Jason Kuhn is best known as a former Navy SEAL assault team leader and sniper. He’s also a former college athlete. Kuhn says that looking back at his athletic career, he could have been a better team member if he had known some of the things that he learned on the battlefield. Florida coach Dan Mullen recently invited Kuhn to share those principles for success with the Gators football team.

Kuhn, who owns Stonewall Solutions, which he describes as a “mindset, leadership and team-building training company,” reminded the Gators that they cannot control what critics say and they cannot control the odds heading into any game, but they can control their preparation. Kuhn sees the “fundamental foundations of winning and success” as the same. He told players that they have to “master the fundamental processes of how you think and how you treat each other in your culture.” Kuhn also emphasized that it takes not only individual skills, but having a “team-first” mindset to achieve true success.

Like other coaches, Mullen has probably shared similar messages with his team. When a Bronze Star veteran delivers the message, though, those messages have a better chance of sinking in.