Rustin Dodd
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Writer at The Athletic. Knight-Wallace fellow 2023-24. Author of KINGDOM QUARTERBACK, a book on Patrick Mahomes and the history of Kansas City. Order below:
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Articles by Rustin Dodd
Jayden Daniels has to bounce back from a blunder. Donovan McNabb knows what that takes
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. The Washington Commanders’ end-of-game debacle last week was one of the most stunning fiascos of the NFL season. But it also underscored an eternal truth: When a football team is in crisis, much of the blame falls on the quarterback. In this case, Jayden Daniels, the 25-year-old starter of the Washington Commanders, was the center of the storm.
Former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka stood out for one simple leadership ideal
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. In late 1981, Mike Ditka wrote a letter to George Halas, the owner of the Chicago Bears. It had been 15 years since Ditka had last played for the Bears, and eight since he began his coaching career as an assistant for Tom Landry and the Dallas Cowboys. But he already had a vision. He would later say the letter was simple.
The Colts’ owner takes notes on the sideline. It raises a larger leadership question
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. While most NFL owners spend games following along from an executive suite, Carlie Irsay-Gordon watches from the sideline near the Indianapolis Colts’ bench, headset on and notebook in hand. The routine began years ago, when her father, Jim Irsay, owned the team.
Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon takes notes on the sideline. It raises a larger leadership question
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. While most NFL owners spend games following along from an executive suite, Carlie Irsay-Gordon watches from the sideline near the Indianapolis Colts’ bench, headset on and notebook in hand. The routine began years ago, when her father, Jim Irsay, owned the team.
Meditation is ideal for baseball’s grind. Why do many players remain skeptical?
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk coverage of the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. Every day during the baseball season, New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole meditates. For 10 minutes or more, he tries to focus solely on controlling his breathing. The practice is not as easy as it sounds. Just ask Cole’s teammate, outfielder Cody Bellinger. “When I’ve tried to meditate, I realized how many thoughts I had going at once,” Bellinger said.
Brian Schottenheimer made a costly leadership mistake. Here’s why
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. The way Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer saw it, it wasn’t a strategic issue that foiled his team’s chances in a last-second loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The situation unfolded last Sunday in Rio de Janeiro. Trailing 31-28, the Cowboys faced 3rd-and-goal from the 5-yard line with 14 seconds left, leaving time for a game-winning touchdown.
He was one of baseball’s top closers. Now he’s a world-traveling archaeologist
When reliever Brad Lidge joined the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008, he had two experiences that would change his life. The most famous came that October, when he closed out Game 5 of the World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, completing a perfect postseason in relief and delivering the Phillies’ first world championship since 1980. The other came earlier that year, when he enrolled in online classes at Regis University, hoping to finish his undergraduate degree in religious studies.
He was one of baseball’s top closers. Now he’s a world-traveling archaeologist
Triple Crown still within reach for Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez after big game in Seattle SEATTLE (AP) — Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez gained some ground Tuesday night in his chase for a Triple Crown. He still has plenty of work to do this week. The AL MVP front-runner went 2 for 4 with his 41st home run and three RBIs in the Astros’ 7-0 win over the Seattle Mariners. Alvarez hit …
Jessica Pegula wasn’t upset after losing to Aryna Sabalenka. There’s a lesson in why
Peak newsletter 🧠 | This is an excerpt from The Athletic’s weekly newsletter covering the mental side of sports. Sign up here to receive the Peak newsletter directly in your inbox. Jessica Pegula had just lost in the U.S. Open semifinals, falling to No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets, but she wasn’t that upset. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to win. It was just that … Sabalenka was that good. “She played insane,” Pegula said last week. “She played at a super high level.
The Athletic: This started as a story about a pickup basketball loss. It turned into something bigger
Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti’s story about a long-ago basketball game created a chain of moments. Editor’s Note: Read more NBA coverage from The Athletic here. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its teams. *** It was only a moment, a random encounter on an ordinary day, but Sam Presti never forgot it.
This started as a story about a pickup basketball loss. It turned into something bigger
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. It was only a moment, a random encounter on an ordinary day, but Sam Presti never forgot it. A 17-year-old high school gym rat on his way to play Division III basketball, Presti was at the Lexington Club, a fitness center in suburban Boston, one day in the 1990s when he saw a man across the gym. The man did not look like much. A shade above 6 feet. Medium build.
This started as a story about a pickup basketball loss. It turned into something bigger
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. It was only a moment, a random encounter on an ordinary day, but Sam Presti never forgot it. A 17-year-old high school gym rat on his way to play Division III basketball, Presti was at the Lexington Club, a fitness center in suburban Boston, one day in the 1990s when he saw a man across the gym. The man did not look like much. A shade above 6 feet. Medium build.
