NFL Retired Players Association

Letter from the President to the Retired Players

Hello, my name is Carl Eller. I know many of you do not know me, or have any idea about my background. Even though you may have seen a lot of me during the Collective Bargaining talks where I was representing the retired players in the Eller vs. the NFL Class Action Lawsuit, I thought this would be a good time to tell you a little about me. I have been meaning to do this for quite some time but things like the negotiations and the ongoing litigation just kept getting in the way. You know how that is. Now that that is over, I have a little time to breathe.

By way of background, I played defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings for fifteen years and finished my career after one year in Seattle. Since the tenth grade at Atkins High school in Winston Salem, North Carolina, every summer and fall, I was in football gear. I attended the University of Minnesota (‘60 to ’64), where we were National, Big Ten and Rose Bowl Champions. I was also a two-time all American. In addition, I was runner up for the Outland Trophy my senior year. The fact that Golden Gophers Tom Brown (guard) and Bobby Bell (tackle) had won it two years in a row prior to my senior year, probably did not help my chances of bringing it to the University of Minnesota a third year in a row.

I played in most of the popular bowl games for graduating seniors including the All-Star game against the NFL Champion Chicago bears. Moreover, through senior bowl games, I met players that are still my dearest friends, even today. Strange how friendships form and last forever. However, now I was really in the big leagues and now it was for real.

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NFL Retired Players Association

Most football players, even those who were stars in college or try out for the pros, but do not make it, really have no idea of how different and how tough the competition is in pro ball. It is not a big step; it is more like a giant leap. It was quite an adjustment that first year, but the best part of it was I did not have classes and did not have to study. It opened a completely new world for me. I thought college was great! This was truly the big time. And, I was enjoying it. Many of your experiences were like this. I know that for me, life was never the same after that. How could it be? Nothing compares to playing in the National Football League. The NFL. I have met plenty of players from other sports. I know they must feel the same thing. But boy, I do not think anything can compare to the NFL. That’s why football is America’s number one sport.

I want to be honest with you. I am still a great lover of the sport, even though I am out of the game, and have been for almost thirty years, I still love it. I am also a great lover of the fans, and even the chalk on the grass fields, what few there are these days. People still recognize me when I walk down the streets in Minneapolis. And again, I have not played football in over thirty years.

I did not start the NFL Retired Players Association because I was having a grievance with the NFL. But believe me, I have had more than my share. Unlike some of you, my pension is more than adequate and I have Medicare. Therefore, you are saying, “Well Carl, life must be pretty sweet”. Well that is yes, and no. Actually, my income without investments is about equivalent to my highest paid salary, including bonuses and incentives. Nevertheless, I consider that to be pretty good compared to when I hear there are guys out there who played when I played up till now were making under $400.00 a month and some even lower than that.. (The new Legacy Fund Guaranteed minimum is $600.00.)

In addition, when you consider a player today will walk away with five times as much money and will have put less than half the time into the league than I did. What went wrong? You probably know the story by now. However, the significant part is they were ripping us off. Ripping off retired players such as you, who built the game, and love the game of professional football, were just plain ripped off. I included.

It is only by sheer determination and following some basic principles that I developed on my own, that I am in as good a shape I am in today and able to do the things I can do. Not because of anything the League did.

Here is a good story for you. Can you believe that due to some swift maneuvering by the Vikings General Manager at the time when I retired, I actually owed them money and was faced with a huge debt and problems I did not know about and never heard about from my agent? I never claimed to be the sharpest tool in the bin, but how could that happen? I had made plans all along to keep this from happening. However, somewhere I missed the meeting where they tell you that when you are done they kick you up on the sidewalk and leave you without a condom or KY jelly. You know how I felt.

Fortunately, some of you have no idea of what I am talking about. But, I bet that right now most of you are going “Those guys did the same thing to me.” Believe me. I know I am not the only one. What I am telling you is I fought back through a lot of problems with no job and a newborn baby to take care of. What is unbelievable, even with all the support players get, some are still having the same problems today.

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NFL Retired Players Association

Not to mention all the other problems I had going on in my life at the time. This is not a story guys. I was in bad shape and had to work my way out of it. After getting my life together, I went to the league office and said; “Look I know that there are other guys out there with some of the same problems I had and are in bad shape. I think I can help them.” You know what they said; “Carl, get out of here. You do not know what you are talking about. If there were problems, we would know about them.” Less than a few months later, they were calling me and asking me ‘Please Carl, come up and help us out. By this time, I was set on a new career and thinking I really need to think of my own family and let the league fend for itself. After all, they had turned me down once.

To make a long story longer, I did go to the NFL. My program became a big success and made a huge difference for player’s lives and in their family’s lives and their careers. The reason I am telling you this is because we have come full circle. Here we are at a point where, with the NFL and the NFLPA where guys like you and me can make a big difference in the lives of retired players.

