Aspire in the World Fellows Book - 2025

80 81 11TH ASPIRE ACADEMY GLOBAL SUMMIT ASPIRE IN THE WORLD FELLOWS I think it should be universal: you must take care of your talent. You should not allow a player to return to the field if he is injured. I once had a streak of 117 consecutive starts in the NFL. There were games I probably should not have played, but I did. I masked pain and injury because I wanted to be there for my team. That might have been a mistake. Maybe I could have extended my career even more, who knows? But my personality was: “I want to be there for my teammates, no matter what it takes.” I think the NFL and individual teams have improved in preparing players for life after football. They now recognize that with an average career of 3.3 years, you may be done by age 25. A young kid from Alabama will be drafted and might take your spot. Players understand better now that their playing career is not forever. I was fortunate to have a long career and then a second career. After I retired, I was hired by ESPN and spent 28 years there. I think a lot of that came from my preparation habits as a player—being laser-focused on the job. It’shard.You’vebeentoldyourwholelife, “You’re the best. You work the hardest . You’re the most prepared.” Then someone tells you, “You’re not good enough anymore. You can’t play.” Even after 17 years, it was hard for me. I injured my knee and I knew I was in trouble. I thought, “Give me rehab. I’ll come back at 41.” That wasn’t realistic. I was done. Letting go is hard. When I left the Eagles, I knew my time there was over. A new coach came in, we had an older team, and he needed to transition. I was fortunate to play for the Miami Dolphins and Don Shula— the winningest coach in NFL history. I had competed against him and knew how hard it was to beat his teams. I had other offers, but I wanted to play for Don Shula. What did he teach me? Leadership. Absolutely. There is a lot to learn. Soccer is the world’s game. American football is almost a minor league sport compared to the global reach of soccer. You can go into any country and see people kicking a soccer ball around. Many of them have no idea what an American football is. As soccer continues to grow, especially in the United States, the acceptance has changed dramatically. Twenty years ago, people said, “Soccer will never catch on here.” They were wrong. People love soccer now in the States. Can soccer and the NFL learn from each other in how they manage injury risk? Or is this a universal principle? Post-career transition is a huge challenge in any sport. You managed it brilliantly with nearly 30 years as a broadcaster. Many athletes struggle. What role can coaches play in helping athletes move on? When serious injuries and the end of your career loomed, what role did coaches play for you, and what advice would you give coaches about supporting players in that phase? Do you think American football can learn something from the global culture of soccer? STAR CHAT Discipline, teamwork, preparation, leadership. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized there are even more important things in life: kids, grandkids, community, and people in need. Not everyone is as fortunate as I have been, or as fortunate as many of you are. We must never forget the people who buy tickets, whether it’s a $100 front-row seat or $20 standing room. Never forget those people. From being around sports and around people, I’ve learned that it’s incumbent on all of us, in some way, to give back to our communities. That should be part of the fabric of how we live: helping others in need. The NFL does a lot with charities and community initiatives, but the deeper lesson is simple: I’m glad I learned the importance of giving back. I touched on this briefly, but I’ll say it clearly: it’s about attention to detail. Things don’t happen by accident. You have to make them happen. What is the single most important lesson you learned in sport that transcends football? Finally, speaking directly to the coaches here: if you had one piece of advice about not just shaping athletes but shaping people, what would it be?