Meet the Experts

I’m Julius Thomas, Founder and CEO of Optimal Performance. I’ve played Division 1 college basketball, been an NFL Pro Bowler, and now I’m a mental performance expert—but I didn’t start off this way. I was just a regular kid with big dreams, probably a lot like you.

My journey in performance started with basketball. I wasn’t a standout early on. In fact, I began my high school career at the end of the bench on the freshman team. But I kept pushing. After a strong start, I learned the steps needed to excel and earned a Division 1 scholarship to Portland State.

My college basketball career wasn’t easy—it forced me to climb my way from the bench to the starting lineup. But through that, I picked up more mental performance tools and skills that helped me thrive. After four great years of college basketball, I made a leap. I decided to try football, even though I hadn’t played since eighth grade. One season at Portland State, and somehow, I went from being ranked 31 out of 31 draft-eligible tight ends to a 4th-round draft pick.

My NFL journey was just as challenging as my high school and college paths. I came into the league during a lockout, sleeping on a friend’s couch in LA just to keep training. Then, on my very first catch, I suffered a devastating injury that sidelined me for two years. It would’ve been easy to give up, but I didn’t. I fought back. I became a two-time Pro Bowler and one of the best players at my position in the league.

I had everything I thought I wanted—big achievements, luxury cars, a million-dollar house—but something was missing.

That’s when I made another bold move: I walked away from the game to pursue my doctorate in clinical health psychology. I wanted to understand myself better, and I wanted to help others do the same.

“Success isn’t just about what you achieve; it’s about how you feel while achieving it.”