ABOUT THIS EPISODE
In Episode 7 of Playbook Optional, Daniel Gotera starts with football — breaking down the Texans’ 36–31 loss to Buffalo, the reaction surrounding C.J. Stroud, what went wrong and why he’s not ready to panic about the season just yet.
Then the episode takes a very different turn.
While driving back from a work trip, Daniel experienced his first severe panic attack in more than a year. It came completely out of nowhere — a sudden surge through his body, shaking, a racing heart and the terrifying realization that he was behind the wheel of a car while it was happening.
He talks candidly about getting off the highway, trying to regain control, eventually making it to the airport and spending nearly 45 minutes alone in a meditation room trying to get his nervous system to settle down.
It’s an episode about two very different kinds of adversity.
One is football.
The other is a reminder that progress isn't always a straight line.
