Larry Csonka can’t argue he was lucky to find a post-football career without even turning in a resume.
After retiring from 11 years of playing in the NFL in which he won two Super Bowls with the Miami Dolphins, Csonka broke into television filming Miller Lite commercials and hunting and fishing shows in Alaska.
“And now, after all those years, almost 35 years of having a great job, I was luckiest SOB in the whole world,” a sharply-dressed Csonka told a packed Centennial Hall Wednesday afternoon.
The 1987 inductee into the NFL Hall of Fame spoke in Juneau, the final of three Pillars of America speakers to entertain and inspire community members over the past two weeks. The catered event was noticeably well-attended by high school students, many of whom shared tables with Rotary Club members or other chaperones. This year marks the 25th year of the series in Juneau.
In his hourlong speech — peppered with witty stories of his playing days in Miami — Csonka spent comparatively little time basking in his prolonged entertainment career.
Instead, he highlighted the formative experiences in his life that led him on the path to not only the NFL, but also the Professional Football Hall of Fame.
“Things happened in my life that steered me toward the NFL even though I didn’t get the doink,” Csonka said.
A “doink,” he explained, was a natural talent or gifting by God that other players like Joe Montana and Jerry Rice seemed to possess.
“You’ll come to these crossroads and sometimes they don’t seem to be that big of decision, but trust me, they can be,” Csonka said. “You decide whether you go left, right straight ahead. You make that decision based on your values and what you think is best for you. But there are outside influences on that.”
One of the two major influences Csonka said in his life was a school administer who told him, “You are either going to go to the juvenile delinquency home or you’re going to have to learn to play the game of football,” as Csonka would beat up on his eighth grade classmates.
He soon found football to be the greatest joy in the world.
Another influence he mentioned in the speech was Dolphins’ coach Don Shula, who told his team after losing Super Bowl VI: “If you succumb to the temptation of blaming others for this loss and not taking the responsibility for yourself, we will fall apart as a team.”
The following two seasons, Shula and Csonka’s Dolphins won the Super Bowl.
• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nolin.ainsworth@juneauempire.com.
