Steelers guard Ramon Foster will be among a group of 17 current and former NFL players taking part in a four-day NFL Sports Journalism & Communication Boot Camp that will be held May 14-17 at Bowling Green University.
The boot camp is one of the programs offered by NFL Player Engagement that focuses on preparing players for their careers after their playing days have ended.
"As a football player, you can only play for a certain amount of time," said Foster. "You have to plan for after football. There are only a select few guys who don't have to work after football. You have to see things down the line as far as having a second career and this is a good thing to do."
The program is focused on writing skills for newspapers, radio skills and understanding the expanding digital media industry. There will be sessions covering a variety of topics, including press conference preparation and ethics in sports journalism.
"This boot camp provides players an opportunity to network and gain the tools to be successful in sports journalism & communications," said Charles Way, NFL Vice President of NFL Player Engagement. "Sports journalism also presents an excellent opportunity for players to stay connected with the sport they played by giving fans an inside look at the game they love."
Foster, who is entering his seventh season, hopes more players take part in similar programs down the road.
"It's a great opportunity," said Foster. "As a football player we have a lot of platforms available to us. Not enough guys use those things. The information is there for the guys, but guys have to be willing to do it. I am looking forward to this program, as well as other programs that are out there for guys who are looking for it.
"There are only a select amount of guys who don't have to work after football and you have to realize that and take advantage of what they give you."
