Real Life Wednesday series opens with Roger Goodell – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/9/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
March 9, 2016
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The fourth season of coach Urban Meyer’s Real Life Wednesday program opened Wednesday morning in the Fawcett Center Auditorium with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, one of the most powerful figures in sports, the featured speaker. The program was open to student-athletes from all 36 of Ohio State’s varsity sports and athletic administrators with an estimated crowd of about 350 in attendance.
Goodell answered questions for about 40 minutes from student-athletes and responded to comments from the NFL’s Troy Vincent, a key member of Goodell’s staff and an expert in player development. One of his first questions was on what it takes to succeed/play in the NFL.
Goodell’s response could become the first chapter in a Real Life Wednesday 101 text. Speaking on behalf of all Ohio State students and not just the athletes, he said “you all have a great opportunity by being at Ohio State University. That is an advantage right out of the box. And the big thing is to take advantage of this opportunity.
“Look at your future broadly. Prepare for life. You got here by preparing and working hard. Focus on your dreams and goals, but broaden those goals. Even if you become successful in the NFL, the great career is 15 years, the terrific career is 10 and the average career is five. So prepare yourself for life after football. Get your degree and you’ll be prepared for life after football. Start now.”
Topics to which Goodell responded ranged from player safety — “the game of football has never been safer”; to women in the NFL — “diversity has value because it makes us better; makes us think about issues in ways we haven’t in the past”; to why he gets booed — “you have to make unpopular decisions sometimes against teams or individuals and fans sometimes don’t like that. The game of football is more important than any one of us and we will not comprise our standards in anything we do.”
Stressed character and work ethic
The commissioner also weighed in on mistakes made by rookies in his league.
“You are going to a different level in the NFL,” he said. “You are talented, but this is an elite group. It takes more than talent. Character and work ethic are as important to a team and your teammates. So make sure you observe and listen. Find a mentor. Find a teammate who will teach you work ethic and dealing with stress, coaches, media and weekly prep. Get the right influences on your side early and then keep working hard.”
Goodell told the students to get as many experiences as possible and that even a negative experience can help by letting you know what you don’t want to do. He strongly encouraged getting an internship, as well.
“Plan an internship and get with a company,” Goodell said. “Every day is an opportunity to impress someone so start creating your network of mentors and develop relationships. It amazes me how relationships always seem to come back full circle. So everyone you meet and everything you do is important.”
And that includes interviews with the media. Responding to a question about why players are required to do interviews, Goodell said there won’t be a single job where you will like every aspect of it, but doing interviews are a way to improve yourself.
“Interviews are part of the league’s success,” he said. “People are interested in you as a player and on what makes your team successful. Our job is to let the players engage with the media. Be grateful for the opportunity and use it to extend your brand and to try to improve yourself.”
Improving ones prospects for life after football is the foundation of the Real Life Wednesday program. Coach Urban Meyer told the audience that coaches have an obligation to not only help athletes get a degree but to be as prepared as possible to get a job afterward.
Goodell was the first of six scheduled speakers in this year’s series.
