NFL Players: Football Doesn’t Define Them

by James Parks, Dec 21, 2008

Millions of men and women are watching NFL football today, but for most of the players on the field, football is not the only thing that defines them. NFL Players, the marketing arm of the NFL Players Association, is running its REAL campaign featuring 18 NFL players who tell the stories of their lives off the gridiron and demonstrate the wide range of personalities, ideas and emotions of the more than 1,800 members of the union.

This year’s campaign is built around the theme that “Football Doesn’t Define Me.” The players’ personalities were captured through a series of photo shoots featuring Drew Brees (New Orleans), Kris Brown (Houston), Luis Castillo (San Diego), Braylon Edwards (Cleveland), Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona), Walt Harris (San Francisco), Patrick Kerney (Seattle), Shawne Merriman (San Diego), Ryan Nece (Tampa Bay), Clinton Portis (Washington), Matt Ryan (Atlanta), Ephraim Salaam (Houston), Bob Sanders (Indianapolis), Steve Smith (Carolina), Jonathan Stewart (Carolina), Fred Taylor (Jacksonville), DeMarcus Ware (Dallas) and Jason Witten (Dallas).

NFL Players Executive Vice President Andy Feffer says: 

The REAL campaign tells the unscripted stories as told by the players themselves in their own voice [about] who they are as people off the field.

Several players are featured in television commercials where they tell what defines them by creating artwork on a large semi-circular infinity wall. With a variety of painting tools at their disposal, they paint meaningful phrases and pictures on the wall. While the players were painting, they also speak on the significance of their illustrations, revealing their true passions in life.

For example, Brees, the New Orleans Saints’ quarterback and a member of the union’s executive board, paints the word “Faith” on the virtual wall and talks about how he feels he was “called” to go to New Orleans to help the city rebuild.

Or San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne “Lights Out” Merriman, who says (see video):

Getting a chance to give back to the neighborhood where I grew up has been a defining moment for me. Although I’m known as “Lights Out,” off the field, it’s “Lights On.” I have a foundation for homeless kids and homeless shelters….It’s very important to give back. I don’t forget where I came from. I don’t have  a lot of time, but what time I have, I try to spend helping people. And I think anyone who has the heart and capability should.

The campaign, launched this summer, will continue through football season. Check out the campaign, photo shoots and interviews here.

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