I was honored the night before the NFL Draft to host the third annual NFLPA Rookie Debut at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. It was an exceptional evening in many ways. It is always special to meet and speak with the young men that will now enter the NFL after outstanding college careers. There is an innocence about them, a little boy excitement that comes shining through in every word, every mannerism. It’s a fantasy come to life, a dream that didn’t end when you awakened. It was truly a joy to see, and the emotion of the evening was palpable.
In my 33 year career as a Senior Producer at NFL Films, I have had the opportunity to talk to, and work with many present and retired players in many different settings. It has been my experience that almost all are fine men with a realistic world view, and a strong sense of their place in that world. In addition, I have been fortunate in my role as a teacher in the Broadcast Boot Camp to work closely with a number of players, mentoring them as they begin the transition from NFL player to another career, and have been singularly impressed. These are thoughtful men with a broader perspective, men who see themselves as far more than NFL players, men with an innate understanding of their larger role in their communities.
For the 2012 draft class, life is about to change dramatically. While the draft is the culmination of one dream, another will begin this weekend with rookie mini-camps. The reality of playing in the NFL will be quickly and clearly brought to their attention. They are now competing, every day, and the sooner they collectively welcome that truth, the better their chances of early success. In the NFL, everyone’s job, including the coaches, is carefully scrutinized, and is therefore on the line. The quicker rookies recognize that coaching and teaching and cajoling and pushing is not personal, the more likely they are to learn and perform.
It is absolutely necessary for these young men to immediately understand that this is now the NFL. It might seem like a very simple recognition to make, but playing on Sunday is far different from Saturday football. And it does not matter where you played your college football, or what level of success you achieved. What is rarely talked about publicly, but I can tell you from many conversations with NFL players, is a simple, common sense point: in college you are playing with and against boys, in the NFL you are playing with and against men. Think about that. Come in with quiet confidence, maybe a little swagger if that’s your personality, but never lose sight of the commitment and concentration it will take to play in the NFL. It’s not college football, even if you played in the SEC.
Let me tell you a quick story about Wilbert Montgomery, presently the running backs coach for the Baltimore Ravens. He was a 6th round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1977, from a small NAIA school in Texas, Abilene Christian. From 1978-81, Montgomery was one of the best backs in the NFL, a multi-dimensional runner-receiver with outstanding skills. Some have said he was Marshall Faulk before Marshall Faulk, he was that good. Ron Jaworski, one of my best friends, was the quarterback on those Eagles teams. He shared with me that Montgomery came to work every day, whether it was off-season workouts, training camp, during the season, expecting to get cut. He was waiting for a coach or the dreaded “turk” to find him and tell him that his services were no longer required. Maybe it was his small school background, maybe it was his lower round draft status. More than likely, it was a core part of his personality. Whatever the case, that attitude pushed him to be the very best he could be, every single day, no exceptions. He maintained that belief and mindset even after he had achieved greatness. Look it up: his 1979 season was one of the best by a back in NFL history, to this day.
Montgomery’s outlook on his career should be the foundation for all of 2012’s draft picks. Never give less than your best, in anything that you do. Make certain you can look yourself in the mirror and feel good about the person staring back at you. We all know when we fall short of our own expectations and abilities. No matter how many rationalizations or excuses we talk ourselves into, we know. I remember Dick Vermeil, Super Bowl winning head coach of the St. Louis Rams, telling me, No one gets better by working less. Simple but true.
It all starts with attitude. Attitude is the way you think. It’s something other people can actually see. They can hear it in your voice, and feel it when they’re with you. Your attitude expresses itself in everything you do, all the time, wherever you are. If you have the right attitude, you are always looking for solutions to problems that you can solve, and not wasting time or thought on things over which you have no control.
As the 2012 draft class begins its journey, let me end with a life lesson I received from a good friend, Tom Crean, the head basketball coach at Indiana University. He said there are 2 pains in life – the pain of discipline, and the pain of regret. The pain of discipline allows you to get better and not accept failure. It drives you to do what you need to do when you have to do it. The pain of regret is not doing what a disciplined person does, and then falling short in your aspirations and goals.
The pain of discipline is hard to do. The pain of regret is impossible to live with. Not many get this opportunity. Embrace it. Don’t let it go. I wish nothing but the best for the wonderful young men I was honored to meet as they pursue their dream of playing, and succeeding in the NFL.
By Greg Cosell
See his full bio here, follow him on Twitter at @gregcosell
