NFL stars off the field - football players' hobbies and outside activities

Ebony, Dec, 1993 by Maurice Weaver

HIDDEN beneath the bloody jerseys, bulging shoulder pads, and mud-crusted face masks of America's professional football heroes are the indomitable spirits of men living out a child fantasy. These physically gifted weekend warriors are worshipped by fans, scrutinized in the media and rewarded handsomely with lucrative contracts by team owners and advertisers. But frequently behind the macho facade are sensitive men who spend their off-duty time in a variety of activities that range from preaching and studying law to breeding snakes.

Some Black athletes attend school to complete their bachelor's degrees or graduate studies. Others indulge their personal interests in the arts by painting or writing music. Still others operate successful businesses, such as financial or sports management firm, a licensing business or a shoe company. And almost all volunteer time and contribute money to worthy causes at home and abroad.

There are a number of reasons why professional football players work diligently at their off-the-field jobs, including personal fulfillment and making money. Every day the prospect of a serious injury, a surprise trade, a contract dispute, or a roster cut hovers like a cloud over their heads. In this highly stressful, brutal sport, in which the average length of a career is under four years and the competitions keeps getting bigger and faster, Black NFL stars are burying the myth of the "dumb jock."

Among NFL players with interesting off-the-field endeavors is Reggie White, an All-Pro defensive tackle who is an ordained Baptist minister. White, who signed a blockbuster contract with the Green Bay Packers this year, has been preaching since he was 17.

Nicknamed "the Minister of Defense" for his relentless efforts on the gridironX White brings the Gospel and jobs to Black communities in America. Alpha & Omega Ministry, founded by White and his wife, Sara, has an initial goal of establishing a community development bank at a closed high school in Knoxville, Tenn.

"What the bank is going to do is give people who live in Knoxville the chance to borrow money to buy a new home or start a new business," WhXte says. "I feel that as a Christian it's hard to do ministry and tell somebody they need Jesus if they're hungry, jobless and on drugs. I'm trying to build up Black people's morale, self-confidence and self-reliance to show them that the Jesus I'm talking about is real."

White's religious ministry has taken him from inside prison walls to high-crime and drug-infested communities like the Richard Allen Projects in North Philadelphia. In 1986, White says, the Lord spoke to him about taking the Gospel back to his own people.

"I said, 'No, Lord, they're killing each other. I'm not going to subject my family to that. There's too much devastation going down on our streets,"' White recalls. At the time, 80 percent of the people he preached to across the country were White. But after reading Revelations 12:10, he felt challenged to push on, even inviting fellow Philadelphia Eagles players to accompany him on his ministry visits to talk to teens, single parents and the elderly.

Through trial and error, White has learned not to force his religion on his teammates. "I realized that I was getting on their nerves preaching to them all the time. So I started having fun with them, not being judgmental, just loving them and caring for them when they needed me," White says. Another NFL star firmly committe@ to reaching out to disadvantaged Blacks in Los Angeles Raiders defensive end Anthony Smith, a third-year standout for Elizabeth City, N.C. He serves as the mentor ambassador for five city housing projects in the Los Angeles area, including Nickerson Gardens.

Four days a week for the last three summers, Smith has worked one-on-one with Black and Hispanic children, buying pizza for 30 kids and escorting them on group trips to places like Magic Mountain. "In the beginning, I didn't knwo why I was doing it," Smith admits. "I volunteered in college with my fraternity and it was fun. Now, I've learned so much about people and I feel that I am laying the base for the future of my family. I get a big kick out of it."

Postgraduate studies keep outstanding safety Erik McMillan of the Philadelphia Eagles focused on the books. He has started studying for a doctorate in educational administration at Fordham University. McMillan's academic career was temporarily interrupted by his decision to become a free agent followingn last season. "I've only taken nine hours worth of credit, but I'll probably re-enroll this year at an institution in the South," says McMillan, a former New York Jets standout.

McMillan chose educational adminstration for advanced study because he likes to teach. He credits his Silver Spring, Md., high school awareness teacher, Leroy Evans, with inspriration. "Fifteen- to 18-year-old kids are poised to make major decisions that affect the rest of their lives," says McMillan. "That's where I want to hit them. They have a lot going on...drugs, peer pressure, all the social problems."