Veteran NFL defensive back and Miami Dolphins cornerback Justin Bethel has achieved a lot in the pros. Although he has yet to win a Super Bowl, he’s still got a fantastic resume in the league. Who knows if he would be able to accomplish what he’s done so far in his NFL career had it not for the reality check a former teammate during his rookie season with the Arizona Cardinals way back in 2012.
Miami Dolphins Vet Tells Story About Wake-Up Call He Got During Rookie Season
Bethel recently guested on Miami Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert’s podcast and shared a story about how an ex-teammate gave him the talking he needed to stop taking things for granted in the NFL (h/t Mike Masala of Dolphins Wire).
“I remember, my rookie year, I had made the team and everything, I was making plays, but I kinda got satisfied,” Bethel shared. “I’m in the league. I made it. I’m on the team. So, I was in meetings. I’d be falling asleep in meetings. I might show up late, or something like that. I remember one meeting I fell asleep. Right after the meeting, one of the older guys, he had probably already been in the league six years, but he was a special teams guy too.
“I was like ‘Damn. Yeah, you’re right.’ And, after that, that was kinda all she wrote. I bought in. I was doing what I needed to do, watching extra film on all the special teams stuff. That was, for me, that was my moment that I was like ‘It’s not just like I’m here. I made it. It’s just special teams.’ Like, no. A lot of guys, this is how we make our money. This is how we feed our families. This is how we stick around.”
That certainly made quite an impression on Bethel, who has played for the Miami Dolphins over the last two seasons. After his rookie year, he was able to make it to the Pro Bowl in three straight seasons. He hasn’t made the Pro Bowl since 2015, but the fact that he’s still in the league over a decade since was taken in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Cardinals speaks volumes about his being a consummate pro.
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