BUCKEYES TO BROWNS
Mike Hall Jr. is selected 54th overall in the second round of the NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns.
Mike Hall Jr. is selected 54th overall in the second round of the NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns.
Roethlisberger’s senior year of high school, when he became the starting quarterback and set state records, had its share of drama. Some of his receivers felt forced to befriend Roethlisberger out of fear that he would not throw the ball to them, said Josh Huston, a former teammate who went on to be a kicker for Ohio State.This kind of arrogance is not uncommon in star players, and sometimes it's even accepted if said player is an otherwise good person. The article mentions that Roethlisberger has enormous respect for his family, and that he was at one point a humble and polite individual. Which, for all I know, could have been absolutely true. But, according to Huston,
Huston said he rarely spent time with Roethlisberger because he did not like his swagger, trash talk and competitiveness beyond sports.
“I think he felt like he needed more respect than what he got off the field for being a good athlete,” Huston said in a telephone interview.This is the problem, and the larger point that I'm trying to make with this post, which I guess serves as something of a companion post to what Luke wrote about Clarett on Thursday. Being an athlete, excelling at sports, attaining fame and fortune; these are all things that can do a lot for a person, especially in their bank accounts or in their own minds. But as both Clarett and Roethlisberger have had to learn the hard way, the world does not and should not change the rules for you because you happen to play a sport very well. Clarett, at 27 years old, appears to have finally figured this out and seems to be getting his life back on track. And I hope more than anything that he can find real happiness and fulfillment in life by doing so. At 28, Roethlisberger still seems to be learning his lesson, and hopefully he takes heart some words from the man himself, Jim Tressel (in The Winners Manual):
Goals are important, but it’s important to understand that people are not defined by their goals and whether or not they reach them. A win or a loss does not make you or me a better or worse human being. This is where, in our society, we’ve so easily lost perspective on the truth about who we are. We have to separate who we are from what we do. With our players, it’s vital to distinguish between “purpose” and “goals,” ... Understanding the difference between purpose and goals is essential to understanding the true definition of success.Preach on, Senator.