I don't know if this has been posted anywhere or not. You've got to respect the guy (even though he is a domer) for getting his life together, as well as not taking the money and fame and choosing something that really means something to him.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniont...s20graney.html
Changing of the guard
Former Charger Aaron Taylor has found a new calling in his post-football life, conquering addiction problems and devoting his time and energies to helping others
Aaron Taylor has chosen deeds of philanthropy over talking on TV for his life's work.
April 20, 2006
JIM BAIRD / Union-Tribune
Aaron Taylor has chosen deeds of philanthropy over talking on TV for his life's work.
Here's the thing about weaknesses: They shape our past and are often responsible for forming our future. Aaron Taylor knows this better than he does the different ways to drink Sambuca.
He was never a creature of circumstance. Instead, he created it after a six-year NFL career. The irresponsible kind. Always knew where the best party was. Always had a bottle to direct the way. Always viewed wine followed by beer followed by 15 or so shots followed by sliding behind the wheel of an automobile as more standard than abnormal. Always the man. Always needed to be recognized as such.
“It was all necessary,” says Taylor, “to get where I am, which is exactly where I need to be.”
He wouldn't change a thing now, not one hangover or failed relationship or the fights only a fierce temper and alcohol produce. Not the pain. Not the tears. Not one moment of a destructive cycle that allowed him to make what has been a life-altering exchange:
Booze for benevolence.
Taylor played guard for the Packers and Chargers, an All-America offensive lineman out of Notre Dame whose gift for chat (the man is a walking, breathing, living filibuster) is bested only by an enthusiasm for travel and helping children.
His post-football thirst for adventure draws him as the taste for alcohol once did. The difference now is, philanthropy has become his drug of choice.
He has taught English for five months in South America. He heard about a catastrophic tsunami and was soon on a plane to Sri Lanka, not knowing a soul when he landed but willing to spend the next 10 weeks delivering supplies to remote areas and acting as a contractor in charge of building 40 temporary homes for stricken villagers. Before he arrived, Taylor couldn't have told you the difference between a hammer and screwdriver.
“The most rewarding experience of my life,” he said.
Taylor made news of late by departing the ABC/ESPN family following two years as a college football studio analyst, turning down a contract extension that offered fabulous money and promised significantly more exposure. He was pretty much handed the proverbial package – lots of cash and face time – thousands of television hopefuls dream of receiving each year and instead chose not to accept. As business deals go, the offer was terrific. As his life's journey goes, not so much right now.
“Everything was in line, but I always knew (television) was a means to an end, a platform to get my voice out there and create some name recognition in other arenas,” said Taylor, 33, whose NFL career included knee and chronic shoulder injuries. “Television and I aren't completely done. We still have some dancing to do. I didn't say no to television as much as I said yes to my mission. To help people. To make a difference in this world.”
He has been sober for five years and lives locally, saying he is still amazed by not being arrested or killing someone while driving under the influence. His decision to change was made more from a series of long nights clubbing than any one specific instance.
In clarity arrived purpose. He funded the Aaron Taylor Impact Fund with his ABC salary, its motto being “striving to bridge the gap between those who have and those who need.”
Each year, Taylor decides where to allocate 80 percent of the funds (the 2005 recipients are the Boys to Men mentoring program and 6 to 6 Extended School Program) and rolls 20 percent back into the account. He is also certified to teach elementary school and hasn't ruled out life in a classroom of second-graders, which he experienced while student teaching in Escondido four years ago.
“I think the more enjoyment Aaron has received out of life without alcohol, the more comfortable he has become with who he is,” said Derek Hutcheson, a close friend of Taylor's. “I think what happens with (alcoholics) is that you often become very introspective, very analytical about where your life is going. It's still very much a day-to-day struggle for him, but he has beaten it as well as anyone could. He is able to look at things from the inside-out.”
Addicts are often idealists, which is one reason many find success following recovery. They have moved past the stage of setting impossible goals with inevitable failures. Taylor (who is single and has no children but dreams of having a family one day) aspires to serve others on a global scale but is sensible enough to know progress might be limited to more restricted groups. Children in need of a mentor. NFL rookies in need of a clue.
Pro athletes make exorbitant amounts of money and often either ruin themselves financially with poor investments or as targets for others seeking personal gain. Taylor wants to meet these players, speak to them, warn them about the temptations surrounding their lifestyle. He wants to hand each a business card and tell them to call the number now, next week or in 10 years. He needs nothing from them; therefore he seeks nothing.
He just wants to tell them a story.
“I always said football was what I did but not who I was,” says Taylor. “I was wrong. Football was who I was, how I measured myself, how I set goals. Every day, you're validated by others. 'Good block. Good read. Good pickup. Good pull. Great job, Aaron.' And when it was gone, the question became how to replace that validation. For me, that meant drugs and alcohol.
“You're taught in football to never say die, never give up, never show weakness, never quit. So all the things that helped me become a great player were helping me nose-dive in life. I had as much support around me as possible and still fell into the trap. When it came time for me to pick my head up from (blocking defensive linemen), I wasn't prepared for what life threw at me. I had to ask for help.
“There was a time when I could never imagine a situation where I wouldn't drink and now I can't imagine a situation where I would want to. Doing it the other way made me a miserable, depressed alcoholic. I had to get real. I had to do the work. I had to accept the truth about myself. Now, I'm living my mission. I want to teach. I love children. I want to touch as many people as possible. I wouldn't give up what I have now for the best buzz in the world.”
Here's the thing about weaknesses: They don't always win out.
One moment you are excited about the direction the team is going but you are still waiting for the bottom to drop out. I can see your point and it has alot of truth to it. I deserved every bit of that comment.