Linda Nosková, a U.S. Open rising star, has an unusual way of dealing with crowd noise
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. She had just squandered two match points in the fourth round of the U.S. Open, and the crowd inside Louis Armstrong Stadium began to roar. So Linda Nosková, a 21-year-old rising star from the Czech Republic, used a simple strategy to regroup.
Fewer people take notes by hand. Not Fernando Mendoza and the NFL
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. It was supposed to be a casual lunch, just a chance to network with an NFL legend and influential rapper. But when Fernando Mendoza, the rookie quarterback of the Las Vegas Raiders, sat down with Tom Brady and Travis Scott earlier this year, he couldn’t help himself. He wrote down everything on a notepad.
Fewer people take notes by hand. Not Fernando Mendoza and the NFL
Carlos Alcaraz recovers after dropping the first set to reach the third round at the US Open NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz was already in the final by the time he dropped a set last year in the U.S. Open. When it happened in his second match this year, Alcaraz tried to look at the positives. After missing four months with a right wrist injury, the extra work might help. “I wanted to be …
An NFL player’s viral speech was just 59 words. It captured the power of sports
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. Shiyazh Pete is an undrafted rookie offensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys who may not make the team.
Pete Crow-Armstrong lets his mind wander during games. He might be onto something
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. There are plenty of reasons why Pete Crow-Armstrong, the center fielder for the Chicago Cubs, is a frontrunner for the National League MVP award. He hits for power, runs like the wind and plays premium defense in center field. But last week, I came across an interesting mental approach he revealed on a podcast earlier this year.
I forgot how to throw a baseball. Then I learned the truth about the yips in sports
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. One evening in the spring of 2001, I forgot how to throw a baseball. I was in eighth grade, on a new team, and had been sidelined by a knee injury for close to a month. When I returned to practice, I fielded a ground ball at second base but spiked the ball into the dirt when I tried to throw to first. I moved to the outfield and threw one over the backstop.
I forgot how to throw a baseball. Then I learned the truth about the yips in sports
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic's desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak's newsletter here. One evening in the spring of 2001, I forgot how to throw a baseball. I was in eighth grade, on a new team, and had been sidelined by a knee injury for close to a month. When I returned to practice, I fielded a ground ball at second base but spiked the ball into the dirt when I tried to throw to first. I moved to the outfield and threw one over the backstop.
He never played in a playoff game. He helped his team reach the World Series
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. When Raul Ibañez joined the Kansas City Royals a few weeks before the 2014 trade deadline, nobody graded the move or broke it down. Why would they? The Angels had released Ibañez nine days earlier after he posted a .157 batting average. His power was fading. He was 42 years old. Even in Kansas City, Ibañez’s addition didn’t crack the front page of the sports section.
He never played in a playoff game. He helped his team reach the World Series
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic's desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak's newsletter here. When Raul Ibañez joined the Kansas City Royals a few weeks before the 2014 trade deadline, nobody graded the move or broke it down. Why would they? The Angels had released Ibañez nine days earlier after he posted a .157 batting average. His power was fading. He was 42 years old. Even in Kansas City, Ibañez's addition didn't crack the front page of the sports section.
The secret to happiness is playing pickup basketball. Just ask this 81-year-old Original
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. Richie Zweigenhaft plays pickup basketball once a week, and when people ask him to describe his game, he usually lands on three names: Muggsy Bogues, John Stockton and Dave Twardzik. Zweigenhaft stands 5 feet 4 inches tall, so he found inspiration in Bogues, the shortest player in NBA history.
What Ryan Fox’s victory at the Open Championship can teach us about the science of belief
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. Thirteen months before he won the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, Ryan Fox stood over one of the biggest putts of his life — a 16-footer for birdie on the final hole of the RBC Canadian Open. It was the kind of moment that could change a career.
What Ryan Fox's victory at the Open Championship can teach us about the science of belief
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic's desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak's newsletter here. Thirteen months before he won the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, Ryan Fox stood over one of the biggest putts of his life -- a 16-footer for birdie on the final hole of the RBC Canadian Open. It was the kind of moment that could change a career.
I write about leadership. Thomas Tuchel’s post-match comments fascinated me Original
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. On Monday morning, I heard from a well-known American basketball coach who is following the World Cup. He had just read a story about England’s victory over Norway in the quarterfinals, and he was struck by something that Jude Bellingham, one of England’s top stars, had said after the match.
