Jon Gordon has come a long way since he strapped on the pads during his Cornell career. He played under the great Richie Moran starting in 1989 and left Ithaca feeling fulfilled and ready for what the working world would bring him.

Gordon struggled to find the career that best fit his personality, so he spent his late 20s and early 30s looking to find a job that brought joy back to his life. He had to answer the question: “Why am I here?”

His next move was purchasing a Moe’s Southwest Grille franchise, which he kept afloat until his passion took shape. A woman approached Gordon — a managing partner at New York Life — in his restaurant while he was cleaning tables, and he told her that he was a motivational speaker (he had never given a speech). The woman offered him a chance to speak to her colleagues, and thus a career was born.

Decades later, Gordon is a bestselling author and keynote speaker best known for his books “The Power of Positive Leadership” and “The Hard Hat,” which tells the story of the late Cornell great George Boiardi.

Gordon sat down with Paul Carcaterra on Season 4, Episode 2 of “Overtime” to talk about his lacrosse upbringing and his unbelievable story of success, both in his career and within his own family.

The episode will drop Wednesday morning and will be available wherever you get your podcasts. Check out “Overtime” now on Apple and Spotify.