By John Ingoldsby | Engagement Insider
AURORA, OH – American Football Conference draftees got a rousing welcome to the world of the NFL Wednesday night as Jacksonville Jaguars Coach Gus Bradley kicked off the second half of the Rookie Symposium.
Like their NFC counterparts had experienced the past four days in northern Ohio, the AFC Class of 2014 was all ears as the passionate Bradley told them what every rookie really wants to hear – what are the expectations of an NFL head coach.
With fiery oratory that would make even Vince Lombardi proud, the former Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator mesmerized the 125 or so newest AFC players by hammering home the importance of a personal mission statement.
And to make this roadmap readable on how to make it in the League, Bradley used a slideshow to outline its key components for the young audience.
He said expectations start with genuine appreciation for the contributions of everyone who is part of the NFL, beginning with humility and becoming a Servant Leader who has no agenda while helping teammates get better, and displaying that leadership that is rooted in being a competitor, leading to always competing in top form by staying away from stress.
In the end, Bradley stated simply, “Keep the main thing, the main thing, which will lead to victory and each rookie becoming the best they can be.”
His one-hour discourse was so compelling that it prompted Tennessee Titans first-round pick Taylor Lewan to say the morning after, “Coach Bradley was so good, I would have enjoyed listening to him even longer.”
It also only took the first night for the offensive lineman from Michigan to add, “This Symposium is already one of the greatest things I have ever done.”
No surprise since after Bradley, Lewan and the others heard from four players who had just completed their rookie year, and spoke to the new group whose seats they had sat in merely a year ago.
Moderated by former player and current media personality Ross Tucker, the rookies learned about what life in the League is really like during Year One, courtesy of Jahleel Addae of the San Diego Chargers, Marcus Cooper of the Kansas City Chiefs, Matt Elam of the Baltimore Ravens, and Luke Willson of the Seahawks.
The foursome spoke frankly on what most surprised them in their first year, citing the length of the season and speed of the game to the high personnel turnover rate and the time commitment for film study.
Additionally, they offered insights as to life off the field such as friends and family asking for money and tickets, managing cash flow all year long since paychecks come only during the 16-week season, and even how to handle the rookie dinner where rookies pick up the tab for team veterans.
All of which can be overwhelming for men in their early 20s as they step onto the grandest stage in American sports, but messages they needed to hear.
“Those four really got my attention and shared a lot of good knowledge, which aligned perfectly with the process that we rookies will go through,” observed Quarterback A.J. McCarron of the Cincinnati Bengals. “We all come from different walks of life, so it was cool to hear all their stories and how they handled things, as well as get the tips they offered to us.”
Fellow draftee Quincy Enunua of the New York Jets wholeheartedly agreed, noting, “It was a great opportunity to learn from others about both their mistakes and their success.”
Also benefitting were a pair of Indianapolis Colts linebackers, with Andrew Jackson saying it was “the best to hear what different guys went through their rookie year,” and Jonathan Newsome calling it “interesting to hear the challenges they came across off the field since it was vital information to allow us to become the best pros we can be.”
Fortunately for all of them and their classmates, the NFL recognizes this reality, and so for 17 years has held the Symposium to display its genuine desire for, as NFL Player Engagement (NFLPE) Vice President Patrick Kerney said right off the top, “the draftees to be successful both on and off the field.”
Success that is sought for all players by the NFLPE department, beginning with their hosting the Symposium and continuing throughout and after players’ NFL experience with a multitude of educational programs and internships.
Opportunities that will be better understood by the rookies after attending a variety of Total Wellness sessions orchestrated by NFL Director of Transition and Clinical Services Dwight Hollier (LPC & NCC) and ably administered by his clinician colleagues.
Those meetings include breakout sessions focusing on financial strength, respect at work, DUI prevention, and emotional wellness, which led directly into general gatherings addressing player health & safety, substances of abuse, and performance enhancing substances, all of which ultimately lead to rookies knowing how to reach out for the wide array of services available to them.
But the NFL knows these are still young men with elite competitive drive, which is why former receiver David Tyree opens all the sessions with the high-energy Ultimate Rookie Challenge, which asks questions about previous sessions and ranks the answers by rookie teams and individuals.
And on the first full morning, AFC attendees embraced the questions from the Bradley and Foursome sessions the night before, igniting loud laughter while building a bond between the new teammates.
Later in the morning, they also laughed again as 28-year NFL training and nutrition expert Rusty Jones brought the subject of hydrating and diet to life with an extremely entertaining and informative presentation that connected what they drink and eat directly to injuries.
Jones emphasized that the all too common muscle pulls must be avoided at all costs, particularly during a rookie’s first training camp, and hopefully in future training camps and seasons as well.
The League also keeps the juices flowing by getting the rookies out of the hotel and onto the field for an NFL Play 60 youth event & BBQ, where they spend a morning with over a hundred youngsters having fun with football at the Cleveland Browns training facility.
Then, just like the approximately 125 NFC rookies who participated in the same activities as above, the AFC contingent is taken by bus to the nearby Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.
While there, they learn all about the gridiron greats who came before them – and perhaps see for themselves where they could ultimately end up if they follow the lessons laid out for them this week.