Symposium Helps Prepare NFL Rookies For Off-Field Issues In League
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Williams One Of 252 Players Taking
Part In Four-Day Rookie Symposium |
All 252 players selected in the '08 NFL Draft are participating this week in a four-day symposium at the La Costa Resort & Spa in California, an annual event "aimed at preparing first-year players for off-the-field issues they might face," according to Sam Farmer of the L.A. TIMES. Topics include "money management, player conduct, sexually transmitted diseases and dealing with the media," and speakers will include "current and former NFL players and a host of experts in various fields." Any drafted rookie who skips the symposium will be fined $50,000. Bears rookie OT Chris Williams: "The whole time they're telling you, 'Stay away from this, be careful with your money, camp's tough, season's tough, everything's tough. But they're just trying to help us out as much as they can." Farmer reports the players are told not to use "hand signals that look even vaguely gang-related," and they are informed of the "many resources at their disposal, including free corporate background checks from NFL Security." The symposium typically includes "talks from star players, some of whom have run afoul of the law, and others who simply have a story to tell." Players speaking at this symposium include Vikings DE Jared Allen, free agent WR Koren Robinson and Rams DT La'Roi Glover (L.A. TIMES, 7/2).
MESSAGE DOES NOT SINK IN IMMEDIATELY: NFL Network’s Jamie Dukes said the message being sent during the rookie symposium does not “sink in at one gathering." Dukes: "This is something that has to gestate over time.” Dukes said a problem with previous rookie symposiums was the players do not connect with the speakers. Dukes: “Guys don’t resonate with Thomas ‘Hollywood’ Henderson because they don’t know who he is. But (now) you bring a guy like Jared Allen in." However, Dukes added the league is "taking a little chance with Jared Allen because literally he’s one incident away from being suspended probably for a year” (“NFL Total Access,” NFL Network, 7/1).
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