As college football approaches it is important to see how some athletes make big changes when they step away from the game. Todd Marinovich has been in the news quite bit for his downfall and getting back on his feet. He was a star at USC and made it into the NFL. Challenges have brought him up and down.

I have spent countless hours watching college football and at times falling asleep on the couch during the final critical seconds. There is something about being a part of a game or practice that lends itself to something even more powerful than the game itself. However, we all get older and there becomes a point where we need to bridge the gap to the next phase away from the game. The sport itself becomes a fleeting moment for us all.

Back in the late 80’s and mid 90’s I was in college watching Ohio State football games week in and week out. I also spent every waking second watching all the college football games around the country when not at an Ohio State game. I always noticed that the quarterback was also a position of tremendous intelligence and physical abuse all wrapped in one. I always thought the quarterback will never have a long career due to all the physical trauma to the body and rapid thinking which takes place with zero processing time. I always figured the shelf life of a quarterback ends early and it truly does. The ending of a player’s career “changes the game” and creates a challenging transition for most guys.

Todd Marinovich was a gifted athlete from birth and as life unfolded he experienced extreme highs and some deep lows as the necessity to create grew from within. Since Todd’s childhood he sketched and painted with his vivid imagination. Today, a husband and father of 2, he paints. “Life with all its experiences is a never ending supply of inspiration,” Todd says. It took me 2 years to see his art in person and let me just say it was mind blowing! He captures pure energy and emotion which give it life. I’m not an art historian or collector but put simply – its real. Todd is an artist on a journey of self discovery exploring the human experience with an open mind and heart.

By: Brad Weisman