INSIDE THE N.F.L.: Looking For Leadership

BY FLOYD WEDDERBURN/ Locker rooms are made up of highly skilled individuals who are not all leaders. Having players that are leaders is just as important as having a good football coach. Great teams usually have great leaders who lead by example, builders who bring others together, such as the first guy in the locker room or the last guy to leave. Being an advisor to your teammates is another example of being a great leader. When you get to the NFL, being a good player definitely helps in advocating for the job of leader.

In the locker room, players shy away from the leadership role for many reasons. Some believe it to be a distraction because it puts them in a role that demands a lot of attention by the players and coaches and prevents them from focusing on their own performance. After a series is over, most players meander back to the bench, wait for their position coach to say a few words, catch their breath and get ready for the next series.

As a leader, you’re expected to do a little more than the norm. A leader answers questions from other players continuously throughout the game and sometimes coaches look to leaders to excite their teammates when morale is down. In this matter, coaches can’t fill the role of the player who is a leader. This is because most players feel uncomfortable asking a coach the same thing they might asked their leader.

Domeco Ryan is a lead-by-example type of player that excites his teammates through his role at linebacker. Kurt Coleman is another player that demands attention at that leadership role; but is he good enough to excite the other players? Sometimes you need a little more than just vocal encouragement to ignite others. Coleman plays hard and always seems to be in someone’s face. But the question becomes: is he taken seriously as a leader by his peers, given the fact he’s not a great player?

Leaders are common in sports; every day, a leader rises to the forefront and takes responsibility for himself and his teammates. Players like this who come to mind are Brian Dawkins, John Runyan, Jeremiah Trotter, and let’s just throw in Reggie White. They all exemplified leadership on and off the field.

It’s unfortunate we’ve been spoiled by great players who just happen to also be great leaders. A leader is born every day and while some players choose to embrace the role, others shy away from the spotlight. There’s no doubt in my mind Philadelphia has leaders in the locker room; however, we might be under the illusion we can make leaders out of anyone who puts on a uniform. Let’s wait and see if we have a leader hiding at The Linc or one that’s a plane ride away.

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