Recently, I had the opportunity to pose a few questions to the NFL All-Time Great about what he has been up to since he left the NFL, the current status of the game, and a lot more.
Can you share a little about the REACH Foundation that you started after retiring from football?
The REACH Foundation is challenging Colorado kids to step outside of their comfort zone and try new things. I have found that kids make positive choices when they are well rounded and pursuing a passion. Learn more at http://www.karlmecklenburg.org/
Since you were a 12th-round pick (No. 310 overall) when you came out of the University of Minnesota in 1983 and still had a brilliant career, what advice would you give players as they prepare for the NFL Draft and worry what round they may be selected in?
Take advantage of the opportunity you have. Be a great special team player. Enjoy playing football and be decisive on the field. No decision or slow decisions are always wrong.
Did you ever think you would see the day when the NFL Draft was such a media event?
When the Broncos called to inform me that I was their 12th round pick it was 12:30 at night on the second day of the draft and I was asleep. Jenny Anne, the secretary was on the phone, not Dan Reeves. I am amazed at the coverage of not only the draft but the combine too. I didn't even get invited to the combine.
What is your fondest memory for your days playing for the Denver Broncos?
Going into Cleveland with my teammates and taking the AFC Championship home in 1986.
What do you think has changed the most in the NFL since you retired in 1994?
The league has gone out of their way to protect quarterbacks and receivers. They have taken the element of courage away from those positions. It has gotten so bad that now receivers and quarterbacks are talking trash during games.
The league has taken away the self-policing effect of big hits on these guys. I discount any records in the passing game that are set without the threat of being hit.
Is it flattering when people refer to prospects as a Mecklenburg-type player?
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