Former NFL tight end Vernon Davis had a successful career, winning a Super Bowl and being considered one of the best at his position while he was playing. Davis sat down and wrote about his time in the NFL, everything that came before his career, and what he’s doing beyond his playing days.
Davis spoke with rolling out about his book, Playing Ball: Life Lessons From My Journey to the Super Bowl and Beyond, the importance of having a coach in your life and what he’s doing post-career.
What did this book do for you while you were writing it?
I think it took me back to those moments that I didn’t want to revisit. A lot of us have that in us, where we kind of run and try to escape from certain moments in our lives. Going back and revisiting helped me with some of the trauma that I was dealing with in my life. Of course, I cried — and it was tough — but I got through it. Now, I can go back and read these chapters that I’ve put together, and I feel like I have like this weight lifted off my back.
Why is it important for someone to have a mentor or coach in their life?
As a young man, you’re continuously trying to figure things out and find yourself. I think for me, during that time in my life, I needed a mentor, and coach Mike Singletary happened to be that mentor for me. I have to give him credit for stepping in and handling things the way he did. There was a situation we had on the sideline where he sent me to the locker room — and it became really popular and was on national television — but I’m thankful for that because I wouldn’t have been able to become that leader they wanted me to become or be the player that I was destined to be. You always need that certain thing in life to help mold you, and that’s what molded me to become the man that I am today. I’m very honored to be able to be in his presence during that time.
How does it feel when people come up to you and embrace you in public?
It’s amazing. I love it. I was dating this girl and she was, like, “Do you like when people come up to you?” I was, like, I’m very appreciative of it. There are moments where you just want to be to yourself and you just want to have your space. Then I think back to when I was a kid, and I always wanted people to know who I was. I wanted people to remember me and to appreciate the hard work that I put in as a player and as a person. Now, that it happens, I have to always go back to that moment and remind myself [that] I wanted this … [and] asked for this. Now that I’m getting it, I can’t run from it. I’ve embraced it. I’m appreciative, and I’m thankful when people come up and stop and want to say hello and want to take a photo. It’s ongoing; it never stops.
