Retired Super Bowl champ & Army Ranger vet says THESE two skills are needed for our day

February 05, 2021

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The nation is currently facing some of the most challenging times in history. Pandemics, corruption, rising socialism and an implosion of trust on all levels, just to name a few.

While it's true tyranny is creeping over our country, it doesn't have to be an inevitability. But what can anyone do? The odds seem so daunting and the trials so trying, it may be hard to feel like you have anything to offer to the fight. But there are a couple of things you can work on to be able to join the cause and contribute in meaningful ways.

These lessons are often learned on the sporting field in our youth and the skills learned and character traits built, often pop up later in life. For one American hero, the lessons learned on the sporting field were only the beginning.

Jake Bequette was fortunate enough to have his hard work pay off and played football collegiately at the University of Arkansas and even went on to win a Super Bowl with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Bequette retired at the age of 26 but not to a retirement community in Del Boca Vista. No, Jake felt the call to join the Army Rangers and the 101st Airborne Division and the lessons he learned are lessons everyone should learn for the times we are now facing.

Bequette shared a few things he learned on the field of competition and the field of battle that will benefit anyone greatly as we fight to stave off the reeducation camps and poverty that will surely ensue.

Accountability

You won't catch Jake passing mask mandates and then having a fancy dinner at French Laundry. He believes accountability for our actions is truly transformational.

"One of the foundations of a strong sports team or a strong platoon in the Army is accountability at all levels," Bequette said. "That's from the leaders of the organization down to the lowest private. You have to take ownership of your actions, you can't make excuses. If something's wrong in your profession, in your life, in your circumstances, you have to take ownership of that. You can't shift the blame to someone else, you can't look for someone else to bail you out... you have to take the reins and ask yourself; 'How am I going to take control and improve my situation, my life — TODAY.'"

One of the foundations of a strong sports team or a strong platoon in the Army is accountability at all levels.

When you feel those promptings to make changes, listen and follow through. Holding yourself accountable is just as important as holding our public officials accountable.

Intellectual Courage

Cancel culture has even the toughest talkers checking their Twitter feeds to make sure they haven't done or said anything to anyone that could ever be considered even slightly hateful or offensive. But silence in the face of this evil really is evil itself.

"So many people today are rightfully afraid to speak their mind. It's a tragedy of our national discourse that in a country like America that has always prided itself on free speech, that people feel like they can't speak their mind for fear of retribution. A true leader is someone who stands up for people who can't always speak for themselves," Bequette said.

"We have too many people today who are too afraid to stand up. We need people to stand up and lead and show people it's ok to speak your mind but we also need people all over to realize your not going to receive laurels for speaking the truth. But that doesn't mean the truth should be hidden or shouldn't be said."

If this seems like a big ask, start small. Share your thoughts and feelings and solutions to a spouse or close friend and don't be afraid to have difficult conversations.

Tough Times Bring Blessings

It's easy to complain and think the world is crashing down when the world actually is crashing down. But even with the monumental challenges we are facing, there have been and will continue to be blessings we could never have received without facing this opposition.

"When I went into the Army, the goal from the beginning was always to graduate from US Army Ranger School. It's a 62-day course if you go straight through and I had a really strong group of young lieutenants who I went through the Infantry Officers course with before Ranger School and we all share that common goal, that common purpose. And we entered Ranger School with 350 people and by the end, there were only 75 that made it straight through," Bequette said.

"To go through it with those young men who I had trained with for months before Ranger School and we all set that goal individually and collectively and we all had the attitude of you either return with your field or on it. To graduate on that rainy October day with all my good friends and comrades, we all cleared that goal together — that was one of the proudest moments of my life. In my company, in my platoon, we're going to set high goals and set them publically and we're going to do everything in our power to achieve them."

Standing up at this time is not easy. There will be throngs of people ready to pronounce you finished with even the slightest misstep. But if we tackle the challenge together, America can achieve the same type of comradery and unity and a sense of a fight well fought.

But it doesn't take becoming an Army Ranger or playing in the NFL to develop the skills needed to meet the task at hand.

"Not everyone is going to be able to be on a football team or go to US Army Ranger School but that doesn't mean you can't set high goals for your family, for your career, your spiritual life. We can all have that same mentality whatever our circumstances might be," Bequette said.

