digitaldean
11-09-2007, 11:42 PM
Nice article about Nick and how he's cleaning up his personal side (and how it's helping him this season).
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=chadiha_jeffri&id=3099992
Off-field drama gives Barnett needed perspective
By Jeffri Chadiha
ESPN.com
Green Bay Packers middle linebacker Nick Barnett took the first step toward his best season while sitting in a cramped Outagamie County Jail in June.
He was humiliated after local police arrested him for an alleged physical altercation at a nearby Appleton, Wis., nightclub. He was embarrassed by the way other prisoners stared at him. But it was the date that also gnawed at Barnett.
"It was Father's Day," said Barnett, who has a 1-year-old son, Kaden. "I thought, 'What am I doing sitting in jail on Father's Day?'"
Barnett didn't just grow up after spending an hour imprisoned before bailing himself out. He learned a valuable lesson that any rising star would be wise to heed: Success in the NFL is as much about being a professional off the field as it is about being one on it. That wisdom is easily the biggest difference in Barnett now that he's midway through his fifth season. He finally understands that keeping his focus solely on his job will help him become the elite player he aspires to be.
So far, Barnett significantly has cut back on his late-night party lifestyle. He's spent more time with his mother, Josephine, and his sister, LaCharla, both of whom moved to Green Bay from California at Barnett's request. Barnett wanted more family around after his father, Leonard, died in December 2004. But he's also discovered that it's helped settle him down. Last year he even gave up ownership of a Green Bay nightclub that had become a constant source of trouble for him.
"I've definitely gone through some stressful things in the last few years," Barnett said. "But I also think some of these things have been blessings for me. There are certain things in life that you have to deal with -- like my son being born or my father dying -- but dealing with distractions is another issue. I've learned to handle some of the things that weren't helping me."
That knowledge has turned Barnett into a more complete player. He's always been a gifted, high-energy performer -- the Packers gave the 26-year-old Barnett a six-year, $34.85 million contract extension in April -- but this season, his team-high 69 tackles and two interceptions have him on pace for a certain Pro Bowl nomination.
You can see that much in the way Barnett flies around the field and consistently makes plays. Though Brett Favre's renaissance is the biggest story in Green Bay, it's players like Barnett who also have helped the Packers, the league's youngest team, jump out to a 7-1 start.
The key point to make here is that Barnett, a first-round pick in 2003 out of Oregon State, has learned how to be a vocal leader. Linebackers coach Winston Moss said Barnett was one of a handful of players who coaches challenged to become more influential in the locker room, and Barnett has embraced that role.
Said Packers general manager Ted Thompson: "Because Nick was a starter here as a rookie, that probably limited his ability to lead. He was the guy running the huddle and he certainly hadn't been around as long as most of his teammates. I think he's become more comfortable as he's gained more experience."
What Barnett also has done is make wiser decisions. Ask him about the most important move of his career, and he'll be extremely candid: It was dumping that club in Green Bay. He opened the Five Six Ultra Lounge in 2005 because he believed the city needed a hip nightspot with an urban vibe. He quickly discovered that Green Bay wasn't ready for such a place.
Barnett ultimately found himself dealing with a multitude of issues -- including noise complaints, late-night disturbances and the daily responsibility of monitoring the money flow -- and he eventually became embroiled in an eight-month battle with the city council after it pulled his liquor license.
Barnett finally gave up.
It got too serious. In fact, I remember my old linebackers coach, Mark Duffner, telling me that I shouldn't open the place up but I did it because I was hard-headed. I just reached a point where I told myself I was here to play football.
--Nick Barnett
"It just got to a point where I was tired of it all," said Barnett, who is in the process of selling the building to a church that Packers defensive end Aaron Kampman attends.
"It got too serious. In fact, I remember my old linebackers coach, Mark Duffner, telling me that I shouldn't open the place up, but I did it because I was hard-headed. I just reached a point where I told myself I was here to play football."
If there was a positive in all that drama, it's that Barnett became closer to his teammates. He doesn't trust people easily and he appreciated how often his fellow Packers volunteered to attend city council meetings to speak on his behalf. What he also discovered is that a man can carry only so many burdens at the same time. Barnett's father died of cancer just a few months before the club opened. By the time his mother moved to Green Bay, she could see that her son had too much weighing on him off the field.
These days, however, things are totally different. Barnett eats dinner with his family whenever he's home, which is a ritual that his father always emphasized when he was alive. Barnett loves Josephine's home cooking, but he also enjoys what it symbolizes: a life that is a little simpler, a lot more grounded and much easier to handle.
He still has to deal with the legal process involving that arrest. Barnett declined to discuss the details of the two counts of disorderly conduct he faces in a case that is subject to NFL review under the league's personal conduct policy.
But Barnett also swears he's not a troublemaker. "Nick is O.K. that way," Thompson said.
Barnett actually has matured enough that he often thinks about some advice former Packers defensive coordinator Ed Donatell gave him earlier in his career. Donatell said Barnett should emulate the approach Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott took to game preparation, especially since Lott made sure to get as much sleep as possible during the week. Barnett thought his old coach "was full of it" at the time, but now he sees the wisdom.
If Barnett is going to be remembered as an elite player, it's the choices he makes in all aspects of his life that will allow him to become truly special.
