Bobby Wagner is one of the most established players in the NFL and certainly on the Washington Commanders roster.
Landing Wagner was a sign to many the Commanders had crawled their way as an organization up from the pits of the NFL dungeon, even if the most recent win-loss record had placed them firmly down near the bottom.
For Wagner, it was more about relationships with coaches like Dan Quinn and Ken Norton Jr. - the new linebackers coach in Washington - than franchise prestige, and his focus on connections is never far from the front of his mind, even in the summer days when teams and players take a break from football.
“A lot of athletes want to learn business and go into different spaces, but it’s also important to learn the business that you are in every single day,” Wagner told Sportico as part of their look at his day spent with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. “There’s so much that goes into the business side that athletes don’t understand.”
Wagner took the opportunity to shadow Goodell starting with his morning yoga routine to meetings, calls, and sat in as the commissioner made critical decisions regarding the league as a whole.
According to the article, the day they spent together in the Summer of 2023 and was an experience no other active NFL player has ever had before Wagner.
It's all part of Wagner's intentions on being as successful off the field - if not more - as he has been on it. And in his post-NFL life there's a path that may be followed where he has an even bigger impact on the game without pads on.
“Bobby’s passion for growth and development goes beyond the field,” Goodell told Sportico via statement. “I’ve had the privilege of getting to know Bobby over the years and seeing his interest in business develop. We were able to see that first-hand when he spent a few days at the NFL shadowing leaders across our office. We were all impressed by Bobby’s enthusiasm and curiosity to learn more about all aspects of our business. Additionally, he was eager to share his perspective as a player on key issues, which is invaluable for us to hear.”
In addition to Goodell, Wagner spent time with officials in New York getting inside looks across departments from several decision makers inside the league.
Of course, since joining the Commanders, Wagners networking efforts have been evident and he even spent a day in Los Angeles with NBA Legend, accomplished businessman, and part owner of the Washington franchise, Earvin 'Magic' Johnson.
The post was captioned, "Always soaking up the knowledge," something Wagner has done his entire career. Now, as his playing days near their end, he's giving the knowledge he's soaked up to other players.
Players like Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu who knows Wagner from their time in the Pacific Northwest, and is getting his first chance to ride along with the future Hall of Famer for a full season.
From student to teacher, player, teammate, and leader, whether it's in business or on the field, Wagner does everything with a purpose and none of his success is by mistake.
The Commanders are hoping to tap into some of that some more when they reconvene in just under two weeks to start their 2024 NFL Training Camp.
