TJ Fleeton of QB Fleet recently addressed the Webb City Football team, delivering a powerful talk centered on the foundational principles of Hustle, Honesty, and Urgency. These traits, he argued, are what truly separate athletes who succeed from those who don’t. Fleeton, originally from Daphne, Alabama, shared a pivotal story from his youth to showcase the undeniable power of relentless effort.

The Unforgettable Lesson from Julio Jones

During a high school basketball game against rival Foley High School, Fleeton witnessed a performance that cemented the value of hustle in his mind. The opposing team introduced a player who stood out immediately: standing at 6’3″, 195 pounds, wearing number three, Julio Jones.

The young Jones was an athletic marvel—a “black Terminator”—who dominated the court with ease, famously dunking with his chest line above the rim. Yet, the lasting impression wasn’t his talent. “He really wasn’t a good basketball player. He was freakishly athletic… But one thing that really stuck out to me about him was his ability to hustle.”

Urgency: The Key to Separating Yourself

Hustling means having a “sense of urgency” about everything you do. It’s about having a “get up and go” mentality, a concept Fleeton’s father instilled in him. For the Webb City players, this means demanding more from themselves on every single play.

Fleeton advised the team that while coaches cannot ignore mistakes, they can forgive a mistake if it’s made full speed. Your effort must be absolute. The lesson is simple but profound: you must hustle for everything you want and earn everything you get. Mastering this sense of urgency is how you maximize your potential in football training and in life.

TJ Fleeton of QB Fleet recently addressed the Webb City Football team, delivering a powerful talk centered on the foundational principles of Hustle, Honesty, and Urgency. These traits, he argued, are what truly separate athletes who succeed from those who don’t. Fleeton, originally from Daphne, Alabama, shared a pivotal story from his youth to showcase the undeniable power of relentless effort.

Watch The Video

Video Transcript: "What's good guys? TJ Fleeton here with QB Fleet. Today I'm going to be talking to Webb City's football team.
Talking about hustle. We're going to be talking about honesty. Let's get it.
I'm going to go ahead and tell you guys a little bit about myself. So I'm originally from Daphne, Alabama.
If you guys don't know where that is, if you guys know where Gulf Shores is,
Pensacola Beach, I'm kind of like at the bottom of Alabama.
So I grew up with a younger brother and an older sister.
Now my older sister is roughly about five years older than me, give or take.
To be honest with you, I did not like my older sister. She did not like me.
She was like, if you have a sister, who has a sister? Raise your hand.
They're like evil. Raise your hand if your sister is evil.
You guys kind of feel my pain there.
But there was definitely one thing that we did connect on and that was pretty much basketball.
That was pretty much it. So she played on the girls varsity basketball team for Daphne High School.
So she was okay. She was okay. She just knew how to rebound. That's pretty much it.
She couldn't shoot.
So as far as basketball, I didn't really care about girls varsity basketball to be real.
I cared more or less about the men's varsity basketball team.
Who plays basketball here? Like for the team? For school?
Okay. Be solid this year?
You going to be solid this year?
Confidence. So I didn't really care about the girls varsity basketball team.
I cared more or less about the men's varsity basketball team because that was kind of like the NBA to me.
So a lot of young guys that pretty much look up to you guys like little kids probably look up to you guys.
But I saw that as like the NBA watching those guys fly around.
There was this one particular time that we were playing against Foley High School.
Foley is kind of like your guys' Joplin.
We don't really like Foley.
They're kind of like trifling is what we used to call them.
Like they were just terrible people.
So we were playing against Foley High School one particular time.
And the game ended for the girls.
Boys came out and they were doing their pregame ritual.
And there was this particular time before the game that Foley's team came out because we were pretty much at home at this point in time.
So we're booing them, saying, boo, you guys suck.
So it – man, I just hate Foley.
Sorry.
I had to think back – reminisce back on that.
But Foley's team comes out.
They're doing their little layup lines.
And naturally as athletes, we all do it.
We all like size up the competition or we're trying to see how good they are.
Now I'm in sixth grade at this time.
Just keep that in mind.
I'm in the bleachers.
I'm watching Foley's team.
And I'm watching our team.
And they have some pretty good players.
But there is this one particular player that was just like different.
I'm talking like really different.
And you may ask, why is he so different?
Well, this dude was like dunking the ball.
Like I'm talking like really like dunking dunking.
Like I'm talking like one-handed yam.
Here.
Crazy.
So pregame is over.
And then you go to the starting lineups.
Foley's team is introduced first because they're the guests.
Introduce point guard through power forward.
And they save his name for last.
Now, you would think like a boxing match is about to start.
How do they introduce this name?
Standing at 6'3"".
195 pounds.
Number three.
Julio Jones.
We all know who Julio is, correct?
Now, I'm in sixth grade.
I did not know who Julio Jones was.
By the end of the night, I know who Julio Jones is now.
So, it was crazy.
If you guys know basketball, you know this game was over.
Or this game is going to be bad.
When Foley's team stole the ball from one of our guys.
It's a three-on-two.
It's a fast break.
Julio is to the right.
Point guard passes to the guy to his left.
The guard to his left.
The guard to the left pretty much cuts through.
He throws his ball at the front of the rim.
All you see is Julio, like the black Terminator that he is, is just like.
This man comes through.
This man's whole chest line is like above the rim.
I lied to you not.
And you just see him like.
Poor point guard did not stand a chance.
It was bad, bro.
But we all have like those moms.
Like you guys can probably hear your moms in the stands.
Sometimes.
There's always that mom that would be like.
Defense.
Defense.
Or like.
Somebody stop him.
Like I'm thinking in my mind like as a six-year-old lady.
I don't even think the Avengers could stop this man.
Like.
It's ridiculous.
But.
As I think back.
On watching Julio play.
He really wasn't a good basketball player.
He was freakishly athletic.
Yes, he was.
He could run, jump.
Yes, black Terminator.
Yes.
And.
One thing that really stuck out to me about him.
Was his ability to hustle.
And that's your guys' word of this week.
Is hustling.
You have to hustle for everything that you want.
You got to hustle for everything that you get.
My dad had a saying to me.
When I was a young kid.
And it honestly didn't really stick with me.
Until I got into high school.
Your guys' age.
You have to have a little bit of get up and go about yourself.
Meaning you have to have a sense of urgency if you want to get things done.
Your coaches.
I'm pretty sure they can forgive a mistake.
I'm not saying to make mistakes.
But.
Your coaches can forgive a mistake if you make it full speed.
Whatever that may look like.
Give it your all.
I had an opportunity to actually work with you guys' alumni this past spring and summer.
You guys may have seen me out there with Zach Davidson.
Big dude.
Cool dude.
Really awesome."