When you have a decorated player like Minkah Fitzpatrick as a teammate, you try and soak up all the knowledge that you can as a young guy looking to make your own mark in the National Football League.
Fitzpatrick is the perfect example of a guy young DBs should aspire to learn from as the talented free safety has made three Pro Bowls and been named a first-team All-Pro three times by the age of 26. Having 19 INTs, four forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, and five total defensive TDs in his first five NFL seasons, Fitzpatrick is the player you want to model your game after as one of the best ballhawks in the league.
When asked if anyone has reached out to him for advice and what advice he has given, Fitzpatrick stated that the best advice he can give to younger guys on the team is to watch him work and follow his example.
“It’s more so what I said… just guys seeing what I do and they just following,” Fitzpatrick said to the media Wednesday via video from 93.7 The Fan’s Twitter page. “Whether it be catching passes after practice or just getting in the hot tub, cold tub, sauna after practice. I think guys picked up on the fact that I’m not going to be lengthy in my words. They just gotta put themselves under my wing.”
“Leading by example” is a great leadership tool not only for players like Fitzpatrick, who are more mild-mannered in nature, but also for some of the biggest personalities in sports. Fitzpatrick is one of the hardest workers on the team, letting his work ethic speak for itself, having the results that come from numerous hours working on your craft off the practice field as well as taking care of your body.
Even players with bigger personalities used the lead-by-example approach when it came to mentoring younger guys on the team. QB Mason Rudolph recently spoke about his interaction with WR Antonio Brown in the one season the two were teammates back in 2018, praising Brown’s unrelenting work ethic and his consistency of setting the example of what it means to be an All-Pro player both on Sundays as well as on the practice field well after practice had concluded.
Young guys like CB Joey Porter Jr. have already praised Fitzpatrick for his leadership, stating that he is quieter in his mentorship, but that he is direct and concise. Some players lead the charge with a fiery personality whereas Fitzpatrick is more intentional with his leadership style, letting his actions do plenty of the talking as he prepares, practices, and plays like a champion on a daily basis.
