NFL VP of Player Engagement Troy Vincent Receives 2012 Jefferson Award for Outstanding Service By an Athlete

New York, March 6, 2012 – NFL Vice President of Player Engagement TROY VINCENT has been honored with a 2012 Jefferson Award for outstanding public service by an athlete, it was announced today.  Vincent, who joined the NFL in 2010 following a 15-year NFL career, was recognized for his dedication to community development and outreach.

Troy and his wife Tommi founded Love Thy Neighbor, a community development corporation in their hometown of Trenton, N.J. which has awarded nearly $500,000 in college scholarships to inner-city students and in 2011 assisted more than 850 families with life necessities.  At the NFL, Troy oversees NFL Player Engagement which assists players in reaching their highest potential on and off-the-field with guidance, support, and resources provided before, during, and after their NFL experiences.

Also among the honorees are two Virginia sisters whose national nonprofit based on treasure hunts has raised more than $7 million in scholarships for the children of military veterans, a Georgia high school student whose environmental activism has led to the recycling of 8,000 tons of waste and a Yale University violin virtuoso whose concerts have raised close to $5 million to help fight children’s neurological disease are among this year’s recipients of the 2012 Jefferson Awards. In addition, the Tribeca Film Festival, accepted by cofounders Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, and pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. were honored.

Known as the “Nobel Prize for public service,” the Jefferson Awards honor extraordinary individuals and companies whose profound achievements and commitment to their communities are making the world a better place to live. 

“This year’s Jefferson Awards recipients have made real and lasting differences in the lives of countless people,” said Sam Beard, who with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and U.S. Senator Robert Taft, Jr. founded the Jefferson Awards, now in their 40^th year.  “Their remarkable contributions – in fundraising, activism, community service and the arts – nobly reflect one of the founding qualities of our republic: a commitment to help one another and serve the greater good.   The Jefferson Awards is proud to bestow on them this fitting tribute in recognition of the breadth and scope of their extraordinary achievements.”

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20 players selected to take part in first-ever “NFL Business of Music Boot Camp”

Program for current & former players runs Feb 27-March 1 in New York

Twenty current and former NFL players including seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver and NFL Network analyst TORRY HOLT and two-time All-Star defensive backs ANTOINE BETHEA and AL HARRIS will take part in the first-ever NFL Business of Music Boot Camp at New York University’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music in New York, it was announced today.

The program, which runs from February 27-March 1, is being directed by NFL Player Engagement and the Clive Davis Institute in NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and offers professional training for creative entrepreneurs in the music industry.

Following are the current and former NFL players enrolled in the NFL Business of Music Boot Camp:

NFL Alumni Player of Year Awards to Air on NFL Network Monday After Super Bowl XLVI

Host Alec Baldwin & 12 Pro Football Hall of Famers including Dan Fouts, Andre Tippett, Kellen Winslow & Marv Levy Featured 

Televised For the First Time, Show Debuts Monday, February 6 at 10 PM ET

Allstate Insurance Company as Presenting Sponsor 

NEWARK, NJ (January 12, 2012) –The NFL Alumni Foundation (NFLA) today announced the 2012 NFLA Player of the Year Awards Presented by Allstate Insurance Company will be televised for the first time on NFL Network in primetime on Monday, February 6, 2012 at 10:00 PM ET.  This year marks the 30^th anniversary of the NFLA Player of the Year Awards Program which was created so that retired NFL players could recognize and vote for the outstanding achievements of their present-day counterparts.

Oscar nominee and Emmy-award winner Alec Baldwin will serve as host for the awards ceremony which will take place during Super Bowl Weekend in a ceremony on Friday, February 3 at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Indianapolis before debuting on NFL Network the Monday following the Super Bowl. Celebrities including Vivica A. Fox, Stephen Baldwin, Patrick Warburton and Keith David will join country music breakout band Badhorse, who will perform live, to honor the top seven players from the 2011 season. 

The program features dozens of former NFL players and coaches including 12 Pro Football Hall of Famers. Among those taking part in the festivities:

• Hall of Fame San Diego QB and CBS NFL analyst Dan Fouts
• Hall of Fame San Diego TE Kellen Winslow
• Hall of Fame New England LB and Patriots executive Andre Tippett
• Hall of Fame Buffalo Bills coach Marv Levy
• Hall of Fame Green Bay RB Jim Taylor

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NFL players to take part in first-ever “NFL Pro Hollywood Boot Camp” at Universal Studios

Program for current & former players runs April 2-5 in Los Angeles

John Singleton, Robert Townsend & Keenen Ivory Wayans among instructors

Twenty current and former NFL players will take part in the first-ever NFL Pro Hollywood Boot Camp at Universal Studios in Universal City, California, it was announced today.

