I AM A CHAMPION with Coach Jonathan FlowersI AM A CHAMPION with Coach Jonathan Flowers
Addict II Athlete Podcast
Coach Blu Robinson talks with Jonathan Flowers about the story behind his "I AM A CHAMPION" speech and how its message applies to addiction recovery, family life and everyday resilience. The conversation focuses on consistency, responsibility and redefining what it means to be a champion beyond the playing field.
57:06•21 Sept 2020
From “I Am a Champion” to Everyday Sobriety Wins
Episode Overview
- Being a champion is about refusing to give up, even on bad days, and recognising that simply being alive means you’ve already survived every past hardship.
- Consistency at home – clear boundaries, shared routines and walking your talk – builds real trust for children and for families healing from addiction.
- Vulnerability and strength can coexist; being willing to say “I love you”, “I need help”, and “I was wrong” is framed as essential to mature manhood.
- Recovery and growth are team efforts: ask for support, help others freely, and treat family, neighbours and mentors as part of your “home team”.
- Write down what you truly want, reread it daily, and take concrete steps – however small – so you’re ready when opportunity finally appears.
“You are 100% successful at overcoming adversity because you're still here.”
What drives someone to seek a life beyond labels like “addict” and start saying, “I am a champion”? This conversation between Coach Blu Robinson and Coach Jonathan Flowers leans hard into that question, blending locker-room fire with real-life recovery grit.
Jonathan, the voice behind the viral "I AM A CHAMPION" speech, shares how the now-famous words came from a painfully raw week in his life: his father had just died, he was ready to quit coaching, and his players literally turned up at his front door to check on him.
Out of journalling, military discipline, football memories, and a film soundtrack playing in the background, the speech poured out almost by accident – and ended up changing far more than one high school game. He explains what "champion" means to him, stripping away trophies and scoreboards.
In his words, anyone still breathing is "100% successful at overcoming adversity because you're still here." For people facing addiction, he reframes recovery as the same kind of relentless effort: half-steps still count, bad days don’t cancel progress, and quitting isn’t an option. The episode is packed with stories about team over ego – from ex-players who became police officers and Marines, to his own kids seeing consistency at home, not just hearing speeches on the field.
Jonathan talks about parenting as his greatest role, stressing that kids learn more from what you consistently do than what you say once. You’ll also hear simple, practical tools: writing down what you truly want, acting as if the person you most respect is watching your choices, and building a "home team" where everyone shares the load in sobriety and family life.
If you’re tired of feeling like you’re stuck on the bench in your own life, this conversation might have you asking yourself a different question: who am I really prepared to become?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.