Exclusive Interview with Donald Driver, Author of Driven

Donald Driver has lived an extraordinary life. In his new book, the Super Bowl champ and Dancing with the Stars winner details his remarkable battle with one of life’s most challenging opponents: adversity.
I had the opportunity to speak with Driver by email about his incredible journey from the hardships of poverty to life in the NFL, second chances, and his friendship with President Obama.
You won Dancing with the Stars, you’re a Super Bowl champion, and you’re an author of children’s books and now a memoir. What do you consider the most difficult endeavor: football, dancing, or writing?
They are all difficult in their own ways, but I still have to say football was the toughest because of the toll it takes on you mentally and physically. Writing is a lot of fun for me; that’s not to say it’s easy, but I really do enjoy it.
Driven chronicles your amazing transformation from a young person stealing cars and selling drugs to a caring husband, loving father, and football icon. What advice would you give people growing up in tough situations who want to improve their circumstances and change their lives?
First, you have to realize nothing is impossible if you have the will and determination to make it happen. Anyone can say they are going to do something, but the people who are able to improve their circumstances are the ones who actually take steps to achieve their goals. Everyone has the power inside them to change their lives, we just have to make up our minds that we are actually going to do it and then follow through on that promise to ourselves.
Second, you have to educate yourself. Whether that is in school or in some sort of trade, your own education is something you can control and is critical to success in any field…even sports. There is no way I could have played fourteen years in the NFL if I didn’t work my butt off on the practice field perfecting my technique, or spend hours upon hours in the film room studying defenses.
In Driven, you reveal a story from your youth about narrowly escaping the police when an elderly stranger covered for you after you crashed your stolen car into her automobile. Do you ever think about how your life would have been different if she hadn’t given you that second chance?
All the time. Miss Johnson saw something in me that day that I hadn’t yet seen in myself—promise. She gave me a second chance, and once she did that, I knew I couldn’t let her down.
When expressing your affection for your wife, Tina, you say that you’re like “the swan that mates for life.” What do you consider the key to a successful marriage?
Communication. Tina and I can literally tell each other anything. When one of us is mad or has something on our mind, we tell the other person…we don’t keep it bottled up. And yes, that may cause some small arguments, but at the end of the day it builds trust.
You had the opportunity to catch passes from two of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play the game: Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. What were some of their differences in terms of leadership?
Both of those guys possess quality leadership traits. It’s impossible to have the success they have had at that position without being a leader. Brett’s style of leadership involved taking more risks, including improvising plays in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage. Aaron is more conservative, and that style has served him well. At the end of the day, they are both MVPs, they are both Super Bowl champions, and one day they will both be in the Hall of Fame.
You took a substantial pay cut so you could end your NFL career as a Green Bay Packer. What does the city of Green Bay and the larger sense of community mean to you?
It means everything. Packer Nation showed me and my family so much love and support from the very first day I arrived in Green Bay, when I was just a 7th round draft pick that no one had ever heard of before. I owed it to them to not put on another uniform and I was willing to do just about anything to make sure that never happened, including taking a pay cut.
What was the last book you purchased?
The Racketeer by John Grisham. I love it!
Can you describe your writing process? Do you work from home or do you find it easier to write in an office or coffeehouse?
I like to work from home. I do most of my writing in bed, late at night after everyone has gone to sleep. I need to be alone with my thoughts, and late at night is about the only time that can actually happen.
Driven is obviously a very personal story. How much research did you do? Did you interview family members and childhood friends?
Throughout my football career, I always went back to Texas in the off-season so I could be closer to my family. I didn’t have to interview anyone because we have been talking about a lot of these stories for years and years. There were obviously some very painful times, we had to talk about those memories for us to come together and stay close as a family.
The first time you met President Obama (a Bears fan), the first thing he said to you was “I don’t like you.” How does it feel to have such a jovial relationship with the president of the United States—and do you think you could beat him in a game of one-on-one basketball?
It is truly something special. When I was a kid growing up on the streets of Houston, never in a million years did I think one day the president of the United States would know my name. It’s an honor to say the least. In terms of me being able to take him on in one-on-one…that’s a tough one! I think I could take him though! I played a lot of basketball growing up and have a full court in my backyard. We’ll have to get that set up!
Donald Driver’s Driven will be available on October 22nd. You can pre-order your copy here!