It may seem hard to believe, but the young men who play in the NFL are not superheroes. Their jerseys are not capes and they do not have special powers. Yes, on any given Sunday, they are watched by millions of people, but if you strip away the headlines and screaming fans, most professional athletes, like my son Jordan, are a lot more normal than people think.
You may wonder – if they’re just regular guys, why are you writing about it? As a mom, I am surprised at all the questions I am asked about Jordan. What does he eat? How often does her son work out? Someone even asked for MY autograph. I am not famous, but because my son played in the NFL, to some, I’m a celebrity by association.
As a mom, I know I am biased. I think Jordan is great! Still, despite his career, he’s a regular guy. But as moms of exceptional athletes, we should realize that most of the world looks at our children differently. Like many 20-something-year-olds, Jordan enjoys coming home to our house to hang out, and of course, the first thing he does after saying hello is head straight to the kitchen to grab some food. He then sits in his favorite chair and starts texting his friends. If you put him in a room with other people his age, you’d probably have no idea what he did for a living. But a lot of people who know about his career put him on a pedestal. I find that strange because Jordan is so down to earth.
In his spare time, Jordan enjoys going to the movies. That’s his favorite form of entertainment. He’d rather do that with his friends than rub elbows with the rich and famous. Speaking of money, Jordan is not into designer labels. I would describe him as frugal. He loves to bargain and is careful about spending. I think there’s a huge misconception that all professional athletes live in sprawling mansions, have several sports cars and live by a different set of rules than most of society. That may be true for a few guys, but not the one I raised.
Another way that Jordan is like other young men – athletes or not – is that he has REAL feelings. A career in the NFL hasn’t made him immune from that. My son has had disappointments and felt let down.
Still, there are some ways that professional athletes ARE different. Jordan works out every day. His body is his product. Being in great physical shape is how he earns his livelihood.
I’ve tried to figure out how reality can get so distorted when it comes to how some NFL players are perceived. My impression from a lot of men is that they always wanted to be the next Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. Few of them have a touch point with those guys. As an NFL mom, fans see me as a connection to the pros that they wouldn’t normally have. That’s why I am constantly asked about certain plays or games. Please don’t get me wrong, I appreciate all the interest in my son and what he does. But sometimes, I’m not really up for all the Monday morning quarterbacking at the office and would rather discuss topics that relate to business. I love being the mom of NFL player Jordan Pugh, but sometimes I prefer to be Jo Ann Pugh the astute businesswoman.