In the 1980s, everybody knew the Chicago Bears. Defensive lineman William "The Refrigerator" Perry and running back Walter Payton had become household names under the leadership of "Iron" Mike Ditka; the team even filmed a music video called "The Super Bowl Shuffle."
But what everybody didn't know was that for 30 minutes on the morning of each game, the team gathered together to listen to one man speak: John Cassis. Cassis, who at times in his life has been a professional baseball player, minister, and publisher, was a professional speaker when one of the Bears' players heard him speak and "asked if [he] would come in and do a little inspirational talk before a game," Cassis recalls. He did, and evidently the Bears liked what they heard; Cassis remained the team's official pre-game speaker for 12 years.
These days, Cassis -- who in addition to speaking also plays golf professionally -- is frequently on the road inspiring corporate and association groups. "A lot of what I talk about is motivational, but I don't like that term," Cassis says. "Really, what I talk about is life. We wake up each morning, and we're constantly making choices on how to live our lives. Our attitudes, our beliefs, our ambitions, all of these things kind of roll together and we try to make the best of every day and be the best person we can be, as we achieve our own personal goals and deal with our own personal struggles."
Rather than preaching to his audience, Cassis applies humorous stories and anecdotes to address the larger issues of honesty and character. When talking about the importance of integrity, for example, he relates a story told to him by a customs officer at the U.S.-Canada border: "A man came through one day with his four- or five-year-old son. The customs officer asked the man if he had anything to declare. The man said no, but he looked suspicious, so the officer pressed on. 'Are you carrying cigarettes?' The man answered no. 'Are you carrying any kind of booze?' Again, the man answered no. 'Do you have any type of cameras, or film?' The man answered no. At that point, the little boy looked up at his father and said, 'But he's getting warmer, huh, Daddy?' "