Article by Authority Magazine
As a part of our series about the work ethic lessons we can learn from professional athletes, I had the pleasure of interviewing Mark Clayton.
Mark Clayton, born on July 2, 1982, is a former standout football player from Oklahoma University, where he excelled as a 2-time 1st Team All-American and served as team captain during his junior and senior years. He was part of several championship-winning teams, including the 2000 National Championship squad.
Clayton’s professional career began when the Baltimore Ravens selected him in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. Despite early injuries in his rookie season, he made a strong impression, finishing with 44 receptions for 471 yards and 2 touchdowns, earning a spot on the PFWA All-Rookie Team. Over the years, he experienced both successes and setbacks. A highlight came in 2008 when he had five receptions for 164 yards and a 70-yard touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals. However, 2009 saw a dip in production as the Ravens’ offense shifted focus. In 2010, he was traded to the St. Louis Rams, but his time there was cut short by a severe knee injury.
After retiring from football in May 2013, Clayton transitioned into business. He founded LIVV Headphones, a company specializing in high-quality audio products, and launched a Christian-based clothing line, MyChristianT (MCT). These ventures highlight his shift from sports to entrepreneurship and innovation.
Now, Mark balances his business pursuits with family life. He is married to Elizabeth Clayton, a 10-year Navy combat veteran, and together they have four children: Ayden, Jada, Ava, and Grayson. His journey from NFL athlete to entrepreneur reflects his adaptability and drive, all while nurturing a growing family.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! It is a great honor. Our readers would love to learn more about your personal background. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Hello, thank you for taking this time to interview me! So I grew up in OKC in my early years, and my household was pretty chaotic and rough. I was a problematic kid for most of my pre-teen years. Just full of mischief, I did not like authority and made it tough on my mom on a regular basis. That feisty, tough little person turned out to be quite an athlete.
I played football growing up in Oklahoma — it was one of the things I did that was fun and excelled at. It also let me get some of the anger out, occupied my mind, and gave me something to work on. When I was in fifth grade, my mom decided to move us to Arlington, Texas. In Arlington, I attended Morton Elementary, and on my first day there, I remember getting into a fight. There was a bully who must have thought the new kid would be an easy target, but he was wrong. We ended up in a fight, and I punched him in the nose — that settled it. After that, I earned respect and made a few new friends. My experience in Texas began to feel different. Being in a new place and not knowing anyone gave me a sense of freedom — I no longer felt the pressure to live up to the lifestyle of my old neighborhood in Oklahoma City, which revolved around gangs, drugs, and acting tough. That group of friends that I was able to connect with at elementary remains a couple of my friends to this day who played a big role in my development as a person and athlete, which ultimately led to me getting a scholarship to play football at the University of Oklahoma.
What or who inspired you to pursue your career as a high-level professional?
As a kid, watching sports inspired me. Whether it was football or basketball, I imagined myself on TV, like Michael Jordan or Barry Sanders. My inspiration to pursue a professional career in the business world came from my good friend Jeremy Butler. While I was playing football, he asked me about my passions and what I loved to do outside of football from a business perspective. His question was simple: “If you had a business, what would it be?” This conversation started shaping my mind toward the business world and what it would look like to engage in something outside of football that I thought would be fun and profitable.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?
I had so much help along the way! I didn’t truly think I would make it pro. I was a junior in high school and the 3rd string QB on the JV football team, and in basketball, I’d never played on varsity, so nothing was happening that made me think that I was going to be a professional athlete at all. But my coach in high school, Coach Ozie, would make sure all his football kids went to college. I played one game as a quarterback on varsity, but I performed poorly. After that game, the coach decided to move me from quarterback to wide receiver. This changed everything. After a spring of 707 football, I received my first college letter from Texas A&M. After that letter, I started getting more from engineering schools because Coach Ozie made it a point to know what we were interested in and reached out to schools on our behalf. I was planning to go to the military, Air Force in particular and study to be an architect and fly airplanes. After I started getting recruited, my whole trajectory changed. I would say Coach Ozie was a major influence on me and made it to where I am today. The list is long, from my mother to my grandmother, to my dad and my coaches from college, coaches in the NFL, and friends who poured into me and encouraged me all along the way. It truly took a community to bring me to experience the things in life that I have today.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your sports career? What lesson or takeaway did you learn from that?
One of the funniest mistakes I made was trying to prove myself to the older players at the University of Oklahoma when I first got there. We had these summer workouts, and Coach Jerry Schmidt was notorious for putting us through the wringer. I showed up as a scrawny freshman, thinking I could handle it and show everyone how tough I was. But before we were even a quarter through the workout, I got a full-body cramp. I ended up tearing a pectoral muscle and nearly quit right after starting. My grandma sniffed it out and took me back to campus to ask Coach if we were “off” for the rest of the summer! Needless to say, Coach Schmidt won, and I never underestimated a Schmidt summer workout again.
OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview. As an athlete, you often face high-stakes situations that involve a lot of pressure. Most of us tend to wither in the face of such pressure and stress. Can you share with our readers 3 or 4 strategies that you use to optimize your mind for peak performance before high-pressure, high-stress situations?
Most definitely my first strategy is to talk to God. My faith plays a huge part in keeping me calm, secure, and confident, and no matter what the situation is or how much pressure or how stressful it is, it is taken care of and provided for by him no matter what! This gives me the freedom to fail, and it gives me the freedom to take chances knowing that either way, my father has me secure and provided for.
My second strategy is leaning on my teammates. It’s so much better to tackle challenges together. When you’re in a group, some people likely know more than you and have been through the same thing before. Even if you’re facing something for the first time, you can rely on each other for support. There’s nothing like relationships that help you sit in an atmosphere that may be a highly pressurized situation and be confident that it’ll get figured out. My third strategy is preparation. Preparation is putting the time in to know what you’re getting yourself into and understanding the cons as well as the pros. Diving in and looking to mitigate risk by challenging yourself, whether by asking yourself hard questions or by studying a lot of failures in that particular area. Finding ways to prep yourself for whatever it is that you’re going into. There’s a major security that comes from knowing. Stepping into an arena that you’re ignorant about in some capacities is a setup for losing your shit. Pressure busts pipes.
Can you tell us the story of your transition from a professional athlete to a successful business person?
I think one thing that has been major in this transition is being feisty and persistent. As a football player, I was very meticulous about how I did things, how I ran my routes, how I practiced, how I worked on those routes. Guys would say it was too much, but for me, that was just part of my tough, feisty attitude. I was set on outworking anyone who was doing the same thing. My persistence was huge, too. If something didn’t click or I had trouble grasping it, I just kept at it. That kind of determination helped me set the stage for success in the NFL, and now for LIVV.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting new projects you are working on now?
The most exciting project is building LIVV Audio. We have the first luxury sports over-ear headphones ever created. It is exciting to be able to introduce a product into the massive headphone market with a product that’s game-changing and has never been done before, and our patents reflect that.
Do you think your experience as a professional athlete gave you skills that make you a better entrepreneur? Can you give a story or example about what you mean?
Most definitely, a huge part of being a professional athlete is just having to work with a crazy work ethic. It takes so much work and so much time. You gotta be dedicated, you really gotta be passionate about it, and you gotta love what you do because there’s so many days where you’re not gonna feel like doing anything. You’ve got to mentally tell your body what to do, basically making it work for you through training. It’s like you’re turning your body into your machine. This grind gives you a shot at making it, though it’s not a guarantee — many don’t make it. But it’s that kind of hard work and determination that even puts you in the running for the NFL. And here we are with a new business venture that takes the same thing. It’s so much work, so much time, and so much attention to detail that has to go into creating the company that we’re creating. It’s been ten years off and on working on this project.
Entrepreneurs and professional athletes share a common “hustle culture”. Can you share your “5 Work Ethic Lessons That Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Athletes”?
- One step at a time.
- Have clear objectives.
- Small completions lead to touchdowns.
- Know your limits.
- Trust your teammates.
What would you advise a young person who aspires to follow in your footsteps and emulate your career? What advice would you give?
I give my son the same advice: be meticulous about everything, even how you park your car in the lines. Then give yourself room to mess up; that’s your greatest teacher. Lastly, ask a lot of questions, even if it’s just for confirmation. Sometimes I do it.
You are by all accounts a very successful person. How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
Loving people. I think a lot of people have a certain expectation when it comes to dealing with celebrity athletes, and for me, it’s been to let people know I’m just like them, I struggle, I’m not perfect, I have fears and frustrations, and feelings too. I just happen to be great at football. I like to encourage people and help however I can.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
It’d be the gospel; I believe Jesus was love, but I think a lot of people misunderstand the gospel “good news” about Christ. If we understand his message, it makes it clear that none of us are better than anyone else. We’re here to love and support each other and let God handle the rest. The world could definitely use more love.
Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much.
It is what it is: Things in life happen regardless of your effort. It either is, or it isn’t. This statement is an acknowledgment that I’m not in control, certainly not in control of many of the factors that can play into life and its experiences. Whether tragedy and grieving come or success and joy come, I believe we are here to experience both while hoping for something even better in the future. “It is what it is” kinda softens the blows of life and allows you to move forward and refocus because life goes on.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)
I’d love to play a round of golf with Michael Jordan. The Goat! Amazing athlete and businessman.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.