The life of an offensive lineman in the NFL is a rough one. Obviously, there is the physical toll of violently clashing with enormous and strong defenders for 60+ snaps per game. Beyond that is the mental toll that comes from performing such a thankless task. Specifically, casual fans never notice when you do your job well; a lineman only catches their attention when a defender runs straight over them to get to the quarterback. It’s easy to imagine the combination of physical pain and pressure getting to even a seasoned professional.
Jon Feliciano, the starting left guard for the Buffalo Bills, works his ass off in the gym all year round to ensure his body can handle the slog of a 17-game season. Preparing for the physicality is a straightforward process; finding a way to manage the mental hardship takes a little more nuance. Feliciano harkens back to a piece of advice given to him early in his life to get his mindset right before lining up against the best athletes in the world every Sunday.
“The way I grew up, one of my mom’s boyfriends taught me at a young age that you can’t give an F what anyone else thinks,” Feliciano says. “I couldn’t care about what others think, I was going to do what was right. And I took that into football. As long as I know I’m giving my all for my team and I’m doing everything I’m supposed to be doing, if something bad happens, it happens. That’s football. They get paid too.”
Denne historien er fra 2021 Holiday Issue-utgaven av Inked.
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Denne historien er fra 2021 Holiday Issue-utgaven av Inked.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Leaving Her Mark
Shina Novalinga discusses her entry into throat singing, going viral on TikTok and getting her face tattooed
A Phoenix Rising
Salice Rose turned to social media when she was at her lowest. In doing so, she found her true calling
A Flower Growing In Concrete
Creating art has helped Jose López navigate through the darkest periods of his life
Carolesdaughter
As tattooed people, we seldom consider how our body art will impact the people around us. But, it only takes a stranger seeing one tattoo, one time, to change their entire worldview.
Hit the Jackpot
Rapper Latto on breaking into hip-hop, representing Atlanta and making her next big move.
Tess Holliday – Bombshell
Model and body positivity activist Tess Holliday channels her inner Pamela Anderson for this sexy shoot.
Bhad Bhabie
Bhad Bhabie took her 15 minutes of viral fame and turned it into a viable career. The rapper dishes on her only fans and upcoming new music.
Building a Work of Art
To celebrate the release of the 2022 Indian Chief the legend-ary motorcycle company got together two of the world’s most sought after builders, Paul Cox and Keino Sasaki, to customize a bike for celebrated tattoo artist Nikko Hurtado.
Adam Weitsman
Social media forever altered our perception, in ways both large and small. Not only has it changed the way we look at other people, it changed the way we present ourselves to the world. With every post he makes on Instagram, Adam Weitsman is fully aware of the latter.
Problem – All The Answers
Problem has the perseverance and drive to make his dreams come true. We spoke with the rapper about his latest mixtape, entrepreneurship and how his tattoos remind him of what’s important in life.
