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The NFL logo is seen after being painted on the field at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2007, as workers prepare for Super Bowl XLI between the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007. The stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins and the Florida Marlins, will hold up to 75,000 people for the Super Bowl. Photographer: Richard Sheinwald/Bloomberg News.
The 2018 NFL Draft is over. There were 256 players selected this year over 7 rounds. To each of those young athletes I say this: Your legacy begins today. Some will call it your brand. They’re wrong. Despite how you may feel from time to time throughout your sports career, you are not a commodity. You are an individual, unique in all of your gifts both on and off the field. Your legacy is bigger than any brand you may build or be fortunate enough to become a part of. Those brands will be part of your legacy, but never the whole.
You will make a lot of money, more than most, in a relatively short amount of time and be able to afford expensive things. Mansions, cars, yachts, jewelry, paintings, etc. These “things” will be a reflection of who you are and may become part of your legacy, but never the whole.
You will enjoy (or endure) great popularity. Some of you will win championships. Others will set records. Many of you will become fathers. All of these achievements will become part of your legacy, but never the whole.
You will face adversity and, unfortunately, for some of you there will be tragedy. Most of you will suffer injuries, some more severe than others. Most likely, at least one of you will see his career end this way. Tragedy, however, will not be limited to injuries and will take many forms. For too many of you, your sense of invincibility will lead to poor decisions. Just ask Ryan Leaf.
In a heartbreaking piece entitled: “Letter to My Younger Self,” former San Diego Charger’s quarterback Ryan Leaf opens up about his own tragedy with bold honesty. After being selected second overall in the 1998 draft and feeling “on top of the world,” Ryan hit rock bottom 14 years later when he attempted to take his own life. Ryan’s rapid decline came shortly after a failed NFL career, when he began abusing painkillers to numb his “emotional pain.” In hindsight, however, Ryan says his decline began much sooner, just after his third game as a starting rookie quarterback. After a poor performance on the field, Ryan took his frustrations out on a reporter off of the field. In a well-documented moment that went viral (before “viral” was really a thing), Ryan violently shouted, “Knock if off!” While unaware at the time of the consequences of his actions, Ryan reflects now: “that day and those three words…effectively signal[ed] the beginning of the end of [my] NFL career.” The incident would forever tarnish Ryan’s reputation. In 2002, Ryan Leaf would retire a hated quarterback who never lived up to his potential.
Tragedy, in one form or another, may be part of your legacy. It does not, however, have to be the whole. In fact, many players’ legacies will be defined in large part by how they respond to adversity.
In the end, your legacy is the sum of its parts – the totality of the life you live and the person you are, both on and off the field. That life, and your legacy, begin now. Surround yourself with intelligent, experienced advisors who have only your best interests in mind, who seek to empower you to build your greatest legacy, and who desire to protect, preserve and celebrate that legacy forever. Listen to them, and learn from them. Be mindful of those who want only to make money off of you, and trust your instincts when it comes to their true character. You are not a commodity. You are an individual, unique in all of your gifts, both on and off the field.
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The NFL logo is seen after being painted on the field at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2007, as workers prepare for Super Bowl XLI between the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007. The stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins and the Florida Marlins, will hold up to 75,000 people for the Super Bowl. Photographer: Richard Sheinwald/Bloomberg News.
The 2018 NFL Draft is over. There were 256 players selected this year over 7 rounds. To each of those young athletes I say this: Your legacy begins today. Some will call it your brand. They’re wrong. Despite how you may feel from time to time throughout your sports career, you are not a commodity. You are an individual, unique in all of your gifts both on and off the field. Your legacy is bigger than any brand you may build or be fortunate enough to become a part of. Those brands will be part of your legacy, but never the whole.
You will make a lot of money, more than most, in a relatively short amount of time and be able to afford expensive things. Mansions, cars, yachts, jewelry, paintings, etc. These “things” will be a reflection of who you are and may become part of your legacy, but never the whole.
You will enjoy (or endure) great popularity. Some of you will win championships. Others will set records. Many of you will become fathers. All of these achievements will become part of your legacy, but never the whole.
You will face adversity and, unfortunately, for some of you there will be tragedy. Most of you will suffer injuries, some more severe than others. Most likely, at least one of you will see his career end this way. Tragedy, however, will not be limited to injuries and will take many forms. For too many of you, your sense of invincibility will lead to poor decisions. Just ask Ryan Leaf.
In a heartbreaking piece entitled: “Letter to My Younger Self,” former San Diego Charger’s quarterback Ryan Leaf opens up about his own tragedy with bold honesty. After being selected second overall in the 1998 draft and feeling “on top of the world,” Ryan hit rock bottom 14 years later when he attempted to take his own life. Ryan’s rapid decline came shortly after a failed NFL career, when he began abusing painkillers to numb his “emotional pain.” In hindsight, however, Ryan says his decline began much sooner, just after his third game as a starting rookie quarterback. After a poor performance on the field, Ryan took his frustrations out on a reporter off of the field. In a well-documented moment that went viral (before “viral” was really a thing), Ryan violently shouted, “Knock if off!” While unaware at the time of the consequences of his actions, Ryan reflects now: “that day and those three words…effectively signal[ed] the beginning of the end of [my] NFL career.” The incident would forever tarnish Ryan’s reputation. In 2002, Ryan Leaf would retire a hated quarterback who never lived up to his potential.
Tragedy, in one form or another, may be part of your legacy. It does not, however, have to be the whole. In fact, many players’ legacies will be defined in large part by how they respond to adversity.
In the end, your legacy is the sum of its parts – the totality of the life you live and the person you are, both on and off the field. That life, and your legacy, begin now. Surround yourself with intelligent, experienced advisors who have only your best interests in mind, who seek to empower you to build your greatest legacy, and who desire to protect, preserve and celebrate that legacy forever. Listen to them, and learn from them. Be mindful of those who want only to make money off of you, and trust your instincts when it comes to their true character. You are not a commodity. You are an individual, unique in all of your gifts, both on and off the field.