By Rachel Terrill, Player Engagement Insider
Dear NFL Superhero:
It is game day. Today, you will appear to transform from ordinary to extraordinary. When you put on your helmet, you will be America’s masked hero. Like other superheroes, your shoulders will look broader as you burst onto the scene. The world will stop what it’s are doing and people will turn to you. They will yell and they will cheer. Around the world, people will watch your super-human feats on the field as you attempt to conquer the bad guys on the opposing team. You will jump and hit and smash your body into others. You will run with super-human speed and you will hurl the ball through the air farther and faster than most humans can throw. You will dive and stretch and catch the ball. And when you do, or when you collide into the bad guys from the other team, deafening crowds will cheer and chant your name. You are the American superhero – you are an NFL player.
There is nothing wrong with playing the part of NFL superhero – it is a coveted role that should be embraced. But when the game ends, and it will, when you are thrust away from the adrenaline-inducing cheers of the crowd, you may start to question who you are if not an NFL super hero.
Someday, when the final whistle blows, you will take off your NFL uniform for the last time, but you will still be a superhero. You made it to the NFL because you were a superhero. You earned it. You worked hard. You showed up. You never stopped. Of the more than 100,000 high school seniors who play football every year, only 215 (.2%) ever make an NFL roster – you made it.
You beat the odds and became one of the best. And although the brotherhood of the NFL will always be a part of your legacy, the NFL has never defined you. Your time on the field was a part of your job - it was not your identity. You are more than the number that you wore.
Although you may not need your superhuman strength in your next career, you can and should take the fight that landed you in the NFL to continue to change the world. Work harder than the others. Stay longer and contribute more. Be a team player and never stop asking for ways to improve. Be a superhero husband, father, and friend.
Although the deafening cheers may seem to disappear, your NFL legacy still leaves you hyper-visible in the eyes of your fans. Show them how great you have always been. You are still extraordinary – you can make a difference, you can be the change. Volunteer. Take a chance. Go back to school. Say yes. After all, the world needs more superheroes - the world needs you.
Sincerely,
Your Fans!