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Patrick DiMarco spent 10 years playing in the NFL. He’s been selected to the Pro Bowl, won an NFC Championship, and played in a Super Bowl. But beyond his stellar accolades on the field, Patrick is also known for the impact he had off the field in his community. In recognition of his athletic performance and philanthropic work, the Atlanta Falcons selected him as their Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2015. This is arguably one of the most prestigious awards a professional football player can receive, and it speaks to the character and dedication of that athlete above and beyond the stats they put up on game day.
I recently sat down with Patrick to talk about his career in the NFL and the transitions he’s made since retiring as he finds his new passion. Patrick noted that he played for 4 different teams during his time in the professional league and that making the decision to leave Atlanta to go play for Buffalo was one of the hardest he’s had to make in his career. Atlanta was familiar and comfortable and warm, which I could totally identify with having grown up in Florida and moved to NY for a job at one point in my career.
I asked him who he leaned on in evaluating this life-changing choice, and without hesitation, he shared how important his family, his faith, and his mentors had been in sorting it all out. We both got a little emotional as he shared a conversation, he had with his grandfather about the decision just a couple of days before he passed away from cancer. Patrick recounted “That was like right when I had both contracts in my hand. I'm like, Grandpa, I don't know what to do.” Patrick said, “I remember he made the remark, something along the lines of like, wherever you go, you're going to have so much of an impact.” We both had to pause for a moment in our chat as we fought back tears as Patrick was reliving that moment. Patrick went on to say that this conversation with his grandfather was so influential in his final decision to sign with the Buffalo Bills and the passion he took with him to drive cultural change in the organization.
Patrick’s story really struck a chord with me as I grew up very close to my grandparents, especially my grandmother. She was the matriarch of our family, and I took so many cues from her on how I wanted to show up in the world and what I wanted to achieve. She made me feel like there was nothing I couldn’t accomplish, and she fostered a fierce drive in me to continuously be learning something new. One of the most important lessons she taught me was to always leave things a little better than I found them. I can still hear her saying it in my head as I type this even though she passed away several years ago. Like Patrick’s grandfather, my grandmother had full faith that I was destined to make an impact in whatever I set my mind to, and that getting outside of my comfort zone was going to be critical to maximizing that impact. She’s a big part of what’s fueled my passion around development coaching and in creating The Next Playbook.
It's such a simple concept, and it’s become my mantra and even my purpose in life. So, I invite you all to join me on the journey and leave things just a little bit better than you found them.
-Derika
P.S. To hear the full conversation with Patrick, join us at The Next Playbook Podcast and sign up for our Newsletter to hear about new posts. You can also follow us on social media via Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Patrick DiMarco spent 10 years playing in the NFL. He’s been selected to the Pro Bowl, won an NFC Championship, and played in a Super Bowl. But beyond his stellar accolades on the field, Patrick is also known for the impact he had off the field in his community. In recognition of his athletic performance and philanthropic work, the Atlanta Falcons selected him as their Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2015. This is arguably one of the most prestigious awards a professional football player can receive, and it speaks to the character and dedication of that athlete above and beyond the stats they put up on game day.
I recently sat down with Patrick to talk about his career in the NFL and the transitions he’s made since retiring as he finds his new passion. Patrick noted that he played for 4 different teams during his time in the professional league and that making the decision to leave Atlanta to go play for Buffalo was one of the hardest he’s had to make in his career. Atlanta was familiar and comfortable and warm, which I could totally identify with having grown up in Florida and moved to NY for a job at one point in my career.
I asked him who he leaned on in evaluating this life-changing choice, and without hesitation, he shared how important his family, his faith, and his mentors had been in sorting it all out. We both got a little emotional as he shared a conversation, he had with his grandfather about the decision just a couple of days before he passed away from cancer. Patrick recounted “That was like right when I had both contracts in my hand. I'm like, Grandpa, I don't know what to do.” Patrick said, “I remember he made the remark, something along the lines of like, wherever you go, you're going to have so much of an impact.” We both had to pause for a moment in our chat as we fought back tears as Patrick was reliving that moment. Patrick went on to say that this conversation with his grandfather was so influential in his final decision to sign with the Buffalo Bills and the passion he took with him to drive cultural change in the organization.
Patrick’s story really struck a chord with me as I grew up very close to my grandparents, especially my grandmother. She was the matriarch of our family, and I took so many cues from her on how I wanted to show up in the world and what I wanted to achieve. She made me feel like there was nothing I couldn’t accomplish, and she fostered a fierce drive in me to continuously be learning something new. One of the most important lessons she taught me was to always leave things a little better than I found them. I can still hear her saying it in my head as I type this even though she passed away several years ago. Like Patrick’s grandfather, my grandmother had full faith that I was destined to make an impact in whatever I set my mind to, and that getting outside of my comfort zone was going to be critical to maximizing that impact. She’s a big part of what’s fueled my passion around development coaching and in creating The Next Playbook.
It's such a simple concept, and it’s become my mantra and even my purpose in life. So, I invite you all to join me on the journey and leave things just a little bit better than you found them.
-Derika
P.S. To hear the full conversation with Patrick, join us at The Next Playbook Podcast and sign up for our Newsletter to hear about new posts. You can also follow us on social media via Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
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