By Troy Vincent
NFL Player Engagement
“One of the biggest turning points in my life occurred during University of Alabama Coach Paul Bryant’s welcome meeting for new players. From day one, the coach who would soon become a beloved mentor stressed to me the importance of family, getting a good education and developing core values. He made sure we all knew that we needed to do more than win games. He challenged us to be winners in the game of life and stressed that we must give as much as we can of ourselves to help others succeed. Coach Bryant has passed but his constant reminder that the real game is life and I must be prepared to play it has stayed with me. Coach pushed me to think hard about what I am doing with the life I have been given. The words he spoke decades ago continue to motivate and challenge me and I am sure, always will.” ~ Marty Lyons, College Football Hall of Fame Inductee, Class of 2011
During his illustrious twelve years with the New York Jets, All-American and number one draft choice Marty Lyons played both defensive tackle and end, setting a 147 game Jets record for a defensive lineman, so it is no surprise that these days he serves in several significant business, broadcasting, and philanthropic roles and has achieved great success in every single one of them.
As a key member of the famed “New York Sack Exchange” Marty and teammates Mark Gastineau, Joe Klecko, and Abdul Salaam helped to lead the 1981 Jets to a franchise record 66 sacks. But during his playing days, he had already set his sights on tackling as much off-the-field as he did on it. While playing for the Jets, Marty established the Marty Lyons Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping children find courage and strength in their battles with life-threatening illnesses. Profoundly affected by the death of Keith, a young boy who lost his life to leukemia, Marty, his Big Brother and mentor, was prompted to establish the foundation that thirty years later is going strong and growing with ten state chapters to date. The Marty Lyons Foundation has granted over 6,000 special wishes to children diagnosed with a terminal or life-threatening illness.
Marty believes that once you’ve played in the NFL, you have an obligation to touch the lives of others; to offer words of encouragement wherever you go. Because of his extraordinary commitment to community and giving back, Marty was named NFL Man of the Year in 1984. Since then he has received an astounding number of humanitarian and community awards, over forty awards in fact, including the prestigious 2011 Heisman Humanitarian Award from the Heisman Trophy Trust.
In addition to his philanthropic work, Marty’s professional career is thriving in both the corporate and broadcasting communities. On the business side, Marty is Senior Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations for Landtek, a turf installation business that he has been with since 2000. As a respected broadcaster, Marty is also in his 11th season as the New York Jets Radio analyst for ESPN New York, Radio 98.7 FM.
Marty remembers well how he felt when he walked off the football field for the last time and began his own search for what was next in life. Prior to joining Landtek, Marty worked as a financial advisor for PaineWebber for four years, finding his way into the financial world after first considering a coaching career.
“Once my days on the field were over, one of the things I quickly realized is that everyone wants to hire people with experience,” says Marty. “For a short period of time I considered pursuing coaching as a profession but because I hadn’t done it before, it was hard to find an opening. My advice to current and former players is to figure out a way to rack up experience in what you hope and want to do. Employers want to know that you grasp the scope of the job and have the aptitude and skills for it.”
He clearly followed his own advice when it came to pursuing his career as a broadcast network analyst for ESPN. Marty approached broadcasting methodically and deliberately. He listened, learned, welcomed feedback, and worked hard at his profession. “I worked my way up and seized every opportunity I could to report, host, or analyze on the air. Just like in football, the more time I had out in the field, the better chance I had to improve my game.”
Marty advises both current and former players to seize the day and take the risks necessary to move into new professional roles. “You can’t be afraid to go for it. Your fear of failing didn’t get you into the NFL, courage and believing in yourself did.”