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Super Bowl champion Steve Beuerlein revealed what part of the transition from college football to the NFL isn’t talked about enough.
Beuerlein, 61, said players anticipate the physical aspect of the game when they enter the NFL, but not everything that comes mentally.
“I think a lot of players are anticipating the physical aspect. Understanding that things happen a lot faster. Guys are a lot stronger. There’s a lot less mistakes. There’s a lot less margin for error,” Beuerlein told PK Press Club Digital in a recent interview.
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Steve Beuerlein speaks during the JESPYS Awards at JSerra High School in San Juan Capistrano, California on May 29, 2025. (Kirby Lee/Getty Images)
“Every mistake is magnified. I think the players understand that. But I don’t think they have any way of understanding the complexity of the game at this level and the time it takes to prepare week in and week out.”
Beuerlein said that for players to withstand pressure, they must make strong decisions off the field in order to develop strong habits.
“It’s a long season, and I know the season is a lot longer now for college football players than it’s ever been. But the intensity and the magnitude of every game and the pressure on you to perform and produce at a high level every week is much greater at the NFL level,” Beuerlein said.
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Carolina Panthers quarterback Steve Beuerlein throws the ball against the Atlanta Falcons during a 1997 season game at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia on September 7, 1997. (RVR Photos/USA TODAY Sports)
“And obviously as you get older, the consequences on your body are very different as well. So you have to form good habits in terms of your decisions, your life decisions off the football field, the way you take care of yourself, your diet, your nutrition, your exercise routine.”
Rookies would do well to follow the advice of Beuerlein, who played 14 seasons in the NFL.
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Steve Beuerlein waves during a Netflix event for “America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys” at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles, California on August 11, 2025. (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
He played for the Los Angeles Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos. He was a backup quarterback when the Cowboys won the Super Bowl in 1992.
He made the Pro Bowl with the Panthers in 1999. In 147 games (102 starts), he completed 56.9% of passes for 24,046 yards, with 147 touchdowns and 112 interceptions.
