Roger Goodell's message on eve of NFL draft is about character

Christine Brennan | USA TODAY Sports

Show Caption Hide Caption Roger Goodell: NFL can make difference in broader society The NFL commissioner, in a one-on-one interview with USA TODAY Sports' Christine Brennan, discusses concussions, domestic violence and the Washington team's controversial nickname.

For nearly eight months, since the emergence of the Ray Rice elevator video, the NFL has devoted an inordinate amount of time to issues of character and behavior among its current and future players.

On the eve of the first NFL draft in Chicago since 1964, Commissioner Roger Goodell, speaking on a wide range of topics at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism in a question-and-answer session I moderated, spoke passionately about the steps he and the league are taking even as another potential public relations nightmare was unfolding.

La'el Collins, a former LSU offensive lineman projected to be a first-round selection Thursday, returned to Louisiana to meet with authorities investigating the death of Brittany Mills, Collins' former girlfriend.

Mills was eight months pregnant and died Friday, the victim of a shooting. The child survived and is under medical care.

"He's not a suspect, but we are seeking to question him," Corporal Don Coppola told NFL.com. "He knew the victim. We're not sure of the exact nature of the relationship. But for the investigation and through the investigation, we're exhausting all avenues to locate this young lady's killer."

The timing of this incident couldn't be worse for Collins, who could see his draft stock plummet in an era when the NFL is extremely sensitive to issues of off-the-field behavior, having strengthened its personal-conduct policy late last year. With the investigation ongoing and details scarce, NFL clubs will be forced to react before they know all the facts.

As this story was developing, Goodell was speaking to the students about issues of character among the league's players.

"We all have human weaknesses and failures, and so what we're focusing on is how do we help these individuals transition to a better place, and how do we help them provide the resources to be the kind of role models we want," he said. "People are going to make mistakes. We have 3,000 NFL players in any given year, our turnover rate in any given year is probably a third of that, so 1,000 new kids coming in every year, that's an extraordinary number of young people."

Goodell was asked if he was worried about the new group of players entering the league this weekend.

"Yes, I'm always worried about any group of players that comes in. One of the things we talked about this morning (in an educational session on domestic violence and sexual assault with future draft picks), you now represent not just yourself, not just your families, but the NFL and the team that you are going to be drafted by, and the community," he said. "The community of people who expect you to play at a high level, but more importantly expect you to represent their communities in a positive way. And they understand that.

"Not all of them are going to make that mark, but they are going to be held accountable for it when they don't, and when they don't, there will be consequences for it. If you continue to make those mistakes, you won't be in the league very long."

Goodell continued: "I dare say that NFL players have more exposure and their mistakes are more widely known than anybody in this room, for sure, maybe with yours truly as an exception, so I think there is a great deal of pressure and focus on these individuals because of their status, but that's not an excuse. That's a reality and just deal with it. And they understand that."

If they don't, the teams on the clock Thursday certainly do.