7/26/2023 0 Comments Geoff schwartz panthers![]() During the course of the last five years, Geoff has been seen on TV (ESPN, SNYTV), has appeared on dozens of national radio talk shows (Jim Rome, Bomani Jones, Clay Travis) and has spoken at various charitable events (Holocaust Survivors, Huntington’s Disease). broadcasting, media, and motivational speaking. To his credit, Geoff realized early on that football isn’t forever so he began laying the foundation for what he hoped would come next. He retired from the NFL in February 2017. Geoff worked through several debilitating injuries to complete an 8-year career, playing for the Carolina Panthers, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs, and New York Giants. Then came the NFL, where the average tenure of a player is only 3-1/2 years. He was ultimately named 2 nd Team All PAC-10 after his senior season in 2007. His football success led to a scholarship at the University of Oregon.Ī three-year starter at Oregon, Geoff had his share of injuries, but that didn’t keep him out of the starting lineup. He was a three-sport star, culminating in being honored as the school’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2004. Pali High School, the alma mater of several well-known sports and entertainment figures, is where Geoff began to realize what life had in store for him. Geoff attended elementary, middle, and high schools in West Los Angeles. Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA on July 11 th, 1986, Geoff’s three decades have been characterized by hard work, mental toughness, a commitment to his Judaism and a passion to succeed, regardless of the bumps thrown in his way. ![]() I said, 'So? I've got a chance.From his pre-Bar Mitzvah stuttering days to exceeding all expectations after being drafted 241 st (out of 252) in the 2008 NFL draft, Geoff Schwartz has overcome adversity to succeed in life. "He says 'Coach, you've got a five percent chance to get into the playoffs. Next year." I said, ' you, this ain't over!", says Rivera. "I stopped to pump gas last night as the gas station, and one of the guys, he says 'Hey, how are y'all gonna be next year?' I said, 'Next year?' He says, 'Yeah, you know. Addressing his team as they stand on the brink of missing the playoffs and against an opponent no one thinks they'll beat, Rivera makes an impassioned speech to rally them to the cause of defying everyone's expectations. Perhaps the best moment Rivera provides, however, comes before Week 15's game against the New Orleans Saints. But so too is how he connects with his players, such as when he takes the time to sit and comfort wide receiver Devin Funchess, who suffers an emotional breakdown in practice after telling the coaching staff that his cousin had been murdered. Some of the very best moments of All or Nothing do, indeed, belong to Rivera: His reading the riot act to the defense at halftime of Week 10's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers ("These teams come out because they think they've got big balls, and they challenge your ass! WELL THEM! CHALLENGE THEM BACK!") is strong and striking. However, his first-hand experience with Rivera gives him an extra appreciation for what is seen throughout All or Nothing: Rivera holding his players accountable and correcting them when necessary, but also showing that he cares about them both professionally and personally. Schwartz, a former seventh-round pick by the Panthers in the 2008 NFL Draft, only spent one season under Rivera in 2011. He’d be hired the next day if ever let go in Carolina. I hope All or Nothing sheds a light on how under appreciated Ron Rivera is as a coach. And on the heels of All or Nothing's release, former Panthers offensive tackle Geoff Schwartz stated that he hopes the series drives home just how "underappreciated" Rivera is as a head coach. With young and hyper-aggressive offensive minds dominating the NFL and taking over the head coaching ranks, there was no shortage of those who criticized Rivera, suggesting that his run game and defense-heavy approach was simply "too antiquated" for the modern professional game.īut ever since the release of NFL Films' All or Nothing, Panthers fans have seen first-hand just how much of a fire Rivera has to win, as well as the caliber of leader that he is. ![]() Despite his sterling reputation as a great defensive mind and a two-time NFL Coach of the Year, Rivera found himself as the target of plenty of doubt as the Panthers begin to lose - and kept losing - football games. For far more reasons than simply the way things went for his team, the 2018 season was a very challenging one for Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |