Nationality: American 

Age: 24

Occupation: Student

Residence: Los Angeles, but from Cleveland, OH

Collected Feb 27, 2025

Primary Language: English

Context:

“When Robert Griffin III was playing QB at Baylor University in 2011, the odds were stacked against them. Baylor’s football program at the time did not have a winning history and competed in the BIG 12 which is a power conference in college football. His mantra was “no pressure, no diamonds” to get his mind right when playing in the spotlight. That year, he led Baylor to a major upset win over Oklahoma and got to a new years’ six bowl. The phrase emphasizes that you need to deal with pressures and adversity to accomplish great things. Diamonds are created through immense pressure, so when I am confronted with pressure, I remind myself of this and power through. I learned this phrase watching him as I grew up and the phrase stuck with me.”

Personal Analysis:

With this one, the origin is relatively clear, although when exactly he learned it is less so. In talking to him, it seemed that he started saying this at around 9 years old, and in my own personal experience being his friend I’ve heard him say this many times. In this case I’d assess the significance that in the information age our proverbs and life lessons do not just come from our parents, family, and teachers, but instead from the outside world. Little kids listening to a postgame interview have their lives altered by the words of their favorite athlete. This is a mixed bag, but in this case, really cool.