Shea Patterson is a former University of Michigan quarterback and professional football player. He has played in both the USFL and CFL, steadily pursuing his dream of making it to the NFL. He began his college career at Ole Miss before transferring to the University of Michigan, where he grew not only as a player but also as a leader. Throughout his journey, Shea has faced adversity with resilience and determination. Off the field, he’s embraced mindfulness and meditation as tools to stay grounded, manage stress, and stay focused, reflecting his commitment to both personal and professional growth.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- [01:13] The mindset every aspiring college athlete needs to succeed
- [02:57] How a surprising connection led Shea Patterson to the University of Michigan
- [04:00] What leadership really looks like, on and off the field
- [07:45] The ups and downs of navigating the CFL and staying focused on the NFL
- [09:15] The advice Shea would give his younger self about staying the course
In this episode…
The journey from college football to the professional ranks is often filled with challenges, both on and off the field. Navigating the complex landscape of eligibility, transfers, and personal development — all while striving to maintain peak performance — demands resilience and focus. But can the lessons learned through such a path be powerful enough to inspire others facing similar obstacles?
Shea Patterson offers a unique perspective on these questions through his football journey from Ole Miss to the University of Michigan, and eventually to the CFL. He opens up about overcoming transfer restrictions before the advent of the transfer portal, building leadership through action, and staying mentally sharp amid constant uncertainty. Shea also discusses how practicing mindfulness and cultivating resilience off the field helped him stay centered, revealing the human side of a sport often defined by pressure and performance.
In this episode of Beyond the Game with Hal, host Hal Steinberg sits down with Shea Patterson, former University of Michigan quarterback and professional football player, to explore the mindset, grit, and growth that shaped his career. Together, they delve into the defining moments that molded Shea’s leadership style, his guidance for aspiring athletes, and the daily habits that helped him manage pressure and self-doubt. Whether you’re chasing a dream or learning to adapt through adversity, this conversation offers real, relatable insights on staying focused, grounded, and inspired.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Shea Patterson LinkedIn | Instagram | X
- University of Michigan Football
- Ben McDaniels
- Joe Burrow
- Matt Dudek
- CFL
- UFL
- NFL
Quotable Moments:
- “Leadership is pulling others with you, inspiring others to be their best self.”
- “Every game you’re going to face some type of adversity, it’s all about how you respond.”
- “I would tell my younger self, ‘No matter what happens, stick to these roots and keep going.’’
- “Football is just another blessing and an opportunity to keep your dream alive.”
- “The journey in itself can translate in a lot of other ways and help other pathways.”
Action Steps:
- Embrace Adversity: Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth, using resilience and perseverance to turn adversity into progress.
- Build strong team bonds: Prioritize strong relationships with teammates to overcome challenges together, enhance collaboration, and boost performance and morale.
- Lead by example: Demonstrate leadership by leading through actions, setting a standard of excellence that inspires others to elevate their efforts.
- Practice mindfulness: Incorporate meditation into your routine to manage stress and maintain focus, as mindfulness promotes calmness and enhances decision-making under pressure.
- Stay committed to goals: Persist toward your goals despite setbacks, as consistent commitment strengthens determination and boosts the likelihood of success.
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Episode Transcript:
Intro 00:01
Welcome back to another episode of Beyond the Game, where we peel back the layers of athletes’ lives and understand the drive, determination, and heart behind their achievements. I’m your host, Hal, a young aspiring sports broadcaster with a passion for the stories that shaped the world of sports today. Today, I’m thrilled to welcome Shea Patterson, a quarterback whose journey through college football and into the professional ranks is a testament to his resilience and hard work.
Shea’s experience from starting at Ole Miss and moving to the University of Michigan to navigating the challenges of professional football offers individual insights into the work and athlete’s commitment to excellence. Join us as Shea shares the highs and lows of his career, the lessons he learned, and how to stay motivated in the pursuit of his dreams. Get ready to go beyond the game with Shea Patterson.
Shea Patterson 00:53
There he is. How’s it going? I like that background, man.
Hal Steinberg 01:01
Thank you.
Shea Patterson 01:03
How are you doing, bro?
Hal Steinberg 01:05
Good. How are you?
Shea Patterson 01:06
Good man, good man. Just getting ready to go and ready to coach the nephew again.
