Commitment is important in football, but not all players’ inspiration for excellence and commitment is instilled by the coach. Here’s a few words from Adam Vinatieri on his favorite book, Atlas Shrugged.
If you assume Vinatieri’s reading list begins and ends at Field & Stream, guess again. His favorite book is Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand. It is an epic novel about a society in mysterious decline, and about the death and rebirth of the human spirit. The book profoundly influenced Vinatieri’s feelings about the importance of pride in the work place.
“The book’s about commitment,” he says. “Whatever you do and whatever you’re going to put your name on, whatever you’re going to sign as your work, do it to be proud of what you’re doing. Do it the best you can and you’ll never be disappointed. You’ll never have to say, ‘What if I had tried a little harder?'”
From an NFL.com interview conducted by Vic Carruci. The column is titled “Kickin’ back with the Vinatieris.”