Rookies receive crash course on NFL life

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Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008
By Casey Pearce, Chargers.com

After a long two and a half days of meetings, Chargers cornerback Antoine Cason had several reasons to be thankful for a couple hours in the sunshine.

“This is the best part of the week so far,” Cason said as he played football with approximately 200 children. “When I was around this age, I would have loved to be around this many NFL guys. Giving back is a huge part of being an NFL player. This is one of the things you have to love to do.”

Cason and his fellow NFL rookies spent roughly two hours Tuesday afternoon playing flag football with local kids, all of whom are the children of servicemen and servicewomen at nearby Camp Pendleton. Many of their parents are currently deployed.

The afternoon gave the 2008 NFL rookie class an opportunity to serve the San Diego community, which is one of the many aspects of NFL life the young players are learning about and experiencing this week.

All 252 players selected in April’s draft plus two who were taken in last summer’s supplemental draft, including Chargers cornerback Paul Oliver, are gathered just up the road from San Diego in Carlsbad for the annual NFL Rookie Symposium.

Coaches and current and former players from around the NFL take time to address the incoming class of rookies during the four-day meeting. Everything from player conduct, finances, player benefits, dealing with the media and life skills are covered.

“The meetings are long but it’s all very useful,” said Corey Clark, the Chargers’ seventh-round draft pick. “It’s a lot of great information. You’re hearing from guys that can share a lot of wisdom about how to go about your business. It’s one thing to hear it from someone in charge of enforcing the policies, but it’s another to hear it from guys who go to the Pro Bowl every year.”

Eagles defensive end Jerome McDougal, who was shot three years ago during a robbery, shared the horrific details of the event. Vikings defensive end Jared Allen spoke of his battles with alcohol and how it has affected his image. Titans Head Coach Jeff Fisher re-emphasized that fact that every NFL player lives in a fishbowl where everyone is watching them.

“You have to act like a professional on and off the field,” Cason said. “Wherever we go, people know who we are and they’re watching what we do. We have to go out with the mindset of, ‘I’m going to have fun, but I’m not going to do it at the expense of my teammates, my organization, my friends and my family.’ I’m well aware of that, but it was good to be reminded of it.

“It’s real-life situations. It’s guys who have been in our position and have been victims of robberies and had family problems. They’re all problems that people throughout society face, but it’s magnified because we’re professional athletes.”

Oliver was selected in last July’s Supplemental Draft, two weeks after the 2007 Rookie Symposium. He and Baltimore’s Justin Gaither were invited to attend this year’s meetings, and Oliver found them helpful.

“I’ve been through a lot of the situational stuff, but I learned a lot about how the NFL can help us,” Oliver said. “I knew there were internship programs and that they’d help you go back to school, but I didn’t know about the financial benefits and all. I’m glad I got a chance to hear all of that.”

The Chargers have also enjoyed the fact that they’ve been so close to their NFL home this week. While many players had to travel across country to attend the event, the Bolts had just a 20-minute drive up Interstate 5.

“The love that we get here being the hometown team, that’s been a lot of fun,” cornerback DeJuan Tribble said.

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