"It takes a man a long time to grow up." — Everson Griffen
Perhaps the most important aspects of a professional football player's life are neither skill nor hard work. Rather, the key to success—that intangible that steers him toward a long Hall of Fame career—is how he learns to live and grow outside of his sporting career. How he makes decisions, how he builds a community and how he matures.
Maturation, after all, is never guaranteed. Everyone grows and ages; but for some, bad decisions and mistakes overpower talent and drive, leading to a life of regret.