From Future NFL Star to Neurosurgeon, the Hero of Covid-19 That No One is Talking About
Myron Rolle, formally of Princeton, NJ, was the top prospect to come out of New Jersey in 2006 and nationally ranked the fifth best prospect in the country. From the Hun School to Florida State and then Oxford University? Myron Rolle had all of the tools to become an NFL stalwart and future star. Then his draft stock began to plummet, but not for the reasons you’d expect…
As a top 5 nationally recruited prospect, Myron Rolle became one of the most sought-after college football prospects to come out of New Jersey in several years. He did not go to one of the football powerhouses like Don Bosco or Bergen Catholic, he went to the Hun School in Princeton, one of the top academic schools in the northeast. He was a thriving student who had a 3.9 GPA through high school. Myron accepted a full college scholarship to attend Florida State and be a Seminole where he was an All-American safety destined for greatness in the league. Simultaneously, Myron Rolle completed all pre-requisites to attend medical school at Florida State. In 2008, Myron Rolle won the coveted Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University in England. Rolle forfeited his senior season at FSU to attend and graduate from Oxford University.
Myron Rolle’s acceptance of the Rhodes Scholarship was not a decision without consequence. Myron saw his draft stock fall considerably and was, by many, considered to be a 2nd-3rd round pick prior to the season. The year off landed him fighting to even be drafted with questions about his commitment to the league. Under weaknesses, many scouts wrote things like,
“missed entire 2009 collegiate season studying in Oxford (Rhodes scholarship), raising questions about his long-term desire to play football.” (NFL.com)
Myron Rolle was drafted in the sixth round by the Tennessee Titans and had a short stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers but in the end never played a game. His NFL career was over before it even began.
Rolle immediately pivoted and re-enrolled at Florida State to attend medical school. The former ACC Freshman Defensive Player of the Year would transition to his new career, neurosurgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital. This is where Myron Rolle has gone from NFL hopeful and college football star, to a real-life hero.
Massachusetts General Hospital: Epicenter of the Coronavirus
Massachusetts General Hospital is in Boston, Massachusetts where most medical students from Harvard University are taught. The most populated city in Massachusetts by far, Mass. General Hospital is in the backyard of the viruses epicenter; putting all nurses and doctors in high risk situations. Nurses and doctors have gone to the front lines of the battle against Covid-19 and have been calling for help from the public.
Dr. Russell Gallen took to Instagram asking Massachusetts community members for help, “To everyone else, we still desperately need your help. The only way to stop the spread of this virus is to stay home. If you have access to surgical masks, N95 respirators or other protective equipment, please, please donate them to your local hospitals to help protect those of us on the front lines. We all have a part to play in flattening the curve, we are begging you to do yours so we can do ours.”
After not being seen by the media in several years, Myron Rolle stepped up to the plate once again just as he had done time and time again on the football field. He was interviewed by several different media markets such as, CBS, The Athletic, and SBnation to talk about the struggles of dealing with the Coronavirus. This is an instance of a great person using social media and national coverage to reach a larger audience to help other people, rather than his own personal benefit. Myron states in an interview with SBnation, “As a team, it’s focusing on lifestyle behavior modifications, proper hygiene, physical and social distancing, and remaining home so that the spread becomes flattened.” The NFL stars that children grow up idolizing like Odell Beckham Jr., Tom Brady, and Patrick Mahomes are talked about far more than Myron Rolle but that does not make him any less significant.
Between the Instagram posts and Myron Rolle’s media tour, awareness was raised and calls to action were answered! Thursday morning, Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, answered the bell by flying a Patriots Plane (pictured) to China, bringing over 1.2 million N95 masks for a desperate Massachusetts healthcare system. Additionally, Kraft donated 300,000 to the New York healthcare system giving a huge shot in the arm to a system that badly needs it. Rolle’s calls for help were answered and it is no coincidence that the New England Patriots were the ones to step to the plate. Myron Rolle called upon the media to spread his word about getting help for his fellow doctors and nurses, and once again the Patriots were able to spread it.
Myron Rolle, the flawed prospect who took a year off because he was offered a chance to fulfill himself outside the lines of a football field, is the hero we should all aspire to be. Knowing what would happen to his football career, he chose to forgo his senior season at FSU and to attend Oxford University. He tried his hand at the NFL and immediately pivoted to his true passion, medicine. The story of Myron Rolle is a story of making your own decisions no matter the consequence and using shear hard work to overcome obstacles. Myron Rolle epitomizes that sentiment and is living proof that not all heroes wear jerseys.