Hal Steinberg 01:11
What sport is it? Baseball.
Shea Patterson 01:13
Yeah. Learn anything from me in this one interview. Make sure you keep that same mindset when you get to college. Don’t let anything go through in college or after. Shake that thing, man. I believe in you. All right, let’s get this thing started, dude.
Hal Steinberg 01:27
All right. So obviously, you transferred from Ole Miss to play at Michigan. What was that process like for? For you?
Shea Patterson 01:41
It was pretty, pretty thorough. We didn’t know if I was going to be eligible because there was a rule back in the day without the transfer portal without.
Hal Steinberg 01:52
It’s not like the transfer portal nowadays, where you could be like, alright, bye. Wait, I’m coming back. No, I’m going here.
Shea Patterson 01:57
Right. I don’t know, I think me and Joe Burrow transferred at the same time, I think the same year, same time. Or he might have been a year before, I don’t know, but it was tough, man. It’s actually one of the reasons why I got drafted in baseball in 2018, because I didn’t I didn’t know if I was going to be eligible.
Went through spring ball and was taken, you know, second and third team reps, you know, some first team because, you know, it’s hard to prepare if you don’t know, you’re going to have a guy for the first part of the season. But we went to Paris and I think May and I didn’t, I didn’t I found out like right when we landed. So that was pretty cool. So the whole process of getting eligible was pretty, pretty tough. But the transition was smooth.
Hal Steinberg 02:42
And then how did you find Michigan?
Shea Patterson 02:46
How did I find Michigan? Funny thing, when I was a freshman, I was playing down in South Texas. Do you know where Brownsville, Texas is?
Hal Steinberg 02:56
No.
Shea Patterson 02:57
No, sorry. It’s on the southern, most southern tip of the United States. And so down there, they really don’t. They don’t really recruit. So after my freshman year, my high school coach sent, I think to Clemson and Arizona, some of my clips and highlights and ended up getting an offer from Arizona and their recruiting coordinator, Matt Dudek. He was the coordinator at Arizona at the time. So I committed there. And you know, fast forward three years later when I’m trying to transfer, he hits me up. He’s at Michigan. So I’m from up there in the Toledo area. It’s like 45 minutes away. I grew up a Michigan fan. So when I was transferring, I was definitely, you know, one of those schools that I was going to look at. So.
Hal Steinberg 03:40
Yeah, and then playing at the Big House, being a leader for that team, obviously, you’re playing at the Big House, one of the great environments, but then also playing on the road. What is it like for you to be a leader and just stay composed throughout the challenges of playing?
Shea Patterson 04:00
Yeah. You know, back then it wasn’t as simple. But now it’s you know, I’m still playing right now. I’m going into my contract. So it’s the more you grow, the more you learn. And the older you get, the more experience you get. So I think the biggest thing about leadership back then was just trying to get everybody to play to your level and trying to get everybody to be the best that they can be. You know, whether that’s led by example in the weight room. 6 a.m. film study when nobody’s there, 4 a.m. workouts before, nobody’s there.
You know, all the stuff that greatness requires. You know, you try to show people. But I don’t think I was necessarily going to be honest with you. I’m gonna tell you the whole truth, man. I don’t think I was, you know, vocally there yet because I, Guy. You know, there’s been a lot of stuff going on in my life, but I was still focusing on myself. I was still trying to bring others up, and I was still working hard and showing up, and putting in the work. But I think a leadership man is just pulling, pulling others with you, you know, inspiring others to be their best self.
Hal Steinberg 05:09
So yeah, you said pulling others with you. I mean, you gotta all be on the same page. What does it mean to you to have those bonds with your teammates and keep them throughout hard times?
Shea Patterson 05:21
Yeah, I mean, that’s what the game is. I mean, every one point in every game, you’re going to face some type of adversity, whether you’re playing Army or you’re playing Alabama. So it’s all about how you respond to that. How you come together as a group collectively will ultimately determine the outcome of the game. So I think, I think just putting in the work and showing up every single day. And staying together through everything is vital.
Hal Steinberg 05:49
Yeah. And now post-college for you? What were some of the lessons that you learned in college that have helped you face adversity and expand throughout your life?
