'NFL mean guy coach might have to stay' says Luke Willson on his new strategy

"I think I made some mistakes as a coach, I am definitely disappointed." Going into Episode 2 of Canada's Ultimate Challenge, Team Black, coached by NFL star Luke Willson, is in last place. 

Team member Bradley Farquar feels the pressure, "If you're not first, you're last. And I hate, hate losing. I gotta work harder, I gotta dig deeper. I gotta do something so we can make sure we get some six points around here."

Unlike the other celebrity coaches featured on Canada's Ultimate Challenge, Luke is not an Olympian, he comes from the high-pressure world of the NFL. "The Olympians seem to have a very different attitude than what the NFL locker room was like," says Luke, "I feel like I'm kind of known as the oddball here."

With his high-energy attitude on the field, Luke definitely looks the part. But he says it's all part of his plan to encourage his players to embrace their individuality and dig deep for a win. 

"There's a little bit of this guy [that's] unapologetically strange. And it was something that I wanted to use tactically," says Luke. "I think if [we] can win that mental game, it's a big advantage."

In the hayfield challenge in Hinton, Alta., Luke drops his nice-guy persona. "By the end of this thing, you should have blurred vision. Like borderline blackout, coughing up a lung," he shouts to his team as they prepare to push a 500 kg bale of hay through an obstacle course. 

Watch the action. 

The team bounces back, placing a very close second after Team Orange led by coach Gilmore Junio. 

"In that moment, when we were separated from the pack with the orange team and we were struggling a little bit, I looked up and I was like, 'Wow, I underestimated my players because they were grinding,'" remembers Luke. 

Team Black had bonded behind their coach, "I thought that that really gave us an edge to push and perform better as a whole than as individuals."

In Canada's Ultimate Challenge, each coach brought a different range of experiences and style to the game. "If it's a win, that's nice. But if it's not, it also doesn't define you," says coach Clara Hughes who jumped in to support Mitchell Wendland after his disappointing performance in the game's first challenge.

"It's a collaborative environment," says speed skating champ and coach Gilmore Junio, "teamwork makes the dream work. That's why we're going to win it all."

In coaching for the first time on Canada's Ultimate Challenge, Luke says he learned a valuable lesson, "I need to really lay out a great plan so that they don't have to make things up. They can go just execute it. And to me as a player, that always took a big stress away. It allowed me to have more fun."

"Let's go to these challenges with a ton of energy, a big smile and just rip it. It's really time to turn the dial up now," says Luke. Can Team Black pull ahead and take the prize? 

Watch Canada's Ultimate Challenge on CBC Gem to find out.