In command of an airliner disabled shortly after taking off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport, Sullenberger put the craft safely into the Hudson River, saving all 155 people on board. It was a peak performance to remember.

His comments afterward are a monument to the attitude and mental game that all coaches would love their players to take into practice.

“For 42 years, I’ve been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience: education and training,” Sullenberger said. “And on January 15 the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal.”

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TotalGamePlan offers Winner’s Workshops for schools, sports teams and businesses. The emphasis is on motivation, skill-building and teamwork. To bring a  Winner’s Workshop to your group, just email coachtully@totalgameplan.com or call (973) 800-5836. To order a copy of “Ten Things Great Coaches Know,” click here.

Without that game, in which the New York Jets defeated the heavily favored Baltimore Colts 16-7, there might not be a Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5 in Indianapolis.

There might not billions of dollars in TV contracts for the NFL. There might not be the economic impact, both for the host city and in countless millions spent on Super Bowl parties. There might not be a cultural impact marking the end of a long winter festival that begins on Thanksgiving and lasts until shortly before baseball’s spring training.

None of that might have happened without a brash quarterback named Joe Namath, who guaranteed a Jets victory. And how did the Jets get Namath? In a story told by New York Post columnist Phil Mushnick — one I had never heard before — Namath came to the Jets because of an umbrella and a rainstorm! Mushnick tells the story as part of his overall point that current Jets Coach Rex Ryan revealed his character in a post-game moment.

Here’s what happened. The Jets held a top draft pick were trying to decide between two impact quarterbacks: Jerry Rhome of Tulsa and Namath of Alabama. Jets owner Sonny Werblin and his wife took Rhome out to dinner. You always learn about people over dinner. But after dinner came a moment that changed history. Rhome dashed for a car in the rain without holding the umbrella for Mrs. Werblin. Right there Werblin decided to draft Namath.

It’s a sports lesson and a life lesson. “It’s nice to be important but it‘s more important to be nice.”

“Circumstances do not make a man, they reveal him,” Dr. Wayne W. Dyer.

Jets fans can be thankful for the rain that brought Namath.

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TotalGamePlan offers Winner’s Workshops for schools, sports teams and businesses. The emphasis is on motivation, skill-building and teamwork. To bring a Winner’s Workshop to your group, just email coachtully@totalgameplan.com or call (973) 800-5836. To order a copy of “Ten Things Great Coaches Know,” click here.

It was 40 years ago when Joe Namath backed up his guarantee that the Jets would beat the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.

Funny that 40 years later, the same Jets franchise is being led by a coach who, like Namath, is not afraid to speak outside the box. Rex Ryan has led the Jets into the second round of the playoffs with stirring speeches.

But there will never be a guarantee quite like Namath’s. Not only were the Colts favored by more than two touchdowns, but back then the National Football League was considered to be vastly superior to the American Football League, where the Jets played.

But Namath guaranteed victory, and later he explained why. He knew some of the Colts players from his days in college ball, and he knew that the Jets players were just as good as they were.

In other words, Namath believed his eyes and his experience more than he believed what other people said.

It’s a great lesson for everyone. Never give an opponent too much credit. That gives them an edge. As the saying goes, “Respect all, fear none.” That approach will help you. Guaranteed.

Tiger certainly seemed to. He had money, fame and a new family. But now his image is in shambles, and who knows how he will move on from here?

Whatever happens, the story brings to mind the two biggest mistakes that competitors can make: First, they give their opponents too much credit; second, they don’t give themselves enough.

Great champions like Woods always carry a mystique. They seem other-worldly. But these troubles show just the opposite: Woods is very human. And that should help those who go up against him on Sunday afternoon. Why give him too much credit?

On the other hand, some people give themselves too little credit. They see only their flaws and not their strengths. They defeat themselves before others even have a chance to do so.

Herb Brooks understood these two mistakes when coached the United States hockey team to the Olympic gold medal in 1980. Going up against a Soviet team that seemed unbeatable, Brooks tried to humanize the foe. He noticed that Soviet star Boris Mikhailov resembled comedian Stan Laurel and used the comparison to make fun of him. At the same time, Brooks constantly suggested that SOMEONE was going to beat the Soviets. Why not his own team?

Like Brooks, Joe Namath never accepted the role of underdog. He guaranteed a Super Bowl victory — and delivered it — by refusing to give too much credit to the Baltimore Colts. When asked later how he could have been so sure the Jets could compete with a team that was favored by 18 points, Namath simply said, “I knew we were as good as they were.” How did he know it? From his college career.

Josh Beckett also refused to buy into mystique. In fact, he pushed back against it. When the Marlin were debating who should pitch in Game 6 of the 2003 World Series, Beckett supposedly said, “Gimme the ball. I’m tired of this Yankee stuff.” Whether or not the story is true, Beckett pitched a shutout and the Marlins won the Series.

So Woods now has less of a mystique. He may still be a great golfer, but perhaps people won’t give him more credit than he deserves.

Back then, the Jets played in the American Football League, which was considered not in the same class as the long-established National Football League. The first two Super Bowls had been so lopsided that people wondered if it were worth it to continue. Furthermore, the Colts were favored by 18 points.

Then the Jets went out and won!

What does that football game have to do with your life?

Everything. One of the reasons they Jets won that game was because their preparation was outstanding. In particular, they watched a lot of film. Maybe that doesn’t sound very special; all football teams watch film. But like anything else, watching film can be done in a variety of ways. You can go through the motions, work hard at it, or anything in between. The Jets worked hard at it.

The more they watched, the more they realized that the Colts were beatable. While the rest of the world was wondering exactly how lopsided the game would be, the Jets were actually growing in confidence.

Namath made lots of news in the days leading up to the Super Bowl, with his prediction of victory and his poolside interviews. But no one saw the preparation that he and his teammates put in.

You, too, can beat enormous odds if you take the time and care to make your preparation special.

Tony LaRussa, manager of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, seems to have a dream job. Not only does he get to spend every day at the ballpark, but he gets to travel the country, seeing some of the greatest cities in the world.

But you won’t find LaRussa sightseeing much. He spends lots of time in his hotel room, deep in preparation. He wants to make sure he’s thought of everything. He doesn’t want a single possible edge to be overlooked. LaRussa knows that he can’t win every game, but when it comes to preparation, he wants to be ahead every time.

If you want to come out ahead more often, prepare the way Namath and LaRussa do.

You can email Coach Mike Tully at coachtully@totalgameplan.com.