Every year around this time all the rookies get together at a certain location and the NFL goes over the "do's" and "don'ts" of being a NFL player. The main topics that are usually discussed are the financial aspects of the game and how to present yourself as a professional.
Playing college football, the players play for the love of the game, they are not paid. At least they are not suppose to be paid. And a player one day earning next to nothing and then waking up with millions in their bank account can be a stressful, yet rewarding turn of events. A lot of what is talked about is investing your money wisely, the money that you are garanteed to receive. A good piece of advice that they are given is people are going to come out from nowhere saying they are relatives, and we go way back, so how about a little piece for me. The players learn to say no, and also learn that it is sometimes good to say no. If a player making millions says yes all the time, there will be no more money left. So spend what you have to spend to make you and your family comfortable, and if you want close friends, give some to them, but that is it.
The next little tidbit that is discussed, and this is a very real important one as well is how to act like a professional. Once a player enters the NFL, gone are the days of living a quiet life. Your life is an open book that is going to be dissected for the good things as well as the bad things. The NFL teaches the players what to say and what not to say. Also, for players to stay away from situations that might draw negative publicity to you and your team. In today's time, a lot of players seem to not take the latter to heart. Seems everytime we turn on the tube that another player is in the negative spotlight again, whether it is a DUI, hit and run, or partying way too much at strip clubs.
Hopefully the rookies at this years symposium will take these messages and run with them, so later on down the years when their names are mentioned, it is only for something good and respectable.
Keywords: Atlanta Falcons, NFL