Super Bowl Prediction

Any guesses on who he's picking to win the Big Game Sunday? If you know anything about the two teams playing, you know exactly who he's going with.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't rooting for Tom Brady. He was such a great teammate, obviously an amazingly talented football player, the greatest quarterback of all-time but I think he's a very underrated leader. If that's even possible," Bequette said.

"He leads by example. He's one of the hardest working guys day in and day out and Tom has tremendous courage. Tom Brady is totally unafraid of holding his teammates accountable. It struck me immediately when I first saw him on the practice field. He is an encourager, he's naturally a very friendly teammate but if you're not meeting his expectations or the expectations of the team, he is totally unafraid to let you hear about it publically. To me, that is the hallmark of a good leader."

It's no surprise but Jake puts into practice what he preaches. He just picked the oldest quarterback to ever play in the Super Bowl over the top rising star and league MVP as well as Glenn's neighbor, Patrick Mahomes. Kudos on the courage but will they be celebrating with Metamucil instead of Champagne if the Buccaneers pull of the upset?

Stop coasting: How self-education can save America’s future

Joe Raedle / Staff | Getty Images

Coasting through life is no longer an option. Charlie Kirk’s pursuit of knowledge challenges all of us to learn, act, and grow every day.

Last year, my wife and I made a commitment: to stop coasting, to learn something new every day, and to grow — not just spiritually, but intellectually. Charlie Kirk’s tragic death crystallized that resolve. It forced a hard look in the mirror, revealing how much I had coasted in both my spiritual and educational life. Coasting implies going downhill. You can’t coast uphill.

Last night, my wife and I re-engaged. We enrolled in Hillsdale College’s free online courses, inspired by the fact that Charlie had done the same. He had quietly completed around 30 courses before I even knew, mastering the classics, civics, and the foundations of liberty. Watching his relentless pursuit of knowledge reminded me that growth never stops, no matter your age.

The path forward must be reclaiming education, agency, and the power to shape our minds and futures.

This lesson is particularly urgent for two groups: young adults stepping into the world and those who may have settled into complacency. Learning is life. Stop learning, and you start dying. To young adults, especially, the college promise has become a trap. Twelve years of K-12 education now leave graduates unprepared for life. Only 35% of seniors are proficient in reading, and just 22% in math. They are asked to bet $100,000 or more for four years of college that will often leave them underemployed and deeply indebted.

Degrees in many “new” fields now carry negative returns. Parents who have already sacrificed for public education find themselves on the hook again, paying for a system that often fails to deliver.

This is one of the reasons why Charlie often described college as a “scam.” Debt accumulates, wages are not what students were promised, doors remain closed, and many are tempted to throw more time and money after a system that won’t yield results. Graduate school, in many cases, compounds the problem. The education system has become a factory of despair, teaching cynicism rather than knowledge and virtue.

Reclaiming educational agency

Yet the solution is not radical revolt against education — it is empowerment to reclaim agency over one’s education. Independent learning, self-guided study, and disciplined curiosity are the modern “Napster moment.” Just as Napster broke the old record industry by digitizing music, the internet has placed knowledge directly in the hands of the individual. Artists like Taylor Swift now thrive outside traditional gatekeepers. Likewise, students and lifelong learners can reclaim intellectual freedom outside of the ivory towers.

Each individual possesses the ability to think, create, and act. This is the power God grants to every human being. Knowledge, faith, and personal responsibility are inseparable. Learning is not a commodity to buy with tuition; it is a birthright to claim with effort.

David Butow / Contributor | Getty Images

Charlie Kirk’s life reminds us that self-education is an act of defiance and empowerment. In his pursuit of knowledge, in his engagement with civics and philosophy, he exemplified the principle that liberty depends on informed, capable citizens. We honor him best by taking up that mantle — by learning relentlessly, thinking critically, and refusing to surrender our minds to a system that profits from ignorance.

The path forward must be reclaiming education, agency, and the power to shape our minds and futures. Every day, seek to grow, create, and act. Charlie showed the way. It is now our responsibility to follow.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck joins TPUSA tour to honor Charlie Kirk

Joe Raedle / Staff | Getty Images

If they thought the murder of Charlie Kirk would scare us into silence, they were wrong!

