Fatherhood Quote by Todd English

There’s a quiet confession tucked inside this neat little career detour: the idea that drifting can be a kind of decision. Todd English frames his early life in the familiar language of American promise - youth sports, a father-coach, the pipeline toward bigger teams and bigger schools. It’s almost a script, and that’s the point: he sets up the expected arc so the pivot lands with extra force.

The revealing phrase is “never really pursued.” It’s not “I failed” or “I wasn’t good enough.” It’s a softer admission about desire and follow-through, the unglamorous truth behind a lot of origin stories. He had access, proximity, maybe even talent - but not the hunger for that particular grind. Then comes “bailing,” a word with a whiff of guilt, as if leaving the sports track is desertion rather than redirection. That small self-judgment makes the ending more human than heroic.

And then: “began cooking.” No fireworks, no destiny talk. Just a practical verb that suggests apprenticeship, repetition, heat, and time. In a celebrity culture that loves inevitability (“I always knew”), English offers something more believable: a life rerouted by choice, temperament, and circumstance.

Context matters here. Coming from a recognizable chef-as-brand figure, the quote punctures the myth that culinary success is purely romantic. It’s also about identity: trading one macho, structured arena (baseball) for another demanding discipline (professional kitchens), where the “coach” becomes the brigade system and the stakes are still public performance.