The teams he played such a big part in putting together and helping to manage have won one Super Bowl and barely missed capturing another.
But Philadelphia Eagles’ Executive Vice President and General Manager Howie Roseman did not reach those lofty heights without a lot of hard work, sacrifice and a persistent will to bounce back from rejection. Speaking via Zoom Saturday afternoon during the first Mike Pettine Foundation Dream Big Rally at Lenape Middle School in Doylestown, Roseman took listeners back over the many difficult steps in a career that has included two NFL Executive of the Year awards.
“I dreamed of being a quarterback in the NFL, but got a reality check pretty early in life on that,” Roseman told the audience of more than 200, which included many young athletes and their parents.
And so, he set off with determination on another path to professional football, including writing letters to every NFL team before landing an intern job with the Eagles in 2000.
“I have rejection letters floor to ceiling from NFL teams telling me no, no, no,” Roseman said. “You have to be comfortable with rejection and not let it stop you. If you’re affected by a few no’s and rejection, that’s hard to overcome.”
Keeping your humility is a key part of the formula for potential success, he added.
“When you think you have all the answers, that’s when you get your butt kicked,” Roseman stressed. “Every path starts at ground level. You have to be willing to do what it takes.”
Roseman was one of many prominent speakers at Saturday’s event hosted by Mike Pettine Foundation President Mike Carey. While all had a different story, they shared a common theme: Every accomplished person has faced obstacles along the way; the key to overcoming them is to fiercely battle discouragement and despair, seek out the right kind of help if you need it and never stop believing in yourself.
Formulating a road map to success is crucial, said print sports journalism, radio and television icon Ray Didinger, who attended the event in person.
“Have a plan,” said the five-time Pennsylvania Sportswriter of the Year and Pro Football Hall of Fame Writer’s Honor Roll member. “You need a clear vision of what it is you want to do.
“Does anyone think Tom Brady just decided one day on a whim to play pro football? No, he had been planning it out since he was a young boy watching Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers. There are so many other stories of the dreams of great athletes coming to fruition through sacrifice, hard work and a 24/7 sense of purpose.”
Didinger recalled how his own plan took root in the fifth grade when a teacher read one of his essays and told him he should become a writer for a living.
“Your plan can have some surprises,” he said, noting his shift from print journalism into radio, TV and NFL Films after a Philadelphia Daily News-Inquirer strike in 1986. “Don’t be afraid of challenges. Dreams can come true, but they have to start with a plan and a purpose. In other words, it starts with you, so let it start today.”
Collin Gillespie, former basketball star at Archbishop Wood High School and Villanova University now with the Denver Nuggets, talked about fighting back from bouts of anxiety and depression while at Villanova and injuries throughout his career.
“I’ve acclimated myself to being in tough situations and growing and learning from it,” he said via Zoom. “Everyone’s journey is different. Be grateful for every opportunity you have.”
Gillespie might be able to play in at least some of the Nuggets’ current NBA Western Conference final against the Los Angeles Lakers after a long rehab from a broken leg.
Former high school and college basketball star Devon Smith, one of Carey’s daughters, told the audience how a blown knee derailed her hopes of a career in the WNBA but set her on a course to becoming a doctor specializing in urogynecology.
“Reaching your goals takes more than an initial commitment,” she said. “You have to put in the hard work every day. You don’t have to be the most gifted or talented to achieve even your highest goals.”
Also speaking at the rally were Bucks County Deputy Sheriff and K9 handler Christina Brewerton, NFL player Colin Thompson, musical entertainer Justin Guarini (via Zoom), former star athlete and Marine Special Operations Team Commander Bryan Buckley, Villanova women’s basketball star Maddie Burke, Warrington Police and Central Bucks South Resource Officer Bob Bell, Marine veteran and pharmaceutical professional Mike Buonanno, nurse practitioner Jenna Vaughn Lloyd and entrepreneur/businessman and former pro football player Mike Moosbrugger.
In addition to speaking before the large audience in the Lenape auditorium, they also made themselves available afterward for one-on-one talks with young athletes, parents and others in classrooms at the school.
Founded in 2017 by Carey and Jim Benstead, the Mike Pettine Foundation is named after the late, great Central Bucks West head football coach. Among other endeavors, the foundation funds scholarships for Central Bucks West male and female athletes and raises money for projects benefiting area residents in need.
Carey, a former football star at CB West and head coach there and at Archbishop Wood and North Penn, said he hopes Saturday’s Dream Big Rally was the first of many.
“Absorbing hits is all part of the process,” he told the audience. “You gain experience in life and things get easier. We want these young men and women to know that we all went through these things.”
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