SOUTH OTSELIC – It’s not very often that the small Otselic Valley school district gets to play host to a National Football League player. It’s even less frequent that such an opportunity would be presented exclusively to the smallest school in the county, but that is exactly what happened Friday.
Former Carolina Panthers Safety Mike Minter visited the Otselic Valley School District Friday, pushing a message to follow your dreams. After 10 years as a safety for the same team he started with, Minter retired at the end of the 2007-2008 season, with an NFL career total of 790 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 15 forced fumbles, 8 fumble recoveries, 15 interceptions with 371 yards returned and four defensive touch downs. Minter explained he was able to achieve his dream.
“The most important thing God has given us, is the opportunity to dream,” Minter told the students, explaining that he dreamed of being a football player since he was five years old. While dreaming is important, Minter explained without hard work, those dreams will never come to light. “Things in life don’t just happen. It’s a process. You have to put in work and have a goal to achieve it.”
Growing up in Lawton, Oklahoma, Minter knew he wanted to attend college and play football for the University of Nebraska. By setting goals and working hard, Minter maintained the grades he needed and worked to become a better football player. Although his high school coach didn’t think he was good enough to attend the University of Nebraska, Minter worked to prove him wrong.
“Never let another person dictate your future. Wherever you end up in life, you got yourself there, and you have to be responsible for the decisions you made in your life.”
Minter proved his coach wrong and was chosen to play football for the University of Nebraska, and after he graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, he was chosen by the Panthers in the second round of the NFL draft.
Minter told the students that there are several times in life when fear plays a role in the decisions you make. “You have two options. You can let fear whoop you, or you can whoop fear,” Minter said. “Mr. Fear never goes away. He keeps coming back and you have to continue to kick him out. It’s the only way you can get to where you want to get in life.”
During his time in the NFL, Minter and the Panthers had good seasons and bad. The worst, took place in 2001, when the Panthers became the first team in history to lose 15 games in a row. As an athlete who had seen championships from little league up, Minter said dealing with failure was not something he was used to, but he explained you can’t let yourself get too low. “You deal with failure the same as you deal with success. You stay in the middle of the road,” Minter said, explaining when you win, you can’t get too full of yourself, or you’re in for a painful fall, and when you lose, you can’t get too low, or it’s hard to get back up.
Two years later, the Panthers had their first shot at the Super Bowl, an opportunity Minter thinks they had due to the fact that they never got too low on themselves.
“At the end of the day, your future is determined by you,” Minter said. “Nobody else.”
After answering questions from the students and signing autographs, Minter addressed a smaller crowd made up of varsity athletes and cheerleaders for a more relaxed discussion. Minter addressed the importance of discipline, determination and dedication and answered questions about mental preparation, the similarities between sports and life and the issue of steroid use in professional athletics, something Minter said was just not worth doing.
Minter’s visit at the school was scheduled in part due to a business relationship between the football player and former OV graduate Dave Rasmussen. Rasmussen and Minter are planning a business venture with David O’Brian, a mutual friend and Mike Rucker, who currently plays as a defensive end for the Panthers.
The NFL player came back to the school Friday night to support the varsity basketball team during their sectional game.