The program, which runs from April 2-5, 2012, is being directed by NFL Player Engagement and Film Life Inc., the New York-based film production company, and will cover a wide range of topics in the movie industry.

The four-day boot camp will offer a comprehensive overview of creative disciplines in the film industry including screen writing, directing, producing and film financing. Session leaders will be selected from among top industry executives and filmmakers and include multiple Academy Award-nominated director/producer/ screenwriter JOHN SINGLETON and writer/actor/directors ROBERT TOWNSEND and KEENEN IVORY WAYANS. Participants will have the opportunity to shoot and edit a short film at Universal Studios, the largest working motion picture studio in the world which offers 30 sound stages and 30 backlot movie sets where many legendary films have been shot.

“The NFL Pro Hollywood Boot Camp builds upon the successes of our prior programs in educating and providing hands-on experience to players in a wide variety of disciplines,” said NFL Vice President of Player Engagement TROY VINCENT.  Vincent leads the NFL’s initiative to develop and provide players with important learning tools and educational experiences that allow them to explore opportunities beyond the football field.
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NFL players to take part in first-ever “Business of Music Boot Camp” at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music

Program for current & former players runs Feb 27-March 1 in New York

Music legend Clive Davis among instructors

Twenty current and former NFL players will take part in the first-ever Business of Music Boot Camp at New York University’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music in New York, it was announced today.

The program, which runs from February 27-March 1, 2012, is being directed by NFL Player Engagement and the Clive Davis Institute in NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and offers professional training for creative entrepreneurs in the music industry.

The four-day boot camp will feature interactive workshops focusing on all aspects of the music industry including production, artist development and management, digital music, publishing, marketing and touring. Participants will gain a better understanding of establishing a career in the music industry and how to develop business plans from their creative ideas.

“We continue to look for ways to help educate players and develop their skills for post-NFL careers,” said NFL Vice President of Player Engagement TROY VINCENT.  “This program builds upon the successes of our Business Management & Entrepreneurial program and Broadcast Boot Camp in catering to players’ interests in new disciplines.”

“NFL players know all about competition which will serve them well as they look into potential careers in the fast-paced music industry,” said CLIVE DAVIS, chief creative officer of Sony BMG. The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU is the first of its kind to provide professional business and artistic training toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree for aspiring creative entrepreneurs in the music industry.

Faculty members at the Business of Music Boot Camp will include:
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NFL Announces Distribution of $620 Million Legacy Fund Benefit for Pre-’93 Retired Players

The NFL and NFL Players Association have reached agreement on how to distribute to retired players the $620 million “Legacy Fund” that was established as part of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

“Nothing the league can do can ever fully express our appreciation to the players who helped build our league,” said Commissioner ROGER GOODELL. “However, the Legacy Fund is a significant step, especially as the benefits apply to the older players.”

The new benefit has three important points:

• Players will receive these pension increases for their lifetime, not just the duration of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, and that of their eligible beneficiaries.
• Current benefit payments to retirees and their beneficiaries/former family members will immediately be increased to no less than $600 per month, regardless of the form of benefit. In addition, this $600 per month floor on benefits will apply for players who are not yet receiving pension payments, based on electing a life annuity or joint & survivor benefit.
• In addition to the floor of $600 per month, the new Legacy Fund benefit credit will be added to players’ current monthly pension checks. If a player is over 55 and already receiving his pension, then he will receive in his monthly check an additional $124 per season for seasons before 1975, and $108 per season for seasons beginning with 1975 and continuing through 1992. If a player is over 55 and not yet receiving his pension, the additional Legacy Fund payments will be slightly higher when he starts his pension. If a player is under 55 and takes his pension early, his Legacy Fund addition will be lower.

After discussions with the leaders of several retired player groups – including MIKE DITKA, CARL ELLER, BRUCE LAIRD, WILLIE LANIER, GEORGE MARTIN and RON MIX – the formula for pension increases was agreed to by the NFL and NFLPA, and was designed to give larger increases to those retirees who played in the league’s earliest years.

This new benefit applies to more than 4,700 players who were vested in the Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle Player Pension Plan prior to 1993, regardless of whether they are currently receiving a pension check.