As retired players, you know in the past, this has not been about you. They could care less about you and believe me I have heard them say it. I am only saying I avoided some of the pitfalls that some of you are going through today only because I have used many of the tools I created which have protected me from the abuses and indignation that so many retired players are faced with every day. It is unfair. Totally unfair.

But let me say, in all fairness to the league, Commissioner Roger Goodell and the owners that I personally do not think that is the attitude of NFL today. The NFL Retired Players Association was at the table during the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations. I was able to personally express our concerns directly, face-to-face with the league, and owners. I believe they have begun to understand the value of the retired player and the necessity to embrace what the retired players have contributed to the game and will continue to bring to the League and to the game itself.

This was a huge departure from the attitude of the late Executive Director of the Players Association, a former Oakland Raider and Hall of Famer Gene Upshaw, who made it clear that they (The NFL Players Association) did not work for the retired players. Furthermore, he felt that the retirees got more than they deserved, and were nothing more than bunch of overage complainers. Because of that kind of an attitude in the previous leadership, we were not able to communicate our needs and our issues directly to the owners. Consequently, any access that was beneficial was blocked.

Well, that was all changed in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations between the owners and the players. To clarify, when I say the owners and the players, traditionally that meant the current owners and the current players, to the exclusion of the retirees. The retired players, unfortunately, were historically not present at the table.

This year that all changed… the retired players were at the table!

The purpose of this letter is really three-fold. First, is I am very proud of the NFL Retired Players Association’s role in bringing about that change. Second, I want to thank you for all of your help and your support. We could not have done it without you. And third, I want to enlist you in keeping that momentum going.

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NFL Retired Players Association

I must admit, I never thought the retired players would still be faced with the challenges that we face today. Although I truly feel we have made great strides, it has been a tremendous struggle to get to where we are today.

Can you imagine our world 35 years ago? It seems like in the middle ages. Only that was not that long ago and my, has the whole world changed. The Berlin wall has fallen, the Cold War has ended, the troops are out of Iraq. We have cell phones that make movies, Barack Obama is President of the United States of America, and there is free agency for NFL players. Yes, the world was very different then. Thanks to the players who made that dream possible for the players today. Free Agency was only a dream for them. But they fought to make it possible for the players today. We only had dreams of what it would be like to negotiate your own contract with the highest bidder. A very, very different world.

That we are important to the league is no big surprise. Maybe to some of you, but not to me. Fans remember us. They like us and they appreciate what we did for the game. What they remember is how they became fans. From the start, watching a football game with their parents, finding their favorite players and their parent’s favorite players. We live in their memories and in their hearts. This brings me to my second point, which is what matters most. How are you doing?

What you left behind when you walked away from the game, more likely when you were forced out because of an injury. Perhaps you have an injury that does not allow you to walk or stand without pain, or maybe playing with your grandchildren gives you so much pain you cannot enjoy it anymore. But you don’t talk about it because you have too much pride. You are angry because you do not think you

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NFL Retired Players Association were treated fairly, and when you try and ask for help they turn you down or they call you a fraud or good for nothing. Sorry guys, it hurts, I know and there are many of you out there still suffering. We understand this and there is an organization out there that was fighting for you during this round of collective bargaining. The NFL Retired Players Association. And we will continue to fight.

It does not have to be like that for you, now that you have an organization that truly represents you. The NFL Retired Players Association wants you to continue to be valuable from the minute you hang up the cleats and for as long as you live. The NFL Retired Players Association is a stunning organization that works exclusively for you. We are totally dedicated to the needs and wishes of the retired players. We are your organization, run by you, and made up entirely of retired players. And you do not have to go it alone any more.

Having been a professional football player is the only requirement. Here is how it works. Explore our website to get an idea of what NFL Retired Players Association can do for you. You are already a part of these historic times. Nevertheless, what I want you to do is strengthen your commitment to the efforts of your organization. Not someone else to sit at the table for you. Not, someone to speak for you, so you cannot speak for yourselves. The NFL Retired Players Association does not speak for you. It allows you to speak. It is you and you can speak for yourself. Retired Players speaking for themselves. How about that for a novel idea?

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NFL Retired Players Association

Yes. Speaking for ourselves. I think it is the only way to go. You must become part of what we are doing. Become a member now. I am coming to you now because I think now is a critical time. The NFL Retired Players Association is the organization that can bring us all together. The organization that unites us. The organization that will keep us a Lifetime Valuable person, not just a player that when the playing days are over, nobody cares about any more. Together, it gives us a way to be part of something we all love.

You have my blessings, and my love.

Sincerely

Carl Eller President and Founder NFL Retired Players Association Pro Football Hall of Fame

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