Braden Brown is a former BYU football player who went on to earn his PhD and now serves as the Director of Mental Health for BYU Athletics.

In this episode, Braden shares the incredible story of surviving a house fire at four years old after his dad ran back into the burning home to save him—and how that experience impacted him for years afterward.

We talk about his journey from BYU football to mental health, what he learned playing for Bronco Mendenhall, and what he sees today working with college athletes facing pressure, anxiety, expectations, relationships, and the changing world of NIL.

Braden also shares practical lessons that go far beyond sports: how to perform when the pressure is on, why doing hard things builds resilience, how faith and mental health can work together, and why you don't always have to believe in yourself to keep moving forward.

Key Takeaways:

• The only way to learn you can do hard things is to go through hard things.
• Pressure can shift us from playing to win to simply trying not to screw up.
• Braden's framework for pressure: Notice. Accept. Commit.
• Faith doesn't make us immune to mental and emotional struggles.
• Parents should make sure their kids know their value isn't tied to athletic performance.
• Sometimes you have to rely on someone else's belief in you until you can see it yourself.
• Purpose and intentionality help us get off autopilot and focus on what matters most.