Top NFL Picks Branded by Former Sports Illustrated Editor

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., April 29 /PRNewswire/ -- As the nation's elite NFL prospects crowded around their televisions Saturday and anxiously watched the first three rounds of the Draft, so did the staff at 180 Communications. While players waited to hear their names called by the franchises that had selected them, Don Yaeger and his 180 team waited to hear how the players would react when television cameras descended upon them. That's because Yaeger and 180 helped train 12 of the top 27 draft picks on how to work with the media as they make the progression into professional sports.

"Twenty years ago, players were drafted solely on their athletic ability," Yaeger, a former associate editor and investigative reporter for Sports Illustrated magazine, said. "Now the most desirable draftees also portray a positive image and are able to communicate effectively. Our work with those players is intended to teach each player that he is a unique brand and that everyone -- including NFL teams -- want to align themselves with the best brands on the market. Understanding their brand is key to building their relationship with the public and the media. Teams know their players' brands reflect directly on their own, so they are choosing much more carefully."

Twenty-nine of the 99 players chosen in the first three rounds of the draft -- including first overall selection JaMarcus Russell of Louisiana State -- participated in Media Training sessions led by Yaeger, who has also worked with many major universities across the country. The list of players Yaeger trained included top-15 selections Russell, Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma, Gaines Adams of Clemson, Patrick Willis of Auburn, Marshawn Lynch of Cal, Leon Hall of Michigan and Lawrence Timmons of Florida State.

Yaeger and his 180 team have taken a modern and original spin on Media Training by connecting with players on a personal level and encouraging them to develop "Brand You." Yaeger also stresses the benefits of treating media interviews as business opportunities to help define a player's brand and connect them with their desired audience.

"You have to start getting a sense of what you want to say and what kind of person you are, and that's good," former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, selected by the Cleveland Browns, said when asked what he learned during the training. "When I look at myself, those are the kind of (brand) words I want to try to go with. It's just like writing down goals -- when you see it you can focus on it."

Athletes' Performance Institute, a combine-prep center that focuses on enhancing performance on the field, also recognizes the value of Media Training off the field. It teamed with Yaeger at its Tempe, Ariz., and Los Angeles facilities in late February to work with more than 50 elite NFL prospects in their preparation for the NFL Combine and draft.

"API imported Yaeger to help with an underrated part of the combine process -- the 15 minute individual interview players do with teams," Peter King of Sports Illustrated wrote. "Yaeger dug up dirt from these kids' MySpace pages, Googled their names and found out anything else he might find to try to trip up these kids."

While business understands the importance of branding, Yaeger educates athletes on the significance of developing themselves as a brand. Athletes are every bit as much a brand as Nike, Pepsi, or Starbucks. Peterson, selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the seventh overall selection, said the session with Yaeger helped him understand the power of branding and feel more confident in interview settings.

"Just looking at this (Brand You), it makes it so much easier on yourself," Peterson said. "Just practicing makes it so much easier to stay calm and really take advantage of my time during the combine interviews and with the media."

Although branding is the main objective of Yaeger's Media Training, he helps players expand their communication and life skills through established and new methods.

"I am more aware of how important it is to be able to communicate with the media, potential sponsors and my fans to help achieve my goals," said former FSU linebacker Buster Davis, selected in the third round by the Arizona Cardinals. "Everything I've learned will go a long way in helping me to reach my potential at the next level, on and off the field."

For more information on the training of these players, please contact Don Yaeger or Jim Henry at (850) 412-0300.