Players currently receiving pensions will receive an immediate increase in their payment for seasons before 1993. For players who are not yet receiving their pension, their pension credits for seasons before 1993 will be increased through the Legacy Fund.

Details of the Legacy Fund benefit were communicated today to retirees.

Below are two examples of how the Legacy Fund benefit will greatly increase monthly pension payments to many retired players:

• There is a 10-year veteran player who retired in the 1960s who has been receiving a $200 monthly pension. The Legacy Fund benefit will increase his monthly check to $1,840.
• Another 10-year veteran who retired in the 1970s will see his monthly check increase from $165 to $1,810.

CBS: Commissioner Convenes “Historic Meeting” with Retired Players

The NFL Today’s Charley Casserly reported today on the CBS pre-game show that Commissioner Roger Goodell held a “historic meeting” this past week with retired players to discuss the distribution of the $620 million Legacy Fund created by the league’s new collective bargaining agreement.

Casserly reported that Pro Football Hall of Famers Carl Eller (Retired Players Association), Willie Lanier (Hall of Fame Foundation) and Ron Mix (Hall of Fame Foundation) attended the meeting Thursday  with Bruce Laird (Fourth and Goal) and George Martin (NFL Alumni Association). The views of Mike Ditka (Gridiron Greats) were expressed by the commissioner who had met with Ditka one-on-one  earlier in the month on the same issue.

Commissioner Goodell and Jeff Pash, the NFL’s general counsel, will meet next with NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith and the union to work toward a final agreement on how to distribute the fund.

The additional dispersal of money to approximately 2,500 players who played in the league before 1993 and who already receive an NFL pension will begin shortly after that agreement is reached.

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Former players Rocky Boiman & Nick Ferguson earn U.K. studio analyst posts for 2011 regular-season Sunday

Former NFL players Rocky Boiman and Nick Ferguson have been selected to serve as studio analysts for a 2011 NFL regular-season Sunday on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. The announcement was made today at the conclusion of the NFL Broadcast Boot Camp in Mt. Laurel, NJ, where Boiman and Ferguson spent the past four days learning the business from talent, producers and executives from each of the NFL’s broadcast partners. This marks the first time in the five years of the NFL Broadcast Boot Camp that players were given the opportunity to earn a broadcast position as a result of their performances. The dates of the Sky Sports assignments for Boiman and Ferguson will be determined closer to the kickoff of the 2011 NFL season.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for Rocky and Nick to get right into the field,” said FOX Sports’ Curt Menefee, who worked with both players at the Broadcast Boot Camp. “Their analysis and colorful personalities will educate and entertain NFL fans in the U.K.”

Added Sky Sports NFL producer Karl Baumann, “This is a chance for us to introduce Rocky and Nick to our U.K. audience and to benefit from their insight and expertise.”

“It is great to be selected from among all the talented players at the Boot Camp,” said Boiman (above), a linebacker and special teams standout who played 103 games in eight NFL seasons with Tennessee (2002-05), Indianapolis (2006-07), Kansas City (2008) and Pittsburgh (2009). Boiman won a Super Bowl ring with the 2006 Colts. “I’m excited to continue my development on Sky Sports this season.”

“This an extraordinary opportunity for me to continue my broadcasting education, especially on Sky Sports in Europe where I won a World Bowl,” said Ferguson (left), who played 132 games at safety for the New York Jets (2000-02), Denver (2003-07) and Houston (2008-09). Ferguson’s teams posted a 77-55 record (.583) in games he played.

Sky Sports is the premier NFL broadcaster in the U.K. and airs 1:00 PM ET and 4:15 PM ET games live every Sunday as well as all Thursday and Saturday night games and all postseason games including the Super Bowl. Based in London, Sky Sports has been televising NFL games for more than two decades. Among notable NFL guest analysts on Sky in recent years were Mike Holmgren, Jerry Rice and Lynn Swann. In addition, FOX Sports’ Troy Aikman and Daryl Johnston served as analysts on Sky’s coverage of NFL Europe games.

The Broadcast Boot Camp is directed by the NFL Player Engagement and NFL Broadcasting departments and covers a wide range of topics with instructors from each of the NFL’s broadcast partners – CBS, ESPN, FOX, NBC, NFL Network, SiriusXM Radio, Westwood One Radio, plus local radio and TV.

