Many might assume that the only connection between football and horse racing is the deep love that so many NFL players seem to feel for the game of things. See Tom Brady. Travis Kelce. Aaron Rodgers.
And while it is always fun to watch giant men stuff themselves into Easter Egg blazers to attend the Derby, that’s only a small component of the connection.
Horse racing and football are both about human achievement. Jockeys understand how to get the most out of themselves, and their animals. Is there a lesson in that for the NFL?
Parallels Between Football and Racing
First of all, it’s important to understand that the jockey does more than just sit on the horse. They are making judgment calls throughout every intense second of the race. This requires a level of quick thinking and situational awareness that will be very familiar to anyone playing professional football. Split-second decisions can determine victory or defeat. They also assume a level of physical risk. Falling from a horse can be very serious. Professional jockeys sustain injuries at alarming rates.
This is especially true when you are going at really high speeds. Horses at the Kentucky Derby run almost 40 miles per hour. Can you imagine your car falling out and going at that speed? The impact can be devastating.
Already this year, an Irish jockey named Michael O’Sullivan has died from injuries he sustained during a race. His death sent shockwaves through the racing community. He was one of three jockeys to fall from his horse during this particular race. Such incidents highlight the dangers inherent in sport.
NFL players aren’t usually risking their lives with every tackle. They do need to think about their long-term health. We’ve learned more and more about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This degenerative brain condition results from repeated blows to the head. The condition has been found in numerous former football players after their deaths.
Performance Based Connections
Many people complain about what data analysis has done to sports. It’s why NBA players only seem to shoot threes. It’s why baseball players now focus on launch angles rather than contact hitting. But what can you do? Knowledge is power. The game has evolved with statistical insights.
Jockeys weigh the numbers before every choice they make on the track. They study track conditions, historical performance data, and competition tendencies. Their goal is both individual victories and longevity. Career management requires strategic race selection. Football players are now increasingly encouraged to do the same. Maybe to a greater extent, in fact. The NFL’s analytical revolution has transformed training and game planning.
NFL teams will develop very detailed, data-driven systems to inform not only their overall strategies but also the way they react to the strategies of specific teams. Defensive coordinators rely heavily on formation tendencies. Professional athletes in every sport are fortunate not to need a degree in data analysis to make this possible. Teams have their own numbers of people, meaning the athlete’s main job is still to show up and execute. The infrastructure around them handles the complex statistical work.
Pressure On All Sides
NFL players and jockeys also experience significant pressure. Inward pressure—the high standards they hold themselves to. Also, there is outward pressure. The expectations of fans. The desires of people who bet on football games and horse racing, as you can see in this guide: https://www.twinspires.com/edge/racing/betting-info/horse-racing/
They need this passion, of course. It’s from this enthusiasm that they earn their living. Unfortunately, it can make their jobs much harder. Regardless of what needs to be done on either side is clear. Jockey or quarterback, the job is to tune out the noise and compete.
The Pursuit of Excellence
Jockeys don’t get the same level of attention that NFL stars do. Most casual racing fans pay the majority of their attention to the horses. They recognize names like Secretariat but rarely know the riders. Actually, even that is no guarantee.
Ask ten professed racing fans what horses interest them this year and you’ll probably get a lot of people telling you that they are really fans of specific events. “I never miss the Kentucky Derby.” These marquee races attract viewers who otherwise ignore the sport entirely.
The NFL is different. Its much more personality driven. You love Travis Kelce. Aaron Rodgers. Heck. If you’re a really big fan, you probably have at least some awareness of the coaching staff. Coordinators and head coaches become household names. But for all the ways these games are different, they will always have core similarities.
In life, in athletics, in business, success at the highest level pretty much always requires a commitment to core concepts. Incredible effort. A willingness to push the envelope. Tireless commitment to the unachievable: Perfection. Jockeys and football players alike understand that, and it is to the benefit of us, the fans.
