Boy, does this hit a chord right now. He's never had anything like this happen to him.
He hears the whispers and so do I. Fortunately, we've both got pretty thick skin. He seems to be holding up better than I am; it's killing me.
To his credit, he is staying true to one of the oldest sports mantras:
The only thing I have complete control over is my effort. If I keep working, sooner or later there will be a payoff.
Later can't come soon enough.