Of the 90 players who took part in the Broadcast Boot Camp from 2007-2010, 36 have already earned broadcasting jobs as a result of their participation in the program.

Top performer at Broadcast Boot Camp to serve as U.K. studio show analyst on 2011 regular-season Sunday

For the first time in the five years of the NFL Broadcast Boot Camp, the event directors will select a top performer to serve as a studio analyst for a 2011 NFL regular-season Sunday on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom.

“We are very pleased to be able to offer this opportunity to a member of the NFL Broadcast Boot Camp,” said Sky Sports NFL producer Karl Baumann. “It is a chance for us to introduce a new analyst to our U.K. audience and to benefit from their insight and expertise. We have been lucky to work with some outstanding NFL broadcasters and experts over the years and we are excited to see who will be joining us later this season.”

Sky Sports is the premier NFL broadcaster in the U.K. and airs 1:00 PM ET and 4:15 PM ET games live every Sunday as well as all Thursday and Saturday night games and all postseason games including the Super Bowl. Based in London, Sky Sports has been televising NFL games for more than two decades.  Among notable NFL guest analysts on Sky in recent years were Mike Holmgren, Jerry Rice and Lynn Swann.  In addition, FOX Sports’ Troy Aikman and Daryl Johnston served as analysts on Sky’s coverage of NFL Europe games.

“This is an exciting opportunity for one of our former players to get real-world experience and apply the skills that he learns at the Broadcast Boot Camp,” said Troy Vincent, NFL vice president of player engagement.

The Broadcast Boot Camp, which runs from June 20-23 at NFL Films in Mt. Laurel, NJ, is directed by the NFL Player Engagement and NFL Broadcasting departments and covers a wide range of topics with instructors from each of the NFL’s broadcast partners – CBS, ESPN, FOX, NBC, NFL Network, SiriusXM Radio, Westwood One Radio, plus local radio and TV.

Of the 90 players who took part in the Broadcast Boot Camp from 2007-2010, 36 have already earned broadcasting jobs as a result of their participation in the program. Following are the former NFL players enrolled in the NFL Broadcast Boot Camp:

NFL offers fifth annual “NFL Broadcast Boot Camp”

Sixteen former NFL players, including Antonio Freeman, Drew Henson and Amani Toomer, will take part in the fifth annual NFL Broadcast Boot Camp at NFL Films in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, it was announced today.

The program, which runs from June 20-23, is directed by the NFL Player Engagement and NFL Broadcasting departments and covers a wide range of topics with instructors from each of the NFL’s broadcast partners – CBS, ESPN, FOX, NBC, NFL Network, SiriusXM Radio, Westwood One Radio, plus local radio and TV.  It will include hands-on work in areas such as tape study, editing, show preparation, radio production, control room operation, studio preparation, production meetings, field reporting and game preparation.  Each player will tape segments as a studio and game analyst and take part in a networking session with television executives.  Each player also will serve as a live radio host on SiriusXM NFL Radio.

Of the 90 players who took part in the Broadcast Boot Camp from 2007-2010, 36 have already earned broadcasting jobs as a result of their participation in the program.

“We continue to look for ways to help players develop skills to enhance their post-NFL careers.  Many of last year’s participants used this program as a career springboard, with some participants returning as instructors in subsequent years,” said NFL Senior Vice President of Labor Policy and Player Engagement Adolpho Birch. 

“Broadcast Boot Camp is an excellent opportunity for former NFL players who are ready to take an important step towards the next chapter of their lives and prepare for a successful career off the field,” said Troy Vincent, NFL Vice President of Player Engagement. “The program provides participants with a comprehensive look at all aspects of the sports broadcasting industry and allows them to develop invaluable professional skills and relationships that can carry them through their post-NFL experience.”

The NFL Broadcast Boot Camp is one of several NFL Player Engagement programs to assist players in preparing for their post-playing careers.  NFL Player Engagement prepares and supports players for life on the field and during their transition to post-football careers. Through NFL Prep, NFL Life, and NFL Next programming, the NFL Player Engagement department assists players in adjusting to life within the NFL, while challenging them to prepare for their next careers after their football-playing days.

Enrollment criteria for the Broadcast Boot Camp include NFL playing experience, essays, and demonstrated interest in media.

Following are the former NFL players enrolled in the NFL Broadcast Boot Camp:

With more than 400 years of broadcasting experience, following are the NFL broadcasting talent and production staff who will lend their expertise to the program:
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