Episode 065 - Baylor Leadership Guru and Former Navy Footballer Drexel King The All-Star Leader Podcast

Drexel shares leadership lessons from Navy Football and the Marine Corps.  
Introduction:
Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! I’m your host Daniel Hare, and today I didn’t have to go far to bring a great guest to you. Drexel King works just across campus from me in Baylor University’s Leadership and Learning department.
Drexel is a graduate of the prestigious United States Naval Academy, where he also played defensive back for the Midshipmen and led them to bowl games in each of his four seasons. His career prior to joining Baylor in 2016 includes stints in the Navy athletic department as well as platoon commander and officer in the United States Marine Corps, where he led troops in Afghanistan. This is Drexel King. Drexel thanks so much for coming on the show!
Interview Questions:
We’re going to get into your story, but first off tell us about Baylor’s Leadership and Learning department and what you are up to over there. January start after the Marine Corps Staff development / leadership development / team building Creating/delivering content; staff retreats Tell us how you found your way to the Naval Academy, and what your college experience was like. Dad was in the Army; handed him a brochure for West Point as he was nearing high school graduation Knew he needed a different / more structured college experience Naval Academy was a perfect fit; chance to play football; chance to test yourself and also serve the country How were you self-aware enough to make that choice? Was from North Carolina and lots of friends were going to the state schools; he was open to leaving the state Knowing himself; high school was very regimented and he fit in well; school/homework/sports/bed…fit well with his personality to go to the Naval Academy What was the college experience like? Wanted a challenge/test himself; chose English as a major even though math/science was his strength Went to prep school first in Rhode Island Four year grind; marathon not a sprint Not going home in the summer; you’re training – either for the military or for football Assumed some leadership responsibilities there; set himself up for success Navy tends to play a demanding schedule against teams who, on paper, are bigger and faster. Over your career you played schools like Stanford and Notre Dame, in addition to bowl games against Utah and Boston College. Yet you won many of those games. How does that happen and what are some keys to prevailing against long odds? Navy recruited athletes who were good but too short/slow for larger schools; this helped develop a chip on the shoulder Most teams felt like they should beat Navy We’re going to outwork/outhustle/fight with everything we have; the bonds the team had made them closer than other teams Know what sacrifice feels like and looks like; how to sacrifice for your team What about tactics and strategy Execute what we do better than you do You can do whatever you want, but it is man to man; weapon to weapon; line up and see who is better You spent some time as a coach after your playing days concluded. What are a couple of things that maybe surprised you or that you saw for the first time as a coach that you were unaware of as a player? Night and day being on the coaching side versus as a player Learned he never wanted to coach; seven days/week for most (though Navy now doesn’t allow coaches in the building on Sunday) Your livelihood is dependent on 18-22 year olds Tenured staff at Navy so very special place; Showtime feature “The Season” Describe the pathway from the Naval Academy to the Marine Corps (many might think you automatically go from the Academy to the Navy. Three primary service academies commissioning schools: Air Force, West Point, Naval Academy. The Marine Corps is a department within the Navy. From t