McLendon remains a stand-up guy for Jets A role model for all
Inside his new home away from home, surrounded by the sounds of kids in a spirited tug-of-war battle, Steve McLendon reflects on an improbable football life.
He is brimming with optimism, excited about the promise of a new day and ready to share everything he has learned along an uneven path. He is what that so many athletes hope never to be.
McLendon is a role model for everyone.
The Jets defensive lineman will embark on his 12th NFL season whenever players return to work. Somehow, an undrafted kid from Troy University has managed to survive more than a decade in the most demanding, vicious sport, logging nearly 4,000 snaps in the trenches.
McLendon embodies what you want your children to become: Loyal, hard-working, humble and selfless.
He is a father, friend and willing teacher. He always practices what he preaches.
“I’m just dedicated to the game,” he said recently via videoconference. “I live by a code. And my code is a focused, driven life. I talk about it every single year. I continue to live by that… That’s how I look at it. I continue to have that same type of focus. Absolutely. Every single day.”
McLendon opened the Team MVP (McLendon Vision Performance) Gym this offseason an hour north of Atlanta, bent on helping kids, Joes and Pros.
If you desire a helping hand, come in. His gym is always open.
McLendon’s generosity is 24/7/365. He has time for all.
His eternal mission statement: Sharing is caring.
It’s the only way he knows. It’s helped him survive and thrive after being cut twice from the Steelers practice squad once upon a time.
McLendon has been a bedrock for the Jets since he arrived four years ago. Nobody is more respected in the locker room. And nobody cares more about the greater good.
When McLendon won a spear — one of the weekly prizes doled out last year to defensive linemen who delivered on gamedays — he gave it to reserve/practice squad lineman Bronson Kaufusi as a token of his appreciation for helping the group every day at practice.
McLendon proved last season that he still has juice left in his 34-year-old tank, finishing with career-highs in tackles for loss (10) and quarterback hits (seven).
“If somebody would have told me that 10 years ago…” McLendon said of ability to last this long in the league. “I believed in me. I always believed in me. I knew how many years I wanted to play in the league. And I’m there. And that’s one of the biggest blessings.”
He keeps his stated goal of how long he wanted to play in the NFL to himself, because “I don’t want nobody to feel like I put limitations on myself.”
“But just know I’m there,” he said.
The coronavirus restrictions have prompted McLendon to adjust like everyone else. Although he admitted the Jets’ virtual offseason meetings are “very very very different for me, because I’m not used to being on my phone as much,” his glass is always overflowing.
“We understand that crazy time,” he said. “But we have to understand also that we still have to keep business going. We have to continue to make the necessary corrections from last year to get better this year. We will be a better team. We are a better team. And the only way we can become that better team is through hard work, the same dedication, continue our training and continue to just learn more about the game.”
McLendon, who played an instrumental role mentoring Quinnen Williams last season, wants to open the doors to his new training facility to teammates if they’re already in Georgia. He’s been in communication with many of them, but wants to make sure the Jets’ offseason additions — especially the rookies — know they have a place to train and learn if they’re in the area.
“I’m going to have them come out and be like, ‘Hey, y’all come and check the gym out,’ ” McLendon said. “Then, I can teach them how the game goes and slow the game down . ... it’s a tough situation. But I’m open to it. We’re willing.
“I just want everybody to be safe,” he continued. “That’s the biggest thing: Being safe. But when we get that opportunity to get together, I’m going to continue to pour as much knowledge as possible on it. Not only that, I’m going to help them get bigger and stronger.”
McLendon has unyielding
faith in the 2020 Jets. The franchise’s star-crossed history and nearly decade-long playoff drought don’t deter him. So, he speaks with resolve and a hope that this is the year things will be different.
“I believe in my team. And I always will,” McLendon said. “I just know the type of work that we will continue to put in. I’ve been talking to a lot of the guys. We’ve been communicating this whole offseason. And we’ve been doing little workouts. Athome workouts… Just pushing each other… We continue to push each other when we’re not together. So, I can imagine what’s it’s going to be like when we get together.”
McLendon resets every offseason. So, he doesn’t necessarily believe the AFC East suddenly is up for grabs now that Tom Brady is gone.
“I feel like (the division) has always been open since we all put on our pads the exact the same way,” he said. “We wake up the exact same. I try not to lose focus on us. That’s what it’s all about. So, I’m not really thinking about Tom Brady. He has a team that he has to put together to make sure that they are ready to go. And we have to do the exact same.”
“(The Patriots) have won more than we did,” he added. “But it’s a new year. It’s a new time.”
Every opportunity should be treasured.