Jeffri Chadiha is a senior writer for ESPN.com.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=chadiha_jeffri&id=3099992
Off-field drama gives Barnett needed perspective
By Jeffri Chadiha
ESPN.com
Green Bay Packers middle linebacker Nick Barnett took the first step toward his best season while sitting in a cramped Outagamie County Jail in June.
He was humiliated after local police arrested him for an alleged physical altercation at a nearby Appleton, Wis., nightclub. He was embarrassed by the way other prisoners stared at him. But it was the date that also gnawed at Barnett.
"It was Father's Day," said Barnett, who has a 1-year-old son, Kaden. "I thought, 'What am I doing sitting in jail on Father's Day?'"
Barnett didn't just grow up after spending an hour imprisoned before bailing himself out. He learned a valuable lesson that any rising star would be wise to heed: Success in the NFL is as much about being a professional off the field as it is about being one on it. That wisdom is easily the biggest difference in Barnett now that he's midway through his fifth season. He finally understands that keeping his focus solely on his job will help him become the elite player he aspires to be.
So far, Barnett significantly has cut back on his late-night party lifestyle. He's spent more time with his mother, Josephine, and his sister, LaCharla, both of whom moved to Green Bay from California at Barnett's request. Barnett wanted more family around after his father, Leonard, died in December 2004. But he's also discovered that it's helped settle him down. Last year he even gave up ownership of a Green Bay nightclub that had become a constant source of trouble for him.
"I've definitely gone through some stressful things in the last few years," Barnett said. "But I also think some of these things have been blessings for me. There are certain things in life that you have to deal with -- like my son being born or my father dying -- but dealing with distractions is another issue. I've learned to handle some of the things that weren't helping me."
That knowledge has turned Barnett into a more complete player. He's always been a gifted, high-energy performer -- the Packers gave the 26-year-old Barnett a six-year, $34.85 million contract extension in April -- but this season, his team-high 69 tackles and two interceptions have him on pace for a certain Pro Bowl nomination.
You can see that much in the way Barnett flies around the field and consistently makes plays. Though Brett Favre's renaissance is the biggest story in Green Bay, it's players like Barnett who also have helped the Packers, the league's youngest team, jump out to a 7-1 start.
The key point to make here is that Barnett, a first-round pick in 2003 out of Oregon State, has learned how to be a vocal leader. Linebackers coach Winston Moss said Barnett was one of a handful of players who coaches challenged to become more influential in the locker room, and Barnett has embraced that role.
Said Packers general manager Ted Thompson: "Because Nick was a starter here as a rookie, that probably limited his ability to lead. He was the guy running the huddle and he certainly hadn't been around as long as most of his teammates. I think he's become more comfortable as he's gained more experience."
What Barnett also has done is make wiser decisions. Ask him about the most important move of his career, and he'll be extremely candid: It was dumping that club in Green Bay. He opened the Five Six Ultra Lounge in 2005 because he believed the city needed a hip nightspot with an urban vibe. He quickly discovered that Green Bay wasn't ready for such a place.
Barnett ultimately found himself dealing with a multitude of issues -- including noise complaints, late-night disturbances and the daily responsibility of monitoring the money flow -- and he eventually became embroiled in an eight-month battle with the city council after it pulled his liquor license.
Barnett finally gave up.
It got too serious. In fact, I remember my old linebackers coach, Mark Duffner, telling me that I shouldn't open the place up but I did it because I was hard-headed. I just reached a point where I told myself I was here to play football.
--Nick Barnett
"It just got to a point where I was tired of it all," said Barnett, who is in the process of selling the building to a church that Packers defensive end Aaron Kampman attends.
"It got too serious. In fact, I remember my old linebackers coach, Mark Duffner, telling me that I shouldn't open the place up, but I did it because I was hard-headed. I just reached a point where I told myself I was here to play football."
If there was a positive in all that drama, it's that Barnett became closer to his teammates. He doesn't trust people easily and he appreciated how often his fellow Packers volunteered to attend city council meetings to speak on his behalf. What he also discovered is that a man can carry only so many burdens at the same time. Barnett's father died of cancer just a few months before the club opened. By the time his mother moved to Green Bay, she could see that her son had too much weighing on him off the field.
These days, however, things are totally different. Barnett eats dinner with his family whenever he's home, which is a ritual that his father always emphasized when he was alive. Barnett loves Josephine's home cooking, but he also enjoys what it symbolizes: a life that is a little simpler, a lot more grounded and much easier to handle.
He still has to deal with the legal process involving that arrest. Barnett declined to discuss the details of the two counts of disorderly conduct he faces in a case that is subject to NFL review under the league's personal conduct policy.
But Barnett also swears he's not a troublemaker. "Nick is O.K. that way," Thompson said.
Barnett actually has matured enough that he often thinks about some advice former Packers defensive coordinator Ed Donatell gave him earlier in his career. Donatell said Barnett should emulate the approach Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott took to game preparation, especially since Lott made sure to get as much sleep as possible during the week. Barnett thought his old coach "was full of it" at the time, but now he sees the wisdom.
If Barnett is going to be remembered as an elite player, it's the choices he makes in all aspects of his life that will allow him to become truly special.
Jeffri Chadiha is a senior writer for ESPN.com.