“Up here in this great suite, food, drink, social, having a ball, I’m going to be going up and down the field, low and ready to throw up,” Joe Gibbs quips, drawing laughter from the room. It’s a surprising admission from a man who once commanded Super Bowl sidelines with an iron fist. One would suspect a man of this expertise would join as an analyst or full-time commentator of the sport. But, Gibbs’ career transition was a 360-degree flick of the racing wheel, leaving fans baffled! Over many years NFL fans have speculated about the force that could pull a Hall of Fame football coach out of the fields. Answering this, Joe Gibbs has recently revealed the most commonly asked questions about his career transition along with his response to them.The Early Racing Passion That Football Couldn’t Extinguish “My number one question everybody asked me, how did you get from football to racing?” Gibbs said. The veteran coach of the Washington Redskins (currently Commanders) answers this with a backstory that few fans are aware of.“I moved to California when I was 16, fell in love with hot rods and drag racing, so it was two things. It was all kinds of hot rods and it was plenty of football.“ Joe Gibbs explains, with his enthusiasm palpable. This was not all. Do you know the coach was simultaneously training a football team along with a racing team!? Gibbs said, “So, I wind up in football and so as that world goes, of all things, I get to coach for Western (Formula) Racing.” A man with such enthusiasm should be a great addition to the team, right?Well, as it turns out the fact is far from expectations. Joe Gibbs confessed, “It’s (Western Formula Racing) one of the greatest drills. And I moved there and I said, ‘This is going to be awesome!’ I started out at 0-5. I thought I was going to be the first guy to get fired and never win again.” The veteran did not give an account of whether he went ahead to win races with the team before starting JGR in 1992. Provided that Western Formula Racing was around since 1975, and the years Gibbs spent there must have undoubtedly given him insights on starting and maintaining a team. But was the passion carried forward from serving in a racing team to building his own team? View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ray Ramu (@rayramu)According to racing insiders, Joe Gibbs maintains the same passionate and knowledgeable approach toward automotive sports as he exhibited in his football career. This shows that he carried the learnings from WFR and Redskins with him. In his signature straight-talking style Gibbs states “Everything we get in is winning and losing,” which demonstrates how his competitive spirit flows naturally between football and auto racing. The California drag races combined with his hot rod obsession left such a deep impression on him that his three Super Bowl championships just solidified his vision of achieving a similar feat in racing.From Championship Coach to 0-5 Start: What kept Gibbs going?After implementing one of the NFL’s most prosperous dynasties Gibbs unexpectedly began his career as an underachieving beginner. “In football, I knew exactly what I was doing every Sunday,” Gibbs told Speedway Illustrated. “In those early racing days, I was just hoping we’d qualify, let alone contend.” The small-scale start that Joe Gibbs Racing made during its initial years makes its current success of 200 NASCAR victories and five Cup Series championships even more incredible. But, what kept him going?The answer is faith and genuine leadership qualities. In an interview with TwoTen Magazine, Joe Gibbs opens up about why intent is more important than skill if you need to build a successful team. “To be successful as a leader, you really need to know what motivates your team and what discourages them.” He further added all that he needs to be a successful coach as well as a team owner. “If I have the right 50 football players surrounding me, I’m going to be a successful coach. If I surround myself with 450 good people on my race team, I’m going to have the right people that will help us all succeed,” Gibbs said. True leadership skills claim respect and results without asking for it: This is a point that should be noted down by other veterans or youngsters looking to make it big as a leader. And, all of this boils down to faith in God and your team.In Joe Gibbs’ words, “Every time I have gotten in trouble in life occupationally, it’s when I haven’t been disciplined enough to stay close to the Lord and stay in His word and ask for His guidance and direction.” Discipline and God when combined with passion can do miracles. At present, while Gibbs continues building his motorsports history, those teenage years in California where he gathered knowledge were crucial. The amateur races marked his initial dedication to a passion that would one day drag him out of professional football toward founding his NASCAR racing legacy. But, vision and faith kept him going during his darkest times. The post Joe Gibbs Lets Slip 2 Reasons Behind Ditching Legendary Football Legacy appeared first on EssentiallySports.