KP: I knew it during my first-year coaching at Maine West High School back in Illinois. As soon as I realized I could share my talents and knowledge with young people that were trying to do what I did and get to where I landed, my struggles and what seemed like failures at the time didn’t happen in vain, it wasn’t all for nothing. I was able to move on knowing that I could use what I worked my whole life for by sharing with others. I realized I could impact the athletic journey of kids.
There was also a moment when I woke up in New Orleans, recovering from injuries and pride damage. I was hit by an overwhelming feeling of “man, I don’t know if I love this anymore…this isn’t the game I’ve lived for”. Eventually I understood that I wanted to stop being a slave to someone’s system and make them a crazy amount of money. I could make money for myself on my own terms and be my own coach someday.
FLM: As a director and producer for your own production company, which pertinent skills necessary for success have transferred from football to what you do on a daily basis?
KP: Routine, discipline, tenacity, and attention to detail. When I committed to filmmaking, I didn’t know many people in the industry or who would even support my career shift. It took the same work ethic as it did for me to wake up at the crack of dawn for camp, sacrifice certain social freedoms, and how I threw my body and mind into athletic development, etc. Attention to detail is majorly pertinent because running routes in football is extremely detail-oriented; it’s equal parts reactive and proactive. On the field you have to be part of a team and be able to adapt/react to whatever way the game goes, while still making your own plays. In film, you have to capture something in its organic and natural state, still with the structure that focuses on the intention of the story. A lot of skills transfer.
FLM: Compare the differences in the production, content and focus of Shifting Gears I versus Shifting Gears II and the feedback you’ve received from both fans and critics.