guys in the past that wanted to do other things but were scared to face the results of doing it or still feel like they had no choice. They were scared of what people would say and how they would be viewed if they didn’t make it or were stuck in that box of “ball or nothing.”

For me, transferring to the University of Texas was a dream come true.

When I entered the transfer portal, I was honestly just looking for something bigger than JMU. I had low expectations but something told me that I needed to see what was out there.

Texas gave me that, and it ended up being the most important decision of my life. It didn’t go nearly how I planned it to on the field, but I made the decision with that possibility in the back of my mind. Most times, when something sounds too good to be true, it is. I learned this firsthand. From an All-American to a backup. Not because I wasn't good enough, but really by circumstance.

Definitely, not the outcome I wanted, but what Texas provided for me was more important than football. I handled the situation as best as I could. Even when everything in me wanted to get on a plane and go back to Norfolk, Virginia.

"He handled a tough situation like a pro and always kept himself ready and when his number was called he performed. His awareness on & off the field I thought was unique and it allows him to show a way to other players on how to anticipate things rather than always reacts to those things after they happen." - Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian

I felt like there was more. There had to be more. So I put my pride to the side, held my head up, and decided that I would see it through. And I couldn’t be happier that I chose to go through the adversity, instead of running away from it. God was testing me. It opened my eyes to what his plan was all along.

Fast forward a couple of months, and the season was coming to an end. It was time to start picking an agent and choosing where to train to get ready for pro day. But the more I thought about it, the less it made sense. I left JMU to get my draft stock up but it didn’t change. Agents were still saying sixth, seventh round or UFDA for my grade… so the best-case scenario in my head was an NFL practice squad.

And that was it. For the first time in my life, football stopped making sense.

In the end, the Texas move was never just about football. It was about growth, it was about taking the next step in life as a man, as a person, and as a player. I had got everything I wanted from the game when I really thought about it. I made money, played on the big stage, and built a network and lifelong relationships. It was time for the next thing and I can’t imagine a better opportunity than the one the University of Texas provided me with.

Still, I had a lot to consider.

I was invited to the Tropical Bowl, one of the senior bowls for the NFL. It was on Jan. 21st in Florida. I also had a meeting with Gary Keller, on Jan. 20th in Austin. There it was, arguably the most important decision I had to make in my life. Take a meeting with the founder of the largest real estate company in the world, or go to the Tropical Bowl and train for a chance at something I’ve been working toward my entire life.

So I then started to weigh my options. As far as NIL money goes, I had already made what a practice squad player makes, and it was good for what it provided me as a college football player. But as a man, the type of person I am and the things I want out of life, the money wasn’t enough for the time I would sacrifice trying to make it work.

The shelf life of an NFL player is three years on average. Then you’re back at square one if you didn’t set something up on your journey. Sure, you may have money, but money doesn't really mean much and that's what they don't tell you.

I thought to myself, in three years’ time, with the network and the support I have in Austin I can be on my way to being or be a top agent in the state of Texas. I’ll have built a brand and have my own business. That is more important not only to me but to my community. We have enough athletes so I felt like it was my calling to do something different.

And then, everything became clear. For the first time in my life, I actually heard the word of God and I had a spiritual awakening. I realized that this was the plan he had for me all along. In retrospect, everything that happened at Texas was geared toward this moment. I made a decision and my mind was calm, and I was at peace with it. With that, I knew my life would change. I didn’t know what to expect going into it, but I knew it could only go well because this wasn’t something that just happened. God presented me with this opportunity for a reason, and I just put my trust in him.

And in the end, it worked out. We connected and not really to my surprise, we agreed on a lot of things.

He said 99 percent of people don’t think like I do. I laughed and pulled out my chain. Engraved on it, is ‘1%er’. That was confirmation for me that I made the right decision, and I was in the right place. Concluding the conversation, Gary said that he wanted to sponsor and support me on my journey and that he would be my mentor. Just like that, the next chapter of my life has begun.

- Diamonte “Tuck” Tucker-Dorsey