The secret to Erling Haaland’s greatness? It’s all in the mind
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. One day last fall, Erling Haaland was doing something he did not want to do. Sitting on an exercise bike inside Manchester City’s training facility, he was pumping his arms and legs inside a hypoxic chamber, a controlled environment that simulated high altitude and intense heat, reducing the amount of oxygen in the room.
The secret to Erling Haaland's greatness? It's all in the mind
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic's desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak's newsletter here. One day last fall, Erling Haaland was doing something he did not want to do. Sitting on an exercise bike inside Manchester City's training facility, he was pumping his arms and legs inside a hypoxic chamber, a controlled environment that simulated high altitude and intense heat, reducing the amount of oxygen in the room.
Harry Kane wasn’t destined for this. These 4 lessons propelled him to World Cup stardom Original
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. The advice came when Harry Kane was young, not long after he was released from Arsenal academy. Kane was 9 years old and a little bit “podgy,” still growing into his body. He wasn’t particularly quick, and he did not run that well, and compared to his peers in the academy, he was a little underdeveloped. The youth coaches were unimpressed.
Mauricio Pochettino isn’t a typical soccer coach, and it’s not just the lemons on his desk Original
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. When Mauricio Pochettino was manager of Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League, he asked a friend named Xesco Espar to come to north London and spend some time with his players. Espar was the former coach of the FC Barcelona handball team and the author of “Play from your heart,” a book about mental performance.
Mauricio Pochettino isn’t a typical soccer coach, and it’s not just the lemons on his desk
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. When Mauricio Pochettino was manager of Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League, he asked a friend named Xesco Espar to come to north London and spend some time with his players. Espar was the former coach of the FC Barcelona handball team and the author of “Play from your heart,” a book about mental performance.
Top NBA teams make prospects take a 35-minute test. I tried it Original
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. One day before the NBA Draft, I sat down to take an exam. It was supposed to take 35 minutes. According to Jim Bowman, one of the test’s creators, I would need only an iPad and a quiet space to concentrate. “We recommend a distraction-free environment,” Bowman said, “just as we do for elite athletes.” Bowman, 48, is a licensed psychologist for a school district on Long Island.
Thomas Tuchel said the ‘mission’ out loud, in front of his England team: Win the World Cup Original
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering sports leadership and personal development. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. The clip is just 34 seconds long. Thomas Tuchel, head coach of the England men’s national team, stands before his players in a meeting room in the spring of 2025, outlining the goal for the country’s 2026 World Cup campaign. “For me, it’s very important that we just speak about it,” Tuchel tells his players. “Just straight away speak about it.
The sights, sounds and scenes as Knicks fans celebrated a historic NBA championship Original
Saturday was a momentous night for New York City. The Knicks — the one professional team that (almost, sorry Brooklyn Nets fans!) everyone seems to root for in a region where professional sports allegiances are otherwise divided — won their first NBA championship in 53 years with a 94-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals. We had multiple reporters embedded with Knicks fans throughout the city as they celebrated their team’s championship. Here are their experiences.
Knicks vs. Spurs live updates: NBA Finals 2026 Game 5 start time, picks and predictions
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Knicks vs. Spurs live updates: NBA Finals 2026 Game 5 start time, picks and predictions Follow our live coverage of tonight's Game 5 as the Knicks look to win the NBA championship. June 13, 2026 at 8:49 PM EDT The Knicks are attempting to end a 53-year title drought tonight. Getty Images Knicks vs. Spurs Game 5 — Latest The New York Knicks can clinch their first NBA championship in 53 years with a win tonight against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5.
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What it means to have a Jalen Brunson mindset Original
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. In four seasons with the New York Knicks, Jalen Brunson has averaged 26.9 points per game, earned second-team All-NBA honors three times and led the team back to the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years. It’s the resume of a budding New York legend. Just don’t call Brunson a star. “I’m not a star,” he said last month.
A UCLA pitcher brings a toy dinosaur named Jerry to the mound. Here’s why it helps
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. Having just recorded his first strikeout of the Big Ten baseball tournament championship, UCLA freshman pitcher Angel Cervantes flexed both arms and let out a primal yell. Then he reached down and picked up a toy dinosaur named Jerry.
A UCLA pitcher brings a toy dinosaur named Jerry to the mound. Here's why it helps
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic's desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak's newsletter here. Having just recorded his first strikeout of the Big Ten baseball tournament championship, UCLA freshman pitcher Angel Cervantes flexed both arms and let out a primal yell. Then he reached down and picked up a toy dinosaur named Jerry.
Rafael Nadal thought freezing cold showers helped him play his best. So I tried it Original
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. Rafael Nadal is a man of routine, so about 45 minutes before facing Roger Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final, he stepped into the shower and turned the water on as usual. He wanted it freezing cold. The cold shower ritual, which Nadal kept before every match, transported him to a different plane. He felt his power surge and his resilience grow.
