7 Things I’ve Learned About the NFL

Hey y’all! It is hard to believe we are just scratching the surface of football season. Five games down, at least eleven to go (hopefully more!)

Since the last time I wrote, the biggest change in our household has been that we have added a new addition to the Perine family! Our family now consists of 50% humans and 50% dogs. 🙂 We picked up little Bear (a mini poodle to compliment our standard poodle) a few weeks ago when we drove to Pennsylvania on Maj’s off day, and he has proven to be quite the handful! He is (thankfully) finally getting the hang of potty training, and he and Moose have become the best of friends. He’s a feisty little thing, but we sure do love him!

Two weeks ago, Samajé had his bye week – his only off week of the season. Unfortunately, it was an early one this season, but it is always nice to have some down time regardless of when it is. It was also a short one, though, so we weren’t able to do too much, but Maj got some much-needed R&R. We managed to make a trip to D.C. to check out the zoo, and that proved to be the extent of our adventurousness for the week. 😉

More recently, Maj and I have been getting more involved with the Redskins Charitable Foundation, and it has been a blast! Last week, we participated in the Redskins Runway fashion show, which was totally out of our comfort zone! Neither of us are ones for fashion or being in the spotlight, but we made the best of it and had so much fun – especially Maj, who ROCKED the runway! 😉

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This week, we participated in the All-Star Survivors Celebration, where we got to celebrate women who are battling or have survived breast cancer as they participated in a day of pampering. It was truly incredible to witness the strength and optimism these women displayed despite the battles they have faced.

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This event came just after the nail-biter against the 49ers, where the Redskins pulled off the close win and SAMAJÉ SCORED HIS FIRST NFL TOUCHDOWN! Needless to say, this past week has been an amazing one!

Now that I’ve got you all caught up, I wanted to share some things I have learned about the NFL so far. Being new to the league and the lifestyle, some things are not what I would have expected!

1. Nothing is guaranteed.

Draft picks can get cut. Veterans can get cut. Contracts are not usually guaranteed money.

This probably shocked me the most. At the beginning of training camp this summer, the Redskins had about 100 players. After the last preseason game, that number had to be cut down to 53. This did not just happen with the Redskins, though. Each of the 32 teams in the NFL faced a similar situation. Close to 1,000 men found themselves jobless at the end of camp – far more than I would have ever thought. Cuts do not only happen around training camp time, either. It can be a persistent worry for many.

Trades can also happen. In those cases, a player gets sent off to their new team often within the day, leaving their families to take care of the moving process on their own. Children have to move schools, wives have to rearrange their lives, and it can all happen at almost any time.

2. Nothing is free.

In college, each player was guaranteed four free tickets to every game. Granted, the away-game tickets were usually for nosebleed seats, but they were free nonetheless. In the NFL, though, that is not true. On the Redskins, players are given two free tickets to home games only; the rest must be paid for. For away games, we have to purchase our own tickets, often paying the same everyone else does. (Side note: No, I am not complaining. It is just different than what most people think.)

Fines are common as well. Most obviously, players can be fined for flagrant fouls and misconduct, with fines in the tens of thousands of dollars. They can also be fined thousands of dollars for things you may not think of, such as throwing a football into the stands or not keeping their socks pulled up or jersey pulled down. Teams even institute fines for things like being late to practice or meetings, or players being over their target weight. Each team is different, though, with some being stricter than others.

3. All players are not equal.

Most people tend to believe that football players are “instant millionaires.” Yes, some are. That being said, a first or second round pick gets paid very differently than a third or fourth round pick, not to mention undrafted free agents. More popular players also obviously get more marketing opportunities. Basically, a player simply being on a team (or trying out for one, for that matter) does not mean they are in the same position as whatever incredibly-high-paid athlete you may think of. Yes, the NFL pays well – better than the majority of other jobs – but most players do not enter the league and immediately become set for life.

4. Taxes

In any position, a big portion of a player’s check goes to taxes, as one would expect. I was surprised, though, by the magnitude of those portions. Many players lose close to 50% of their paychecks to taxes, while some players in certain states have to give up even more than that. Also, players have to pay state taxes in every state they play in, requiring a very talented CPA to tackle tax returns. (Once again, not complaining. Taxes are important. It can just be quite the shock, especially to those players with little to no financial education.)

5. There are a few bad apples.

When some people think of NFL players, they think of the arrogant, entitled player who treats people as he wishes. Don’t get me wrong; those guys absolutely exist. I have heard stories of things some wives and families have dealt with that I would not wish on anyone. Still, though, this makes up a small percentage of the players in the league. The negative aspects are what we tend to hear about through the media, but these stories do not represent all players. Most of these men are genuinely great guys.

6. It makes people crazy.

This is nothing new – it was true of college football as well. When a man plays football, most people start seeing a player instead of a person. It makes sense, as most people are not able to know their favorite players personally. But, even those who have or once had a personal relationship with a player often have trouble seeing past the football aspect of their lives. This causes many players to keep their circles very, very small.

7. We are so, so blessed.

I came into this life not knowing what to expect. It seems as though no one who embarks on this journey does. I can say, though, that my personal journey has been made incredibly easier. I was lucky enough to connect with a few wives from the beginning, and they have welcomed me with open arms and answered all of my million questions. I have become a part of a Redskins wives’ Bible study that provides me with constant encouragement and opportunities to grow and refocus my life. Maj has the opportunity to make his mark on an NFL team, an opportunity many people can only dream of. I can say with confidence that God has led us to where we are meant to be, and he will continue to do so, no matter where we may end up tomorrow or four years from now.

I hope this has given you all a bit of insight into this crazy world. It is certainly not what I expected, but I am loving every minute of it. Much love to all of you!

<3 Meg

P.S.: If you’ve read this far, I’ll let you in on a little secret. 🙂 As many of you may know, I L-O-V-E being in the kitchen. And, while I enjoy giving you all updates, there are usually not enough exciting things going on in our lives to give me something to regularly write full posts about. So, I have decided to begin mixing these updates with some of my favorite recipes! Starting next month I will begin working on weekly posts sharing my favorite treats and dinners, while continuing to give you all a peek into our life as an NFL family. Keep an eye out for TOUCHDOWN KITCHEN!