By Charles Way
Vice President, NFL Player Engagement
Congratulations to all of you who have just achieved your lifelong dream by being drafted into the National Football League.
Every one of you, as well as undrafted free agents who are signing as we speak with NFL teams, earned this distinction and today you can truly say that all your hard work has paid off.
But this is not the end, this is the beginning.
As fulfilled as you feel right now in the immediate afterglow of Chicago, May is quite possibly the most important month of your gridiron career, and certainly no time to relax.
During the next few weeks, you will be partaking in OTAs (Organized Team Activities), which will kick off your actual football activities for the teams with whom you will begin your potential NFL career.
What this means of course is that you need to take the training you have done leading up to the draft to the next level, so that you are in absolutely peak shape for this month.
Additionally, your character off the field is of the utmost importance as you are presented with the privilege of potentially playing in the NFL. To accomplish this, we expect you to follow our League’s core values, which are respect, integrity, responsibility to team, and resiliency.
Even though you are already the chosen ones, there is only one chance to make a first impression wearing your new organization’s colors.
Those initial moments, from saying hello to participating in your first drill, can last a lifetime, so don’t be that guy who got out of shape and can’t cut it.
Instead, recognize this month for exactly what it is -- the biggest opportunity of your life – and treat this time accordingly.
You have already succeeded in step one, which took years to attain, but the truth is that this is only the price of admission.
Now you need to perform better than you ever have before. The best thing to do in the coming weeks is to fine-tune and elevate your entire being – mental, physical & spiritual. The worst thing to do is to settle into a sense of accomplishment and entitlement.
If you approach it this way, then you can put your best foot forward when you first step onto your new team’s turf.
As always, we are here at NFL Player Engagement to assist you and answer any questions you may have as you begin what we sincerely hope will be a long and fruitful journey in the National Football League.
This is the greatest ride you will ever take… but the impact you have on the NFL and your legacy begins today!