From a challenging childhood in his home town of Heavener, Oklahoma, John Tatum, an early asthmatic, was not anyone’s favorite to succeed. But John had that hidden ingredient that many didn’t have – “want to” – and he made it work for him. Despite all odds, he earned a football scholarship on Bud Wilkinson’s tradition rich University of Oklahoma team. At 188 pounds, he played center and inside linebacker on one of OU’s alternate starting units. After a stint in coaching and teaching, John took on the insurance business and worked his way up from territory salesman in rural Oklahoma to great success at Farm Bureau Insurance. Along the way, John learned and practiced many common sense things which can help young adults and others as they address adversity along their path of life.