What happens when an average guy becomes a hero? Something enchanting happens. John Scott was a brawler in the NHL on the ice, but he also labored to keep his dream alive in the league. Scott was 160-pounds and people took him as a certain type of person. He was considered the underdog since he had to rely on brawn to carry him through his career. “I was lucky enough to have some doors open and I still don’t know why those doors opened,” he said. “But I had the opportunities and when they were there I made the best of them. I always seemed to perform the best when the pressure was on.”

Another attribute that sustained him was having a solid a work ethic, something of a rarity these days. His dad toiled in construction and would wake up at dawn to go to work no matter what the circumstances were. “It’s just something that is ingrained in me and I think that is where my work ethic came from. If you start something, you finish it. You give it you’re all.”

Guys like Scott need to work harder as they are not scorers–they are fighters. Like a boxer, their body takes a beating and they have to retire beforehand even when their heart is still in the game.

Scott who recently wrote a book A Guy Like Me that details his life as a player. “It is a book about persevering with a lot of funny stories and I think the undertone of the book is about preserving.”

See the defenseman was in the league for 8 seasons and bounced from teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, the Minnesota Wild, the San Jose Sharks, the New York Rangers and finally seemed to find solid ground with the Phoenix Coyotes. Yet, there would be a turn of events when the enforcer was traded to the Montreal Canadians. Then, he was demoted to the American Hockey League.

It seemed like this was his last hoorah. With a pregnant wife at home, the relocation was sheer heartbreak. Said former Chicago teammate Patrick Kane: “He did a great job of presenting himself to the league, being able to play the game. He’s a fun-loving guy. He will represent the game well, and he’ll try to do the best he can while he’s here. So why not have him here?” What Kane was referring to was that Scott was selected to represent the Canadians in the All-Star Game, but according to NHL rules, he was disqualified because of his demotion to the minors. But fans would not have it and the league granted their wishes, the now retired player, performed in the 2016 game exquisitely. As it turns out, it was not his last hoorah. He was selected as a captain and he also notched 2 goals and was named the MVP.

A pretty cool way for an underdog to conclude his career.

His lesson from it all? Well, it’s about not hearkening to the critics and to contradictory people. This is hard in a negative world he admits.

“Surround yourself with friends and family and you will be a lot happier at the end of the day.”

We all can agree with this advice. Take a cue from the guy who is considered one of the nicest guys to play in the league.

Never give up.