What's Harder Than Playing in the NFL?
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[0 Comment]You think you've got problems at work. How about trading places with Ken Ruettgers?
His profession is second only to the military in its discipline and the physical demands it places on its personnel. And talk about pressure. Once a week during the busiest months in Ruettgers's work schedule, 60,000 or more people show up to critique his performance.
It's his job to protect the man acclaimed to be the most valuable person in the entire industry. When Ruettgers fails to do his job, not only do 60,000 critics start yelling, but hundreds of thousands of others second-guess his work from the comfort of their living rooms. But when he does his job well—which is most of the time—few people notice. It's the man he protects who gets all the glory.
And after a hard day of work, when all a guy wants to do is take a hot shower and relax, Ruettgers has to hurry up and get his clothes on before he's surrounded by TV cameras. Smile, you're naked as a jaybird on the 10 o'clock news!
For the past 12 years, Ruettgers has earned his living as an offensive lineman for the Green Bay Packers. Protecting quarterback Brett Favre's blind side and opening holes for running backs is a grueling job that requires strength, agility and quick wits. But Ruettgers says it's when he gets home—back to his wife, Sheryl, and their three kids—that the real work begins.
"I really believe that being a player in the NFL is easier than being a godly husband or father," the 290-pound tackle says. "At work, there's instant feedback. You do something wrong, your coach tells you about it. The day after a game you review the film, and your coach yells at you again. Then at practice, your coach reminds you that you goofed up. You're getting feedback all over the place."
That's easier than being a husband?
"At home, you have to be more proactive in your approach to being a good husband," Ruettgers explains. "Obviously, the Bible is a great manual. But unlike a coach, the Bible's not going to seek you out. You have to seek it out.
"The other thing that helps is having an accountability group. These guys can say, 'Hey, how's your marriage?' or 'You know what, you need to be more consistent with your date nights.' Your accountability group kind of acts as a coach."
School of Hard Knocks
It's not just accountability and coaching that have gotten Ken and Sheryl Ruettgers through nearly 11 years of marriage. Like any successful team, they have established ground rules that keep them from repeating mistakes of the past.
During his second season with the Packers—and married less than a year to Sheryl—Ken had a coach known throughout the NFL for his bare-knuckle approach to football. Ken had missed training camp the previous year due to a contract dispute, and he hadn't become a starter until late in the season. So, as he prepared to enter training camp the summer before his second season, he wanted desperately to prove his worth to the team.
Originally published in: Marriage Partnership, 1996, Winter
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