Shea Patterson 06:02
Yeah. I think college was just more of a learning experience for me in itself. I’ve learned more about life over the last four years out of college than I ever have, just because, much like you, I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of doubters and a lot of people telling you you can’t can’t do things, or even when you get there and you think you’re about to get there and then boom, something happens.
But are you going to keep going? Are you going to pursue something else? So that’s over the last four years, man, I just. You know, you learn certain things about yourself, certain things about life that, you know, maybe you could have gone back and done something differently, and you kind of learn how to. Like I picked up meditating, man. Do you meditate at all?
Hal Steinberg 06:48
Yeah, I’ve done it before.
Shea Patterson 06:50
Yeah. You know, my coach in college is Ben McDaniels. I think he’s the OC or the receivers coach for the Texans now. And he, you know, he could always see that I was a little stressed out in my senior year just because I had so much going on. But he’s like a man, you ever think about meditation?
Have you ever read up on that stuff? I know you’re always thinking a lot. I had no clue what it was. And, you know, having gone through that process and just, you know, the willingness to keep going, keep chasing, keep believing, to keep in the faith, I think that’s something that I’ve grown the most over the last four years. So.
Hal Steinberg 07:23
Yeah, and obviously you’ve played football. You were in the USFL, now you’re playing in the CFL, am I right? Yeah, CFL, how have you been? How has that process been moving around? You were first in Michigan, and you are now in Canada.
Shea Patterson 07:45
It’s no different, man. It’s still football. The talent is pretty good up there. There are a lot of guys who come over from the NFL and then get sent right back home because they get cut from camp. Training camp is not ready to go or whatever. But there’s I think just the process of attacking it, whether you’re in the NFL or not. Because ultimately that’s my end goal. That’s what I want to do. I want to eventually get a shot in the NFL, and I’ve yet to step on a practice field in the NFL.
Because I came out during the 2020 COVID year. Man, the CFL, it’s just another blessing and an opportunity to keep your dream alive. Whether you know, I think a lot of that is the four-year little, you know, growth period that I’ve gone over. You kind of equate it to a lot of other things, a lot of other people, a lot of other professions. You know, it’s not just all about football, it’s about, you know, the journey in itself can translate in a lot of other ways, and the pathways that people can help you and you can help them as well.
Hal Steinberg 08:50
So I mean, at the end of the day, you’re playing football in front of fans who are there to root for you and cheer for you. So. Now, what would you tell yourself at a younger age, maybe freshman year of high school, what your life would be like now? What would your advice be to give that younger you?
Shea Patterson 09:15
I don’t know, you never know. I think you have certain goals in life, and you know God has different plans. God has different ways of presenting your goals. So not everything shakes out the way exactly. You plan it. But I think morally and the values that you have, the faith, the courage, the hope, the determination, and persistence, all that stuff. I think if I could go back, I would tell them no matter what happens, you know, stick to these roots and. you know, keep going. That’s honestly what I would say. Keep going. Never give up until you get to your end goal.
Hal Steinberg 09:53
Yeah. And I mean, you just gotta keep working. I mean, you’re never going to get anywhere if you just are like one day, wake up. You’re like, I want to go here. You’re never going to get there by doing that.
Shea Patterson 10:05
You just gotta keep running in place, man.
Hal Steinberg 10:07
Right. One other thing. Just talk. Everybody loves talking about their good stuff. What were some of your highlights like that? You made plays like that. You’re like that. You look back on it, you’re like, that was peak me right there on the field.
Shea Patterson 10:35
Man, there’s probably a couple of instances I think the first, the first game I ever you know, my first start as a freshman at Ole Miss at Kyle Field. I was 19 years old. I was basically still almost a senior in high school. Still, because I came during that spring and got ready for spring. I left my seat halfway through my senior year to get ready for spring ball, so I was still technically a senior in high school during spring ball, and I was taking all the first-team reps. Chad Kelly was hurt, and I think we had two other guys or whatever. So I was in there just like, man, this is going to happen fast, and boom. You know, obviously Chad was the guy at the time, and I didn’t think I was going to get my chance, but I prepared like I was every single day, and I was ready for it.
Hal Steinberg 11:27
You always gotta stay ready for that opportunity, no matter where it’s coming from.
