Will Svitek is a traveling man. He has been on the move since he was two years old and hasn’t stopped since.
“I make it a point during every offseason to get out of the country and see other places,” commented Svitek. After visiting such places as Egypt, Brazil, Italy, Prague, and England, to name a few, Svitek has enjoyed the ability to get away and clear his mind from the grind of a long, arduous NFL season while taking in all that each country has to offer. Each place he has had the opportunity to visit provided a different cultural experience.
“Brazil is laid back country with a ‘take it easy’ feel, but the [country’s] poverty is at a whole new level. Italy is a place in which family is so important. Experiencing London and afternoon tea as part of the culture as well as Egypt and the Muslim culture are examples of how there are so many different places to go to expand your horizons and see how everyone is different in this world,” described Svitek.
While he now has the luxury of traveling at his leisure, this world traveler got his beginnings as a youngster being carried through the mountains of Yugoslavia on the back of his older brother.
Svitek’s traveling days started at the ripe old age of two. Long before his memories began, Svitek and his family were living in communist Czechoslovakia. Svitek’s parents were political refugees and sought out a better life for Will and his brothers. (For more details on the Svitek family’s amazing journey, check out this piece.) They came to America with little to no money and had to build a new life from scratch. Watching his parents work for everything for their family instilled valuable lessons to young Will that have helped him in his journey to the NFL.
“We came to America and didn’t have a lot of money, but my parents always worked hard to make sure we were never short of anything,” said Svitek. After applying the family trait of hard work, Svitek spent his collegiate days at Stanford, where he shined as a defensive end for the Cardinal. In addition to the demands on the football field, Svitek also managed the arduous coursework at Stanford and graduated with a Political Science degree. The hard work and determination has clearly paid off as he was once again on the move. This time he took the short trip from one side of the ball to the other.
After making a living as a defensive end in his college days at Stanford, Svitek made to switch to left tackle in training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs in his rookie season, a feat that is cannot be understated. “The hardest thing about the switch was pass blocking,” said Svitek.
“Run blocking has similarities to playing defense, but pass blocking is a completely different animal. Pass blocking is more of sitting back, while playing defense you are always in attack mode.”
Left tackle is thought to be the most important offensive line position to play, usually matching up against the other team’s best pass rusher and protecting the quarterback’s blind side. To make the switch at the top level of football speaks volumes to the hard work, dedication, and athleticism of Svitek. His tenure with the Chiefs was short lived but he landed on his feet with the Atlanta Falcons.
Svitek has been in the NFL for 7 years now and attributes his success to the values instilled in him by his parents and family. “They taught me what hard work, work ethic and determination were. Also, never taking opportunities for granted, while instilling a work ethic and professionalism in me that has helped me get to the point to earn a Stanford degree and spend the past 7 years in the NFL.”
During the season, the only travel he does is for road trips to play away games. His days consist of waking up, going to practice, sitting in meetings, lifting weights, and coming back home to relax. “I am a pretty boring guy during the season,” quipped Svitek. “I do a lot of things in the off-season though.”
In addition to his passion for travel, Svitek participates in the NFL’s executive education program which affords the opportunity for NFL players to take MBA courses at the University of Penn’s Wharton School and Harvard Business School. “It’s an amazing opportunity to supplement my Stanford degree with classes from Wharton and Harvard; it’s a no-brainer. I am looking forward to continuing the classes this off-season,” Svitek said.
With the Falcons in the thick of a playoff hunt for an NFC wild card berth, the off season is far from his mind. But the Svitek family’s humble beginnings continually drive his success. Will had the opportunity to return to Prague with his parents to see where the journey began.
“I have been back to Prague twice, once in third grade after communism ended and once in 2006 during a stint with NFL Europe,” said Svitek. “It was amazing to go with my parents; they were the best tour guides you could ever have. We walked through different places that were important to us like where my parents were married and where our last house was before we left. It was a once in lifetime opportunity to be there with my parents and get their perspective on things.”
To see where he came from as compared to where he is now is a great story of the American dream of success through hard work. His travels have taken him around the world, but he has never been far from his family, or abandoned the values they instilled in him.