What leaders (usually) get wrong about motivation Original
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. One day during the COVID-19 pandemic, Carl Hendrick decided to run a 5K. A former musician, Hendrick had spent most of his career in education, earning a Ph.D., working at schools in England and turning to research. But facing middle age, and in the midst of lockdown, he decided to be more active.
Cal Raleigh was in an 0-for-36 slump. Then he showered in his uniform
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. In any other line of work, it would have been extremely bizarre behavior. On late Monday night, in the midst of a 0-for-36 slump at the plate, Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh finished a game against the Houston Astros, retreated to the clubhouse and showered in full uniform.
Cal Raleigh was in an 0-for-36 slump. Then he showered in his uniform
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic's desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak's newsletter here. In any other line of work, it would have been extremely bizarre behavior. On late Monday night, in the midst of a 0-for-36 slump at the plate, Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh finished a game against the Houston Astros, retreated to the clubhouse and showered in full uniform.
The Athletic: Josh Hart has ‘the street sweeper' mentality
Josh Hart has become a vital role player for the New York Knicks. Editor’s Note: Read more NBA coverage from The Athletic here. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its teams. *** This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. In one of his first years at Villanova, coach Jay Wright read a passage from a speech given by Martin Luther King Jr. at a Philadelphia junior high school in 1967.
Josh Hart is more than a glue guy. He’s an example of ‘the street sweeper’ mentality
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. In one of his first years at Villanova, coach Jay Wright read a passage from a speech given by Martin Luther King Jr. at a Philadelphia junior high school in 1967. “If it falls to your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures. Sweep streets like Beethoven composed music. Sweep streets like Leontyne Price sings before the Metropolitan Opera.
Josh Hart is more than a glue guy. He's an example of 'the street sweeper' mentality
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic's desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak's newsletter here. In one of his first years at Villanova, coach Jay Wright read a passage from a speech given by Martin Luther King Jr. at a Philadelphia junior high school in 1967. "Set out to do a good job," King told the students at Barratt Junior High, "and do that job so well that the living, the dead and the unborn couldn't do it any better.
Why some of the best athletes in the world pretend to be someone else Original
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. Before he became one of the best basketball players in the world, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a 13-year-old point guard with a significant problem: He was tiny. Standing around 5-foot-6, Gilgeous-Alexander possessed the physique of a garden rake — skinny and slight.
David Cone and Joe Girardi never took things personally. It culminated in a perfect game
Sometimes you find a teammate who brings out your best, a creative partner who understands your idiosyncrasies and appreciates your gifts. David Cone found that in Joe Girardi. Cone, one of the most fiery and successful pitchers of his generation, made 437 career starts — including 18 in the postseason — and was on five World Series-winning teams. Nobody caught him more than Girardi, a steady and cerebral catcher who paired with him for four seasons with the New York Yankees.
David Cone and Joe Girardi never took things personally. It culminated in a perfect game
This article is part of our Asking Under Pressure series, which looks at how duos performed together in a highly competitive situation. Sometimes you find a teammate who brings out your best, a creative partner who understands your idiosyncrasies and appreciates your gifts. David Cone found that in Joe Girardi. Cone, one of the most fiery and successful pitchers of his generation, made 437 career starts -- including 18 in the postseason -- and was on five World Series-winning teams.
A pitcher and catcher drank beer, played guitar and rapped together. It made them better
This article is part of our Asking Under Pressure series, which looks at how duos performed together in a highly competitive situation. There may be no closer partnership in sports than that of pitcher and catcher. Each baseball game, the two form a symbiotic relationship, a collaborative co-authorship defined by a single name: the battery. The pitcher is the musician; the catcher is the conductor.
A pitcher and catcher drank beer, played guitar and rapped together. It made them better
Ella Langley's brand deal with American Eagle shows Bud Light how it could've been in 2023, fan fight & MEAT Ella Langley's brand deal with American Eagle shows Bud Light how it should've marketed itself At OutKick, we have to say congratulations to the American Eagle marketing team. They just get it. Unlike Bud Light, who thought hiring a trans would turn into a marketing win, American Eagle went out and …
A pitcher and catcher drank beer, played guitar and rapped together. It made them better
This article is part of our Asking Under Pressure series, which looks at how duos performed together in a highly competitive situation. There may be no closer partnership in sports than that of pitcher and catcher. Each baseball game, the two form a symbiotic relationship, a collaborative co-authorship defined by a single name: the battery. The pitcher is the musician; the catcher is the conductor.
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