As the author of more than a dozen books, four of which became instant New York Times best-sellers, Don Yaeger has developed a reputation as one of America's most provocative journalists.

His award-winning writing career, including 10 years as Associate Editor of Sports Illustrated, has led to guest appearances on every major talk show in America - from Oprah to Nightline; from CNN to Good Morning America.

Few can lay claim to as exciting and colorful a career as Don Yaeger. In his 20-plus years as a journalist, he has conducted interviews with some of the greatest athletes of our time - Michael Jordan, Mia Hamm, Emmitt Smith, Serena Williams, Jimmy Connors and countless others. Don Yaeger has lived with Walter Payton, writing the NFL legend's autobiography as Payton courageously battled cancer, has walked into Afghanistan with the mujahedeen as they fought the Soviets, chronicled the high-profile Duke Lacrosse scandal and has even interviewed the President of the United States in the Oval Office.

• What Makes The Great Ones Great : Don has had a front-row seat with some of the greatest winners in athletics. They are legends in their own right, but does anyone believe the athletes mentioned above are really the GREATEST athletes of their time, physically? Remember, Jordan wasn't even the first pick of the draft. O'Neal didn't make his high school varsity team until he was a junior. Payton had to go to a small black college because bigger schools didn't want to risk a scholarship on him. Connors, at 5-10, 155 pounds, was dwarfed by most of his competitors. But each became a champion through strengths and skills that had nothing to do with physical prowess.
  
  Using rich, personal accounts gathered from more than 20 years of interviews with many of today's sports legends and business leaders, Don has distilled Sixteen Consistent Characteristics of Greatness. He will share with the audience these characteristics - in how they think, how they prepare, how they work and how they live - that truly make the great ones great. Then he'll explain how every audience member can apply these characteristics to their personal and professional lives.
  
  Don works with every organization to customize his presentation by determining which characteristics and stories to discuss. Depending on the theme of your event and the needs of the audience, he may choose to tell the story of John Wooden and how he demonstrated the Value of Association or how Michael Jordan showed him that hating to lose is more important than loving to win, among many others.