If anything, Turning Point will hit the road louder than ever. On Monday, September 22, less than two weeks after the assassination, Charlie's friends united under the Turning Point USA banner to carry his torch and honor his legacy by doing what he did best: bringing honest and truthful debate to Universities across the nation.

Naturally, Glenn has rallied to the cause and has accepted an invitation to join the TPUSA tour at the University of North Dakota on October 9th.

For Charlie. https://t.co/a2eCbkGnn8
— Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) September 22, 2025

Want to join Glenn at the University of North Dakota to honor Charlie Kirk and keep his mission alive? Click HERE to sign up or find more information.

Glenn's daughter honors Charlie Kirk with emotional tribute song

MELISSA MAJCHRZAK / Contributor | Getty Images

On September 17th, Glenn commemorated his late friend Charlie Kirk by hosting The Charlie Kirk Show Podcast, where he celebrated and remembered the life of a remarkable young man.

During the broadcast, Glenn shared an emotional new song performed by his daughter, Cheyenne, who was standing only feet away from Charlie when he was assassinated. The song, titled "We Are One," has been dedicated to Charlie Kirk as a tribute and was written and co-performed by David Osmond, son of Alan Osmond, founding member of The Osmonds.

Glenn first asked David Osmond to write "We Are One" in 2018, as he predicted that dark days were on the horizon, but he never imagined that it would be sung by his daughter in honor of Charlie Kirk. The Lord works in mysterious ways; could there have been a more fitting song to honor such a brave man?

"We Are One" is available for download or listening on Spotify HERE

Has free speech been twisted into a defense of violence?

CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / Contributor | Getty Images

Celebrating murder is not speech. It is a revelation of the heart. America must distinguish between debate and the glorification of evil.

Over the weekend, the world mourned the murder of Charlie Kirk. In London, crowds filled the streets, chanting “Charlie! Charlie! Charlie!” and holding up pictures of the fallen conservative giant. Protests in his honor spread as far away as South Korea. This wasn’t just admiration for one man; it was a global acknowledgment that courage and conviction — the kind embodied by Kirk during his lifetime — still matter. But it was also a warning. This is a test for our society, our morality, and our willingness to defend truth.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently delivered a speech that struck at the heart of this crisis. She praised Kirk as a man who welcomed debate, who smiled while defending his ideas, and who faced opposition with respect. That courage is frightening to those who have no arguments. When reason fails, the weapons left are insults, criminalization, and sometimes violence. We see it again today, in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

Charlie Kirk’s life was a challenge. His death is a call.

Some professors and public intellectuals have written things that should chill every American soul. They argue that shooting a right-wing figure is somehow less serious than murdering others. They suggest it could be mitigated because of political disagreement. These aren’t careless words — they are a rationalization for murder.

Some will argue that holding such figures accountable is “cancel culture.” They will say that we are silencing debate. They are wrong. Accountability is not cancel culture. A critical difference lies between debating ideas and celebrating death. Debate challenges minds. Celebrating murder abandons humanity. Charlie Kirk’s death draws that line sharply.

History offers us lessons. In France, mobs cheered executions as the guillotine claimed the heads of their enemies — and their own heads soon rolled. Cicero begged his countrymen to reason, yet the mob chose blood over law, and liberty was lost. Charlie Kirk’s assassination reminds us that violence ensues when virtue is abandoned.

We must also distinguish between debates over policy and attacks on life itself. A teacher who argues that children should not undergo gender-transition procedures before adulthood participates in a policy debate. A person who says Charlie Kirk’s death is a victory rejoices in violence. That person has no place shaping minds or guiding children.

PATRICK T. FALLON / Contributor | Getty Images

For liberty and virtue

Liberty without virtue is national suicide. The Constitution protects speech — even dangerous ideas — but it cannot shield those who glorify murder. Society has the right to demand virtue from its leaders, educators, and public figures. Charlie Kirk’s life was a challenge. His death is a call. It is a call to defend our children, our communities, and the principles that make America free.

Cancel culture silences debate. But accountability preserves it. A society that distinguishes between debating ideas and celebrating death still has a moral compass. It still has hope. It still has us.

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