Vernon Davis has been mentoring his rookie teammates all offseason.
Now, the San Francisco 49ers tight end will get to share wisdom with a larger group of rookies at the National Football League's 16th Rookie Symposium.
Davis will join a number of prominent guest speakers to emphasize the NFL's legacy, plus the tradition of character and leadership.
The four-day orientation (June 23-26 for AFC rookies, June 26-29 for NFC rookies) will take place in Aurora, Ohio and will also include a visit to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and a tour led by Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown. The symposium will introduce the NFL's 2013 draft class to numerous real life situations that NFL player encounter in their careers. The goal for the symposium is to better prepare rookies for training camp which begin next month.
"We believe in our peer-to-peer model that the more information these young men have on how those before them handled success, the better prepared they will be to meet expectations on and off the field," NFL Senior Vice President of Player Engagement Troy Vincent said in a statement released by the NFL. "Through our speakers there is a story to be told, a lesson to be learned, a teachable moment, a message of success in conveying our number one objective which is to provide our rookies the tools to succeed during their NFL playing experience and beyond."
Davis and the other guest speakers will emphasize four teaching principles: NFL history, total wellness, experience and professionalism.
The symposium includes informational videos and workshops. Former players will detail the keys to player healthy and safety, plus elaborate on the importance of decision-making and mental health. NFL veterans past and present represent a wide-range of success in the NFL. Many have overcome challenges in their football careers and personal lives.
Besides the 49ers tight end, the speaker list includes NFL alums like La Var Arrington, Brian Dawkins, Luther Elliss, Antonio Freeman, Mike Haynes, Desmond Howard, Terry "TANK" Johnson, Dhani Jones, Patrick Kerney, Chad Pennington and Aeneas Williams, plus current players Adam Jones (Cincinnati) and Delanie Walker (Tennessee).
The panel of current and former players will lead discussions on the following topics: "Transitioning to NFL," "Self Regulation," "Are You Bigger than the Game?" "Staying in the Game," Expectations of an NFL Player," and "What Defines Success."
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