HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Keynote speaker Clint Bruce shared war stories, lessons learned playing linebacker and self-deprecating humor to entertain and motivate leaders at the 91st annual Arkansas Farm Bureau Convention on Thursday in Hot Springs.

"Leaders can be described with one of five words," Bruce told more than 700 of the state's farmers and ranchers. "Leaders are either bad, average, good, excellent or elite. Everyone knows what bad looks like. Nobody ever ask you 'How do you stay so average?' Good is not OK in your profession. The difference between excellent and elite is elite is not finished, yet."

The 51-year-old former pro football player and Navy SEAL lived in Arkansas through elementary school before moving to Garland, Texas. He shared about being baptized at Lake Nixon and playing youth football on Hwy. 10 in Little Rock. Bruce's aunt and uncle still own and operate a cattle and hay operation they started in 1963 on Crow Mountain near Russellville. He lauded the agriculture industry and thanked the crowd.

"It always come down to work," he said. "You learn that on the farm."

Bruce attended the Naval Academy, starring at middle linebacker for the Midshipmen and earning MVP of the 1996 Aloha Bowl. He spent time in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens, backing up Hall of Famer Ray Lewis.

He left the NFL to become a SEAL and completed multiple deployments before and after 9/11 working counterterrorism and national security missions.

Bruce said decisions, design and discipline are required to lead, quoting martial artist/actor Bruce Lee. "He said, 'I don't fear the person who has done 10,000 kicks. I fear the person who has made one kick 10,000 times.'"

He reminded the audience the board room is not as important as the breakfast table and said elite leadership requires a balance of friends, family and faith. Bruce and his wife have 3 daughters, who "do not care that I was a Navy SEAL and played in the NFL."

"I taught my daughters to be tough so when they're on a date with a handsome, blue-eyed quarterback they could ask two questions: 'Why are you touching my thigh and have you ever been punched in the throat?'"

The crowd rose to applaud as Bruce left stage, but he quickly returned for a one-line encore. "My mom, who got to be here today and is on the front row, was the last one to stand."

Arkansas Farm Bureau is a nonprofit, private advocacy organization of more than 160,000 families throughout the state working to improve farm and rural life.

Steve Eddington

(501) 912-6559

[email protected]

Jason Brown

(501) 891-1475

[email protected]