By John Ingoldsby
Engagement Insider
DENVER, CO January 16, 2015 – Karl Mecklenburg was one of the NFL’s most versatile defensive players ever, and he has taken that trait from his football career to his NEXT phase by becoming an award-winning author and highly sought-after speaker.
The Denver legend who played all 12 years in the NFL with the Broncos, including playing all seven defensive lineman and linebacker positions in the same game, still applies his game-day approach to his scores of speaking engagements per year.
“Speaking is a lot like football for me since I still game-plan each of my talks for my specific audience,” said the former AFC Linebacker of the Year by phone from his Denver office. “What I miss most about the game is the adrenaline-rush, and speaking has become my way of replacing that rush.”
This passion has paid off with his motivational speaking company (www.karlmecklenburg.com), where for the past 10 years he has spoken to community and corporate groups ranging in size from six to 6,000.
And those who have heard him are the real winners since he is a Certified Speaking Professional, and the only NFL retiree who is a designated member of the National Speakers Bureau.
But there is also a benefit for the enshrinee in the Broncos’ Ring of Fame and Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, who is also the team’s’ representative at the annual Taste of the NFL event held in the host Super Bowl city the Saturday night before the big game.
“It’s hard to find one passion in life, which for me at first was football, but I have been fortunate enough to find another one in speaking,” said the four-time All Pro.
That devotion comes across in his talks where he has created a model made up of his Six Keys to Success, which are comprised of teamwork, courage, dedication, desire, honesty & forgiveness, and goal-setting.
“This is the format I use in my speeches, and depending on the audience, I adjust to make my talk more relevant to them,” noted the overachieving 12th-round pick from the University of Minnesota who played in Denver from 1983 through 1994.
Given that his guide for young athletes and their families was so well received, he decided to put it all down on paper.
“I got tired of signing napkins during my speaking engagements, and thought I would rather sign a book,” quipped the affable Mecklenburg.
Not surprisingly, the result was an award-winner entitled “Heart of a Student-Athlete, All-Pro Advice for Competitors and Their Families,” which won a Gold Mom’s Choice Award and a Mensa Sharp Writ Book Award.
“It was a real challenge to write since talking and writing a story are two very different things,” recalled the former Broncos Team Captain. “But my mission in both is the same – to inspire long-term positive change through teamwork with leadership.”
He accomplishes this through his stories.
“The value we bring as retired athletes is that most everyone is fascinated by what goes on behind the scenes in the locker room, and they can experience that through our stories,” he observed, adding that those about his teammate John Elway are always the most popular.
But his personal favorite is from his first time speaking as a Bronco in 1983.
“I tore up a Seahawk display in a natural history museum talk, which cost $5,000 to fix, but it taught me to have the courage to try new things.”
Like speaking, and learning a positive lesson that launched a second legendary career.