In recent years, the National Football League has been making an effort to help its current and
former players have success in life after football.The NFL’s player engagement department prepares and
supports players in making the transition through 10 different programs.One of those programs is making its
debut this week as part of the Maxwell Project at Bowling Green State University.Dick Maxwell, a former
resident of Fostoria, is a BGSU graduate who worked in the NFL for 36 years, including 29 years in the
league office. Maxwell was the senior director of broadcasting when he retired in 2006.He founded the
Maxwell Center for Sports Media at BGSU to help sport management and media and communications
students.”It’s always a pleasure to come back and most importantly to do a little to help the university
and give back for the opportunity I had here,” Maxwell said Monday evening.Maxwell has worked with the
NFL’s broadcast boot camp since 2006, but this week at BGSU, the first NFL sports journalism and
communications boot camp is being held. A total of 20 former and current players are participating.Among the
areas to be covered at the camp are a mock press conference with current BGSU head football coach Dave
Clawson; the opportunity to interview Joe Napoli from the Toledo Mud Hens and cover a Mud Hens game; writing
a sports opinion column; writing a radio commentary; learning how to create a blog; and building a personal
brand.There are college instructors and media members working with the players in the boot camp, which ends
Thursday.Maxwell said the goals are to help the participants recognize changes in sports journalism; learn
how to become better writers; and have a much better idea about job opportunities in sports
journalism.Brandon Ayanbadejo, who was a linebacker last season for the Super Bowl champion Baltimore
Ravens, is 36-years-old and currently without an NFL job for next season.”I am really not concerned about
football right now, I am concerned about Brandon right now,” Ayanbadejo said. ”I have been playing
football since I was 14-years-old. So if a team comes along and throws me an alley-oop, so be it.”But in
the meantime I have to still develop myself and find a way to put food on the table for my family,” he
continued. ”I’m going to be a busy guy regardless if I’m playing football or not.”It’s just a chance to
spread my wings and do things that really interest me … Now it’s time to really conquer the challenge of
life after football.”Ayanbadejo is currently finishing his MBA at George Washington University and is using
the boot camp to help him prepare for a job in the media.”There is a potential for me to get into
broadcasting and for me to develop my own content, journalism plays an important role,” Ayanbadejo, who
made national news recently with his stance on same-sex marriages. ”Even though I haven’t been to the
broadcast boot camp yet, the journalism boot camp is a supplement to that.”I just want to be well-rounded.
I want to hone the craft. I understand it’s an art,” Ayanbadejo continued. ”The wider your bandwidth, the
more valuable you can be. I just want to be able to add to my tool box.”Eric Crouch, who was a Heisman
Trophy winner at Nebraska, has worked in several different areas of the media and had his first full season
as a commentator for Fox Sports last fall.The 34-year-old Crouch is also looking to broaden his
horizons.”It’s a great opportunity to hone some skills that as broadcasters and radio personalities you
kind of forget about and that’s writing,” said Crouch. ”When you can write and articulate, it really helps
you get your words and your point across even better.”I knew that these transition programs are becoming
available,” he continued. ”They are engaging the players much more than they have in the past; taking care
of the history of the NFL and the players that actually make the league.”Crouch said there are media
opportunities for former players, but they have to be willing to put in the time and the work.”That’s what
the people are doing here,” Crouch said. ”They are committing, their time, their money, their investment,
to come here to learn and get better at the careers they want to have.”