Character

On January 27, 1991, just ten days after Operation Desert Storm kicked off, the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants met in a historic Super Bowl XXV. Still, to this day, it's the only Super Bowl to have been decided by a single point.

Buffalo Bills kicker Scott Norwood visualized the game coming down to a last second kick. He told reporters leading up to the game, "It could happen. And should that situation arise, I won't have to hope or wish. I know that I'll be able to put it through."

Days later, with 73,813 in attendance in the old Tampa Stadium and an estimated 79.51 million viewers watching around the world, Norwood's moment was about to happen. The Giants led the Bills 20-19 late in the 4th quarter. Quarterback Jim Kelly led the Bills on a potential game-winning 61-yard drive. With seconds remaining, Buffalo had the ball at the 30-yard line, and Norwood ran onto the field for a 47-yard field goal.

The ball was snapped, the kick was off, bulbs flashing throughout the stadium, and it was wide-right!

The New York Giants celebrated their second Super Bowl Championship, and the Buffalo Bills would lose their first of four consecutive Super Bowls.

Norwood walked off the field desponded, but what he did when he returned to the locker room defined who he was. Most of us want to escape and be to ourselves when we have a "wide-right" moment. Some deflect. Others avoid anyone at all costs. Norwood sat there and fielded questions from reporters for nearly an hour and was accountable for his kick. Even when a coach asked if he would like to have the reporters leave, Norwood said he owed it to the fans of Buffalo to answer some questions.

James Lane Allen once said, "Adversity does not build character; it reveals it."

Norwood played one more season with Buffalo and secured the Bills bid for a second Super Bowl a year later with a field goal to put Buffalo up 10-0 over the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Championship game. Buffalo would go on to win 10-7.

"The biggest thing about that kick," says Norwood, "was not how it impacted me, but how it let the team down. But I had prepared as well as I could. I had done the best I could. I could look at myself in the mirror."

That's character.

Tripp Bodenheimer

Host, the Shadows Podcast

Tripp Bodenheimer "Bodhi" is the creator and host of the Shadows Podcast. Bodhi's father, Charlie experienced a sudden and tragic heart attack on 23 June 1993. Sixteen days later, his father passed away. Then on 23 August 1998, Bodhi's younger sister, Myers was shot and murdered. For years, Bodhi only shared his experiences with a select few people.

During the recent pandemic, Bodhi was asked to write an article for the Llama Leadership page and he decided to write one on his father's legacy (Article is located at In a Box or on Display? - The Llama Lounge (llama-leadership.com)).

Afterwards, he appeared on the Llama Lounge podcast to discuss his story. That sparked the idea of Bodhi creating his own podcast. He wanted to share his story to possibly inspire people who may have experienced a significant loss in their lives. This was the genesis of the Shadows Podcast.

"One thing is certain, we will ALL have or will face adversity in some way shape or form throughout our lives. We all respond to our trials and tribulations differently. Our diverse group of guests open up and share their motivational stories with the hope of inspiring our listeners. Everyone has a unique story to tell. The Shadows Podcast allows these stories to be told as we celebrate real people with real stories."