May 20, 2011
CLASS ACTION Statement from Retired NFL Players' Representatives Unite NFL Players Association Media Release MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (May 17, 2011) - The largest collective group of representatives of retired
NFL players ever assembled yesterday in Minneapolis, Minnesota and unanimously supported the class
action litigation brought by retired NFL players against the League and its member clubs that is
now pending before Judge Susan Nelson in federal court in Minneapolis. Among those present were the following: - Carl Eller
- Irv Cross
- Nolan Harrison
- Tony Davis
- Jim McFarland
- Jeff Nixon
- Dave Pear
- Brent Boyd
- Bob Stein
- Shawn Stuckey (retired NFL player and attorney for the Eller class)
Mike Ditka was not able to be present but was represented and expressed support. Any questions concerning this press release should be directed to Michael Hausfeld at Hausfeld LLP
or Daniel Mason, Mark Feinberg or Shawn D. Stuckey at Zelle Hofmann Voelbel & Mason. Back to top
CHAPTER NEWS Hasselbeck, Carlson Seek Advice from Ex-Players by Liz Mathews Matt Hasselbeck has expressed no desire to hang it up. John Carlson is entering just his fourth
year in the NFL. So what exactly were they both doing at a meeting of retired NFL players Tuesday night? "Well, it's the lockout," said Hasselbeck. "We're doing all kinds of different things. John and I
have been working out. We cross the bridge (from the east side) every day to do that. We crossed
the bridge tonight to get together with some former Seahawks." A number of retired NFL players convened Tuesday evening for a meeting at the Westin Hotel in
downtown Seattle. Former Seahawk Sam McCullum, who played with the team from 1976-81, was in
attendance, as were Norm Evans (1977-78), Nesby Glasgow (1988-92), and Orlando Huff (2001-04),
among others. "Some of these guys have gone through work stoppages before and it's good to hear their side of
it -- what they did to stay in shape, how they kept their teammates together, communicating and
those kinds of things," Hasselbeck said. "The reason that we are here is that I think it would
just be wonderful for new guys as they come to town if they had guys that have sort of been there
and done that. So I just told them how when I was struggling here as a player in Seattle, all the
former quarterbacks in this area -- whether it be Warren Moon or Jim Zorn or Jeff Kemp or Tom
Flick -- guys that just played, they were just there as a resource. 'Hey man, I get it.'" Click to view the article. Back to top
De Smith Talks Passion at Maryland Commencement 
"To anybody who thinks for one minute that passion is something that is cheap and futile, have
two words for them: 'You suck,'" DeMaurice Smith told Univeristy of Maryland students at their
graduation today.
Smith, the executive director of the NFL Players Association, was the ceremony’s commencement
speaker and he delivered a strong message. "For anybody who would ever think that it is the wrong thing to do to care so much that you're
willing to risk everything because it is right, reserve those two words for them," Smith said,
once again referring to Maryland's "You Suck" chant that goes along to Gary Glitter's Rock 'N
Roll Part 2. He emphasized the necessity of pursuing what you're passionate about through comparisons to
the NFLPA's current fight against the owners' lockout. "The decision to pursue and if necessary
fight for what is fair was a decision those players made two years ago," Smith said. "I've got to tell you, it's vastly different from something as simple as 'shut up and play.'
That's not the decision that we made. We made the decision to fight for who we were going to be
and who we are." He attended classes at Maryland in 1985 and 1986, but received his bachelor's degree at
Cedarville University and his law degree at the University of Virginia School of Law. He
continues to teach at the Virginia. Prior to his speech, the students welcomed him with chants of "We want football". Smith's
response: "I want football, too." Smith declined to discuss specifics about the lockout and the pending appeals case on the
original ruling that the lockout is illegal. "We believe as a group that it is important to fight
for fairness and I'm proud of the players who have stepped up to be leaders." Click to view the article. Back to top
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS University of Michigan Depression Center The University of Michigan Depression Center has partnered with the NFLPA to provide a
comprehensive mood and behavioral evaluation. The assessment will generate a personalized
treatment plan with recommendations that incorporate the past and current lifestyle of
the player and family. The Program includes a year-long follow up by specialists, which
will be coordinated with local physicians, care providers and family, thereby helping to
assure that progress is monitored and that any necessary adjustments are timely.
Pre-arranged services include: an initial assessment done over the phone by a qualified
nurse or social worker, a pre-visit phone call with a doctor, and if necessary a scheduled
day of care at the University of Michigan Depression Center. This is a need based program. If you would like to know more please email Andre Collins
(andre.collins@nflplayers.com)
or Tyrone Allen (tyrone.allen@nflplayers.com).
By phone, call us at 1-800-372-2000 ext. 166. Back to top
VQ OrthoCare® Offers NFLPA Former Player Members the Opportunity to Live Without Knee Pain Medical device company offers a special discount program on BioniCare, the only
device that can claim to provide an overall improvement to an osteoarthritic knee VQ OrthoCare®, creator of the award-winning BioniCare® Knee System, is pleased to announce its
BioniCare member discount program for National Football League Players Association (NFPLA)
former player members and their families. VQ OrthoCare initiated this discount program based
on the need for a non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical treatment option for retired professional
athletes living with osteoarthritis of the knee. Professional athletes move their knees up to
20 million times per year. In contrast, the average person uses their knees only three million
times per year. The constant knee movements wear down the knee joints, increasing the risk of
osteoarthritis of the knee (Overtime Magazine, 2007). In conjunction with the BioniCare member
discount program, VQ OrthoCare is also offering a financial aid program for former player members
needing assistance. "More than 27 million Americans are living with osteoarthritis of the knee
and National Football League players are three times more likely to develop osteoarthritis of the
knee than the general population," said VQ OrthoCare president and founder, Jim Knape. "We are
thrilled to be offering former player members of the NFLPA and their families the opportunity to
utilize this life-changing treatment option that will enable them to live pain free and regain
their active lifestyles." Back to top
GotProHealth NFLPA Member Discount Program GotProHealth has launched a new member discount program as part of the NFL Players
Association's (NFLPA) member discount programs. GotProHealth will help educate players and
their families on the use of complementary and natural medicine. GotProHealth is also developing
a national network of qualified and licensed professionals in the field of complementary medicine
so that players will have access to experienced practitioners around the country. "This endeavor
has tremendous potential to change the way professional athletes and their families think about
getting and staying healthy," says Amy Lewis, CEO, and licensed acupuncturist. Complementary medicine includes modalities such as acupuncture, massage therapy and body work,
herbal medicine, energy work, chiropractic, and naturopathic medicine. Ken Jenkins, President, and
a former NFL running back, knows firsthand how important complementary medicine can be on and off
the field. "I suffered many injuries during my career. I used acupuncture, massage therapy, and
chiropractic regularly during my career and it helped me recover. Even now – off the field – I
continue treatments to maintain my overall health." Jenkins adds, "Our job is to provide legitimate
and accurate information about complementary medicine and to make qualified professionals easily
accessible." Back to top
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