Playing in the NFL can teach one a lot of about life. That’s why the Juneau Glacier Valley Rotary Club is hosting former Miami Dolphins fullback Larry Csonka to speak Wednesday at the Pillars of America Speaker Series. Csonka, 70, is the latest in a line-up of old football pros to speak in Juneau at the event.
Last year, Warren Moon told Juneau audiences about overcoming racial prejudice in professional football. Four years ago, ex-Rams Shawn Harper provided a blueprint for individuals to reach their full potential.
Csonka, who played about a decade before Moon and Harper’s years in the NFL, also regularly shares the lessons playing professional football taught him: “What your goals are set for in your life have to be determined by you,” Csonka told the Empire from Canton, Ohio. He was there participating in NFL Draft festivities at the Professional Football Hall of Fame.
After being selected with the first pick in the 1968 NFL Draft, Csonka developed into an all-pro fullback. At 6-3 and 230 pounds, Csonka was known for his bruising run game and sure hands. The Stow, Ohio, native averaged over 700 yards in his 11 seasons with the Dolphins and Giants. He was a member of the Dolphins’ two Super Bowl teams in 1972 and 1973. Remarkably, he only fumbled the football 21 times in his whole career.
“You have to follow a strict line of discipline in order to achieve any kind of success in sports and I think the kids — particularly young kids — relate to that,” Csonka said in a phone interview. “It needs to be talked about that and they need to be aware of it.”
Csonka’s story first intersected with Alaska while he was still establishing a career in the NFL. Csonka volunteered with troops in the 1960s in Alaska, and since that time, maintained a special attraction to the 49th state.
“I liked what I saw very much, so I decided to come back and I visited Alaska as much as I could while I was playing football,” Csonka said, even though the prime hunting and fishing seasons would have passed by the football off season.
Once retired, Csonka was able to spend more time in Alaska. After appearing in commercials and making guest appearances on outdoor shows, Csonka now owns his own production company, “ZONK! Productions.” The team films Csonka and others embarking on outdoor expeditions throughout the state of Alaska. He lives for most of the year in Wasilla.
Tickets are available for this May 3 Pillars talk at Hearthside Books for $35. Doors open at Centennial Hall at 11:15 a.m. Lunch will be served to attendees at 11:30 a.m.
• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nolin.ainsworth@juneauempire.com.