Shea Patterson 11:31
No doubt. There you go. So boom. Next thing you know, tears, you know, hurt his knee and threw it in the fire a little bit. And I’m, you know, ready to go. So I think I don’t even remember half the plays I made during that game. I was just out there. Just being me, man. Focusing and staying in the moment. I think the Maryland game, the one where I rolled out, was at Michigan. I rolled out and made like 2 or 3, dude, like I think a dude two maybe made two people miss and then rolled out to my left and then threw it across my body, and Ronnie Bell caught it across the middle in between like three defenders and went down the sideline.
That was pretty cool. But I think the last 5 or 6 games of my senior year, I was really, really locked in and not sure what the statistics were or what my numbers were compared to a lot of other guys, the last seven games of the season, 6 or 7 games of the season. But I think that was probably one of my best, my best periods of football that I played in college.
Hal Steinberg 12:34
I mean, especially saying, like your senior year, you don’t know when you’re going to play again or when you’re going to play again. So you just gotta leave it all out there.
Shea Patterson 12:44
That was it.
Hal Steinberg 12:46
Like the end of the season. Everything you got and you got however many months you need to recover from it.
Shea Patterson 12:53
Empty the tank, man.
Hal Steinberg 12:56
Yeah. All right. Last thing. The final 14. I’m doing this with everybody. Kind of more on a rapid-fire pace.
Shea Patterson 13:04
What are these questions?
Hal Steinberg 13:05
Yeah. Like rapid fire. Like small questions.
Shea Patterson 13:09
All right.
Hal Steinberg 13:10
All right. Who was your idol growing up?
Shea Patterson 13:17
Older brother.
Hal Steinberg 13:19
Favorite fast food place?
Shea Patterson 13:24
Taco Bell.
Hal Steinberg 13:26
Biggest fear.
Shea Patterson 13:28
God.
Hal Steinberg 13:30
Favorite school subject?
Shea Patterson 13:33
Science.
Hal Steinberg 13:34
Favorite hobby?
Shea Patterson 13:36
Golf.
Hal Steinberg 13:39
Favorite podcast or Influencer.
Shea Patterson 13:42
Favorite podcaster, influencer?
Hal Steinberg 13:44
Or just like a YouTuber? Anybody like that?
Shea Patterson 13:47
Hal Steinberg.
Hal Steinberg 13:49
Favorite gym workout?
Shea Patterson 13:52
It varies, man. They’ve got a rigorous training schedule. I love Hang Cleans.
Hal Steinberg 13:59
Favorite artist or musician?
Shea Patterson 14:01
Jay Cole
Hal Steinberg 14:03
Favorite TV show?
Shea Patterson 14:08
Back in the day, it was Jimmy Neutron. Now it is. I don’t really watch TV, man. Sorry.
Hal Steinberg 14:14
Got a movie.
Shea Patterson 14:19
Can’t Go Wrong with Adam Sandler.
Hal Steinberg 14:23
Favorite. Abbey Moore, you were going to say?
Shea Patterson 14:28
Yeah.
Hal Steinberg 14:29
Love that one. Favorite animal?
Shea Patterson 14:32
Lion.
Hal Steinberg 14:34
Biggest pet peeve?
Shea Patterson 14:36
Bad breath
Hal Steinberg 14:34
Is a hot dog a sandwich?
Shea Patterson 14:43
And what’s your take on that? I’m going to.
Hal Steinberg 14:46
I think it is not a sandwich, because a sandwich is when there are two pieces of bread and a hot dog bun is connected. So I do not classify it as a sandwich.
Shea Patterson 14:54
Okay, I agree with you. Not a sandwich.
Hal Steinberg 14:57
Favorite emoji?
Shea Patterson 15:00
Sunglass emoji.
Hal Steinberg 15:01
And then last but not least, are you a shower singer?
Shea Patterson 15:05
I’m a shower dancer. Nobody thinks I can dance.
Hal Steinberg 15:07
And then the special one Masters week. Who did you win?
Shea Patterson 15:09
Winning masters?
Hal Steinberg 15:11
Yeah.
Shea Patterson 15:12
Sam Burns.
Hal Steinberg 15:16
Thank you.
Shea Patterson 15:17
No doubt. Dude.
Hal Steinberg: 15:18
And thank you for the shout-out, man.
Shea Patterson 15:20
Absolutely, man. Absolutely.
