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"There's a program for everything, but it can't prepare you for everything. Most people find out about the real world when they're 18 or 19. Ex-NFL players find out about it at 30 or 35," said 39-year-old Jon Kitna, a quarterback for the Seahawks, Bengals, Lions and Cowboys from 1997-2011.
"You might think you've got it bad in football, because it can be a grind and you might think meetings are a drag, but the real world gives you a totally different mindset," said Kitna, now teaching algebra and coaching football at the high school he attended in Tacoma, Wash. "There are a lot of programs available, but you have to search for the answers. That's harder for athletes, because they've been given answers their whole life."
Said Bowen: "I understand players who say, 'They just throw you out the back door.' ... I would love to have guaranteed insurance. I think every NFL player would. It'd make life a lot easier. I'm 35, I have aches and pains. What am I going to be like at 45? I can't tell you that."
As for money matters, Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley, who's heading into his sixth season, said: "I wouldn't say the NFL takes care of players financially for the future. The NFL makes sure this is a drug-free league. You can't use steroids or street drugs; they're testing every week for that. But in terms of taking care of your finances, it's not something they push every week like they do with drugs. There's not a push that makes it mandatory for players to learn how to manage their money, or to set up life insurance or 401Ks."
The two men in charge of post-career programs at the NFL and the NFL Players Association readily admit there is room for improvement.
"Do I think enough is being done? A lot is being done. Can we do more? Yes," said NFL Vice President of Player Engagement Troy Vincent, a former defensive back in the league.
But he also put the onus on players for not participating in what's available.
"We can continue to expand our offerings, but if the athlete doesn't engage, it does no good," Vincent said. "What other employer provides this kind of service for their employee? It doesn't exist."
NFLPA Senior Director of Former Player Services Nolan Harrison said the union has been working for years to develop a new "life cycle program" to address various needs during careers in the NFL, from start to finish -- and beyond.
Asked if there's a specific gap that can be improved, Harrison said: "Every area needs help."
"They need help with the identity of leaving the game: 'You're no longer a football player.' They need help understanding they weren't ever 'just a football player.' They were more than that. They weren't 'just No. 74,'" said Harrison, who played defensive line. "We need them to understand they can take advantage of mental-care specialists while they're playing."
Only one veteran or former player the AP interviewed acknowledged having taken advantage of counseling provided by his team.
Three said they weren't aware such help exists.
"I could get a phone call and, in 30 seconds, my career's over. And where do you go from there? You're stuck. It's like, 'What do I do next?' ... So you see a lot of players do fall into depression, gambling and partying and things like that to try to get over what happened," said Bills linebacker Kirk Morrison, who's entering his eighth season. "I think that's another time where players would seek help. But we're not built that way. ... We're not built to express our feelings."
Several players echoed Camarillo's observation that the biggest difficulty might very well be persuading players that there's nothing wrong with seeking help.
"It's a matter of a culture change, moreso than just creating a program. It needs to be something that's not looked down upon. If a player goes for counseling: 'What's wrong with that guy? Why can't he deal with it?' The NFL and NFLPA can definitely help more, but it also needs to be a culture change," said Camarillo, who holds out hope of continuing his playing career.
"It's just the 'tough guy' mentality," Camarillo said. "We're taught to deal with any type of weakness and fight through it. In the physical world, that works fine with a sprained ankle or something like that. But in the emotional world, it just doesn't work the same."
[Associated Press;
AP Sports Writers Tim Booth, Josh Dubow, Chris Jenkins, Joe Kay, Jon Krawczynski, Larry Lage, Mark Long, Brett Martel, Andrew Seligman, Dave Skretta, Arnie Stapleton, Noah Trister, Teresa Walker, Dennis Waszak Jr., John Wawrow, Steven Wine and Tom Withers contributed to this report.
Howard Fendrich can be reached at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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