There are player alumni in Indianapolis this week in various roles.
Clubs will have alumni there who now have transitioned into coaches or scouts. The league will fly in a dozen retired players to serve as mentors and advisers to the young players who are nervously trying to impress during the drills and interviews.
NFL alum Karl Mecklenburg was the Broncos’ 12th round draft choice in 1983 who became a 6-time Pro Bowler in the league. The University of Minnesota grad had the type of pro career that any one of the collegians in Indianapolis this week would crave. He recently shared some insight about his years in the league on his X, formerly Twitter account. Young athletes on any level would benefit from his first-hand experiences.
“Many people have asked me through the years what allowed me to play 12 years (1983-94) in the NFL for the same team and retire with that team throwing me a party,” Mecklenburg wrote. “My concise answer is ‘Make yourself irreplaceable.’ ”
“There were younger, less expensive players on our team when I played and most of them were better athletes than I was. I saw them come and go during my 12 years with the Broncos. During that time, I remember only four teammates who retired on their own terms. Everyone else was injured, fired, or traded. I believe what made me irreplaceable was what I did beyond the job description of inside linebacker, both on the field and off. I played at a high level and was open to other ways of helping the Broncos on the field. I cared about my teammates and took roles that helped them off the field as well.”
Mecklenburg, now 64, eventually played all seven defensive front positions for the innovative Broncos defensive coordinator Joe Collier, who died less than a year ago.
“I owe my career to Joe,” Mecklenburg says. “What Joe got everybody to do was know multiple positions. Depending on what he wanted, I changed positions throughout a game which required extra preparation. I was happy to do it if helped us win.”
Off the field, Mecklenburg prioritized building relationships with teammates. He became a team captain, a player representative for the union, and even organized the team chapel services.
“Each of my off the field roles took time but they were important to the team,” he recalls. “Job security develops when people inside the organization can’t imagine it without you. Developing a resume of leadership, versatility and a team-first attitude is valuable everywhere. Do your job but on top of that look for what you can do to develop your job description.”
“Life is a team sport. Business is a team sport. As I said earlier, make yourself irreplaceable in whatever it is you are doing.”
We at NFL Alumni are pleased to have Karl Mecklenburg as our brother. Hopefully, there are many individuals in Indianapolis this week who will follow his example and do whatever it takes for their team to win. We wish all of them success both in football and in their post-playing careers.
