I’ll take a stab at this. I think juice is CGC’s way of talking about positive energy, the same concept Jon Gordon lays out in the energy bus.. it’s not specific to talent as much as effort and relentless positivity and belief in oneself.
He wants guys who will line up and go all out on every rep against “the opposition” without caring who it is on the other side of the ball. They may be scrubs or world beaters, a dude with juice doesn’t care they just put the ball down and play to the top of their ability. It’s the same message as coaches like Saban talking about measuring his teams against his standard for them and not how the beat the other guys. I like this concept a lot. Bad news is, IMHO, that the message got lost inside the idea of swagger and bravado, in many ways and times even worse in false bravado with our guys.
Going to work and making a play, then trotting the ball back to the ref and lining back up to do it again?
Juice.
Jawing at the other guy after doing no more than your job?
Bravado.
Clapping and celebrating a receiver dropping a pass after you got beat?
False Bravado.
To me it is about guys who do their job and revel in the satisfaction of work for the sake of work:
- Gibbs showing up to the gym early to put in work so he could stay ahead of the opposition.
- Sims and Yates cheering each other on from the sideline.
- Defensive backs crediting DL for hurrying passers to cause INTs
