Ty Law: Letter to my younger self.

An excellent read. Made that #24 famous here.

Always liked Ty a lot edgy who played with a nasty attitude. It strikes a chord for me as my daughter had a little boy when she was 16,not prepared at all, so my wife and I raised him.. lotsa bumps in the road, now 23 a "trades apprentice" and figuring it out.

When folks start talking and whining about how much money NFL players get this should be required reading so they can begin to understand the sacrifices players make on path to the NFL...

This is a great article...

Perfectly timed for the Hall of Fame voters in 2 weeks....

FCB02062 said:

Why didn't he talk about his cousin?

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Great article, but I do wonder why he didn’t include that.

aluminum seats said:

Great article, but I do wonder why he didn’t include that.

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Ty had the 2000 ecstasy at the Canadian border incident and also the 2004 incident with his cousin. Both were left out of the article.

I used to get my haircut in Aliquippa for 10 years by an old war veteran at “mikes barbershop”...the only white guy it seemed in downtown Aliquippa. I never really got to see “the hood.”

Hall of Fame awaits. He deserves it.

PittPatriot said:

Ty had the 2000 ecstasy at the Canadian border incident and also the 2004 incident with his cousin. Both were left out of the article.

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I was remembering those as one thing...thought he blamed the ecstasy on his cousin. But yeah, either way it’s a bit off in a piece about self-reflection.

ViperGTS said:

Eh, I can count on one hand how many atheletes who’s ego didn’t get in the way of making the proper decision. One would think after a few had the “damn, wish I had just checked my ego and took the lessse deal”.

It’s a real shame nobody mentors these guys.

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Yeah, but he talks about how his ego was the thing that kept him going when his coaches told him he couldn't do it or when anyone else told him he couldn't do something and he did. You can't spend a lifetime ignoring what others are telling you and betting on yourself and then suddenly find a way to check your ego. For guys like that, it's probably only something they can learn with age.

Lavictoire said:

I think Deion Branch had similar regrets. Wished he didn’t leave.

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I heard David Givens on radio a few years ago and he expressed the same regrets. Maybe it actually is fun playing for the Pats.

1960Pats said:

Maybe it actually is fun playing for the Pats.

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Maybe. Also pretty sure winning is more fun than losing.

mike_usagisan said:

Yeah, but he talks about how his ego was the thing that kept him going when his coaches told him he couldn't do it or when anyone else told him he couldn't do something and he did. You can't spend a lifetime ignoring what others are telling you and betting on yourself and then suddenly find a way to check your ego. For guys like that, it's probably only something they can learn with age.

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Agreed, but thats where a trusted advisor would be able to say..hey man this is a time to ignore that ego. Ego has nothing on the right fit for you.

Love Ty Law, really hope he gets in.

Lavictoire said:

I think Deion Branch had similar regrets. Wished he didn’t leave.

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I'm just basing this on recollection, but in Branch's case it wasn't his choice exactly. I remember him talking about his trade to the Seahawks after he'd returned to the Patriots and apparently he was shocked by the trade.

LJRomanoff said:

I'm just basing this on recollection, but in Branch's case it wasn't his choice exactly. I remember him talking about his trade to the Seahawks after he'd returned to the Patriots and apparently he was shocked by the trade.

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Well, yes, but that's because he (or his agent) was trying to shoot his way out of town to Mangini and the J-E-T-E, and the Patriots weren't playing.

ViperGTS said:

Agreed, but thats where a trusted advisor would be able to say..hey man this is a time to ignore that ego. Ego has nothing on the right fit for you.

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Yeah. I wonder if Ty ever had anyone like that? It sounds like Paps may have been that guy. If you grew up that way, would you ever trust anyone to not be using your career as a way to advance themselves?

1960Pats said:

I heard David Givens on radio a few years ago and he expressed the same regrets. Maybe it actually is fun playing for the Pats.

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Giv got big money from TN. Pats weren't going there for a WR2

LJRomanoff said:

I'm just basing this on recollection, but in Branch's case it wasn't his choice exactly. I remember him talking about his trade to the Seahawks after he'd returned to the Patriots and apparently he was shocked by the trade.

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Correct b/c his SOB agent was telling the Jets what SEA was forking over for a pick.

Pats said FU and sent Deion to SEA.

David Givens was one of the few honest ones that said he was going to go with whoever offered him the most money.

So many say "disrespect, best chance of winning, good fit, good organization, blah, blah, blah".
For most it's all about the Benjamin's.
Which I kinda don't get.
Why go to a **** hole with poor coaching and a losing record for a few dollars more?

I personally took a pay cut to go back to a company I really liked with a good working atmosphere, as soon as they had an opening.
It wasn't that much less money and I was way happier.

robertweathers said:

Giv got big money from TN. Pats weren't going there for a WR2

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He also got injured and his career was over.

1960Pats said:

He also got injured and his career was over.

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I felt so bad for him.

Now he owns a bunch of ice cream parlors or something. Hes doing fine I guess.