Underdog mentality drives ECU alum, former football walk-on

From his humble beginnings as a child in Chihuahua, Mexico to being recognized as one of the top sales representatives for the cardiac rhythm management division of Boston Scientific in Texas, East Carolina University alumnus Carlos Ochoa ’00, ’01 credits his successes to one thing — working harder than everyone around him. Still, life wasn’t always easy for Ochoa, and his path to Greenville was an unlikely one.

Former East Carolina University football walk-on Carlos Ochoa faced challenges as incoming international student, but learned lessons in Greenville that anchored him for the rest his life. (Contributed photos)

“I grew up in Northern Mexico and one summer I was working as a translator for a missionary group from the United States and became friends with a 15-year-old who was on the trip,” Ochoa said. “I shared with him my dream of wanting to go to an American university to play American football. When he went home to Greenville, he told his parents about me and asked if I could live with them during my senior year of high school. They agreed and I arrived in Greenville to start my senior year.”

While perhaps serendipitous, Ochoa’s journey wasn’t without its challenges.

“My senior year was perhaps the worst year of my life. I had to adjust to living with a new family, figuring out a new language and playing on a new team with new coaches and new teammates,” Ochoa said. “School was difficult, and I didn’t get much playing time on the field. But it was sink or swim for me. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do after graduating. I had been accepted to ECU and the dad of the family I was living with explained that I could try to walk on to the ECU football team. It was either that or head back to Chihuahua. So, I headed to ECU as a walk-on.”

Little did he know that being a walk-on would change his life. The struggles he faced on the bench and the field carried with them several valuable lessons — and they ultimately led him to where he is today. Over the years, Ochoa has learned to apply them to every area of his life — and to help them stick, he’s even boiled them down to a few key points. “I call them my ‘three rules of the walk-on,’” he said.

Rule number one: Win the battle of the mind.

Before any academic, athletic or professional battle, Ochoa says you first have to win in your head. “You must determine ahead of time that you aren’t going to quit – no matter what. Your mental state going into something is critical.” As a walk-on to the ECU football team, Ochoa recognized he was going to be put through the wringer before having a shot at some real playing time. And giving up, he determined, was not an option.

The rule served Ochoa well during his time at ECU. After redshirting his freshman year, Ochoa earned playing time during his next four years of eligibility and even received a coveted athletic scholarship his senior year. Ochoa went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in political science and his master’s degree in international studies — all while earning top honors including the ECU University Award, which is bestowed upon seniors who have demonstrated rare achievement in scholarship, leadership and service; the E.E. Rawls Memorial Award for character, scholarship and athletic achievement; and the Jerry T. Brooks Award for academic achievement. In winning the battle of the mind, Ochoa learned how much he could truly accomplish.

Ochoa is one of the top sales representatives for the cardiac rhythm management division of Boston Scientific.

Rule number two: Embrace whatever role you are given with passion and humility.

As a walk-on, Ochoa felt the need to prove himself every day. Plus, he never had the luxury to say “no” to anything asked of him. While challenging at the time, that lesson paid dividends in his professional life.

“Early in my career, I was working in pharmaceutical sales for Eli Lilly and knew I wanted to make a change. I wanted to add more technical value and provide better service to patients, so I thought medical device sales would be a better path for me,” Ochoa said. “I interviewed with Boston Scientific for a year and a half before I could convince them to take a chance on me. They offered me the lowest position of all the sales jobs they had and I took it.”

Ochoa spent a year learning the technical piece of the cardiac rhythm management division. “I used that year to show them that I could perform the job and I was very effective at influencing people and building relationships,” he said.

“When I started in my first role as a sales rep, they gave me the smallest territory. But I took the same approach I applied to football and followed the pattern. I kept working at it and expanding the business and before long I was the top sales rep in the country. Within six years of starting at Boston Scientific, I received the Statesman Award — the top lifetime achievement award offered by the company.”

Ochoa grew his $1 million territory to lifetime sales of nearly $75 million. How? His third rule, of course: Outwork and outsmart the competition. Every day.

“To get the same recognition, I have to know more than everyone and work harder than everyone. But it’s rewarding. I love being able to impact other people’s lives — whether it’s the physicians I work with, the patients I help or the team members I manage. I get to make an impact on people and an impact on patients. And, at the end of the day, that’s really rewarding.”

ECU is in the public phase of the Pursue Gold campaign to raise half a billion dollars. This ambitious effort will create new paths to success for Pirates on campus, across the country and around the world. Donor gifts during the campaign will keep us constantly leading and ready to advance what’s possible. Learn more at pursuegold.ecu.edu.