Once you have done something long enough, you begin to learn and understand the minutiae of the role. Small things you can do to make your life easier. Tricks of the trade, if you will.
This applies to just about any occupation, and when it comes to playing offensive tackle in the NFL, it’s more of the same. The best to ever do it will tell you—proper preparation is everything, and all of the talent in the world will only get you so far in this league.
For Detroit Lions’ left tackle Taylor Decker, the mental approach to his craft has been refined over the course of six years.