NFL'S ROOKIE SYMPOSIUM.....PAY ATTENTION!
The NFL recently concluded it's 3-day rookie symposium in Florida. All 256 players taken in the April draft were required to attend. They were subjected to lectures, role playing & economic advice. One thing has been a constant since the NFL began these mandatory weekends, most guys 'get it' but some do not. Unfortunately, the minority who don't get it, are the ones the symposium is directed at in the first place.
NFLPA Director, DeMaurice Smith, Len Dawson, Marcellus Wiley, Cris Carter & Chris Draft were speakers during the course of the 3 days. Carter, who has been a speaker at the symposium for years, pointed out the guys who get in trouble, were the guys daydreaming or sleeping during the symposium. He mentioned Michael Vick, 'Pacman' Jones, Maurice Clarett & Plaxico Burress were all mentioned by name repeatedly. Coupled with Donte Stallworth, just these names alone should make an impression of today's rookies. Showing just how badly things can fall apart quickly. How a player can lose virtually everything in one bad decision. Further making Carter's point was a rookie who repeatedly fell asleep during his lecture. Carter yelled, waking the player over & over. Apparently not making the intended impression.
They were lectured on drug abuse, domestic violence, dealing with the media, being caught on cell phone cameras in compromising positions or places, the perils of gambling & the people associated with illegal gambling, financial advice & learning to say no to people who reappear in your life after finding out you've now become an NFL player.
Marcellus Wiley, now with ESPN, gave a long lecture about guns, he related his personal story about illegally carrying a handgun while with the Bills. He finally threw the gun into Niagara Falls after realizing no good came from players carrying guns. I hope they were listening, most probably were, but it's the few that will have gun trouble, that got absolutely zero out of Wiley's point.
Steeler head coach, Mike Tomlin, said "don't be the one who commits domestic violence, don't be the one who let's his team down by being suspended for drugs, don't be the one does something stupid with a gun, just don't be that guy".
Out of the 256 players who attended the symposium, statistically speaking, about 12 of them will have trouble of one kind or another. Being young, suddenly rich & never having had anyone tell you 'no' before, can be very difficult for young men to process. Some of these kids were raised in a very strict environment, others almost raised themselves. But as time goes on, the player who kept falling asleep will have his named leaked & we'll see if his career is peppered with bad decisions, arrests or suspensions. I only wish these young men fully understood the opportunity they have to both play the game they love at the highest level & provide for their families & themselves in a way they would have only dreamed possible.
NFLPA Director, DeMaurice Smith, Len Dawson, Marcellus Wiley, Cris Carter & Chris Draft were speakers during the course of the 3 days. Carter, who has been a speaker at the symposium for years, pointed out the guys who get in trouble, were the guys daydreaming or sleeping during the symposium. He mentioned Michael Vick, 'Pacman' Jones, Maurice Clarett & Plaxico Burress were all mentioned by name repeatedly. Coupled with Donte Stallworth, just these names alone should make an impression of today's rookies. Showing just how badly things can fall apart quickly. How a player can lose virtually everything in one bad decision. Further making Carter's point was a rookie who repeatedly fell asleep during his lecture. Carter yelled, waking the player over & over. Apparently not making the intended impression.
They were lectured on drug abuse, domestic violence, dealing with the media, being caught on cell phone cameras in compromising positions or places, the perils of gambling & the people associated with illegal gambling, financial advice & learning to say no to people who reappear in your life after finding out you've now become an NFL player.
Marcellus Wiley, now with ESPN, gave a long lecture about guns, he related his personal story about illegally carrying a handgun while with the Bills. He finally threw the gun into Niagara Falls after realizing no good came from players carrying guns. I hope they were listening, most probably were, but it's the few that will have gun trouble, that got absolutely zero out of Wiley's point.
Steeler head coach, Mike Tomlin, said "don't be the one who commits domestic violence, don't be the one who let's his team down by being suspended for drugs, don't be the one does something stupid with a gun, just don't be that guy".
Out of the 256 players who attended the symposium, statistically speaking, about 12 of them will have trouble of one kind or another. Being young, suddenly rich & never having had anyone tell you 'no' before, can be very difficult for young men to process. Some of these kids were raised in a very strict environment, others almost raised themselves. But as time goes on, the player who kept falling asleep will have his named leaked & we'll see if his career is peppered with bad decisions, arrests or suspensions. I only wish these young men fully understood the opportunity they have to both play the game they love at the highest level & provide for their families & themselves in a way they would have only dreamed possible.
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