We wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to a number of the PREP 100 coaching staff in the coming weeks by highlighting how they became a success in the athletic arena as well as how they transitioned from the game of football to their post-NFL career.
Walking into any practice facility, or any room for that matter, Big George Hegamin is hard to miss. At 6’ 7” he is an imposing figure with a deep booming voice that echoes across the field, making it quite easy to spot exactly where the O-Lineman are receiving their position-specific training. Having played more than seven years in the league, he is a great mentor for the next generation of athletes willing to do the dirty work in the trenches. His energy and emotion permeate the whole camp and keep the boys engaged and willing to learn.
Here are a few questions that offer a more in depth look at George Hegamin and why we think he has been an outstanding member of the PREP 100 coaching staff. We tried to focus not only on his football exploits, but the elements of his character that can be offered as a roadmap for future student-athletes.
PE) Give us a little bit of your history… Where did you grow up? What did you do as a kid? What were your aspirations other than being a professional football player?
GH) “I was born and raised in Camden, NJ. As a kid I spent most of my free time reading as a means of exposure to things and places I otherwise had no access to, as well as concentrating on becoming a professional basketball player. I didn’t start playing organized football until I was a junior in high school. Therefore, I learned the sport much later than most. As a result, I was always behind the learning curve due. My exceptional athletic ability and size are what assisted me in being successful in football long before I became confident as a student of the game. However, as I grew to love the sport my thirst for it grew simultaneously. It eventually made me interested in playing the sport on the collegiate level. It was in college that my aspirations of becoming a professional increased the more successful I became as a player.”
PE) What college did you attend/Why? What did you study?
GH) “I attended North Carolina State University. I chose N.C. State over much larger schools as it offered me the unique opportunity to mature as a person, a student and an athlete at a pace conducive to long-term success. I began my academic career at state in psychology. However, I only attended State for three years before I left school early to assist my mother recover from cancer. “
PE) What have you been doing to keep busy/as a career since you left the NFL?
GH) “After retiring from the NFL I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and now I am presently pursuing a Ph.D. in Psychology with a concentration in Leadership Development and Coaching. I have dedicated my life to mentoring, training, coaching and educating all athletes how to effectively utilize the resources available to them to develop as students, athletes and citizens.”
PE) What is your proudest non-football related accomplishment?
“My proudest non-football related accomplishment is being able to be relevant in my children’s lives as a dedicated parent.”
PE) I’ve noticed you are such a big presence on the field, where did you develop that part of your personality?
“As a teenager I was blessed to have a chance opportunity to meet and speak with Reggie White. It was during that chance meeting that he taught me the power of words by speaking a “positive path into my life” that I would never forget. The words that Reggie spoke to me during that 10-minute conversation made me want people to remember my words, actions and character more than they would remember me for my size. Since then I dedicated myself to learning how to effectively connect with others with the purpose of building productive spiritual and intellectual relationships.”
PE) What has been the most rewarding aspect of working with the NFL Player Engagement Department and the PREP 100 Series?
GH) “The most rewarding aspect of working with NFLPE and the PREP 100 Series has been having a genuine platform to share valuable information with aspiring student-athletes and their families that they can use toward development and effectively transitioning from where they are now to where they wish to be. It also gives me the opportunity to pass down priceless personal experiences that both student-athletes and parents can use to assist them navigate the many pitfalls and challenges of competing with so many that seek the same but limited opportunities.”
PE) Where did you get the saying, “I will!”?
GH) “I WILL” is not something that I personally own. However, there is an unlimited amount of POWER in those two small words. When I first approached Troy (Vincent) with hopes of being a part of the PREP 100 platform I knew that if given the opportunity to speak passionately to the athletes that “I WILL” would help me accomplish just that. Athletes are all about productivity, therefore getting them to think, “I WILL,” speak, “I WILL,” and finally believe, “I WILL,” then their possibilities become limitless…..”