Thank You!
Dear Alumni:
Thanksgiving is upon us and I wanted to let each of you know just how much I appreciate your comments and advice on all the issues that affect former players.
It’s been 10 years since I first began to write and blog about the NFL Pension Plan, the Disability Plan and other topics of interest to former players. During that time, I have had the honor and pleasure of writing for the NFL Alumni Association, Fourth and Goal Unites, the Nixon Report and now Sportsblog – a website that gives professional athletes from all pro sports the opportunity to express their opinions and communicate with the fans and our peers.
I call my blog “NFL Retired Players United” because it was - and still is - my hope that we can continue to improve the lives of former players and their families by working together. We all know that there is strength in numbers and we have seen, first hand, the power of our voices when we unite on an issue. There is nothing we can’t do if we put our minds and hearts to the task.
My passion and my goal as a blogger has been to disseminate information to as many former players as possible. Thomas Jefferson once said that “Information is the currency of democracy.” Freedom of speech is essential to our democracy and it often helps us find the truth, even though there are times when some people would prefer to kill the messenger. I try to be as objective as possible about the problems that face the retired player community, but I also have strong opinions and not everyone will agree with me – which is one of the things that make our country great.
I know that there are some folks that would not be disappointed to see me disappear and stop reminding former players that there is still a huge disparity in the pre and post 1993 player pensions and benefits.
Although I have been critical of the NFL and NFL Players Association, I am also thankful for the fact that they have gone back and increased our pension benefits in every new CBA. They are not required to do this, but they know that former players are the foundation of the league. It doesn’t hurt that the greatest players in the history of pro football – the Hall of Famers – were united and pushed for better pensions that culminated in the creation of the Legacy Benefit. You can read about that effort here.
There are hundreds of former players and non-player advocates that have been instrumental in providing services and pushing for reforms and improvements to our benefits. Although I may not always see eye-to-eye with all of the groups and individuals, I have always appreciated their desire to help former players and I know in my heart they also want what is best for us. I wish I could name everyone, but there are several groups and individuals that have stood out – and they deserve our recognition and a heartfelt thank you. If I left someone off the list that you think deserves special recognition, please post a comment at the bottom of the article.
Here they are:
Gridiron Greats - Mike Ditka
Fourth and Goal Foundation - Bruce Laird
Retired NFL Players Congress - Marvin Cobb, Bob Grant, Bernie Parrish, George Visger, Kyle Turley, Roger Staubach
Retired Players Association – Carl Eller
NFL Alumni Association – Joe Pisarcik, Director and Board of Directors and Chapter Presidents
NFLPA Former Player Administration – Nolan Harrison III, Director, Steering Committee and the Chapter Presidents
Dave Pear’s Blog – Dave Pear
Dignity After Football - Brent Boyd
The TRUST - Bahati VanPelt, Director / Senior Captain Charlie Batch and the TRUST Captains
NFL Player Engagement – Charles Way and Keith Elias, Directors and the NFL Legends Directors and Coordinators
NFL Concussion Class Representatives – Shawn Wooden and Kevin Turner
Joe DeLamielleure and the 80 Hall of Fame Players that signed the letter asking for the establishment of a Rookie Salary Scale to help fund the Legacy Benefit.
And lastly, I want to thank all the wives that have assisted us in our efforts. Without their support and commitment, none of this would be possible.
Your Alumni brother,
Jeff Nixon
