Ovie Mughelli

Baltimore Ravens Fullback

I didn’t play golf in college at all but I heard about it. Back then, most college seniors were talking about women and where to find the best party. We talked about how to leverage ourselves and use our opportunity as ball players to get into tournaments and meet people with whom we could make business connections. Our advisors and coaches said we had to learn to play golf as a second sport because we could play it after we were done with our football careers. I didn’t take it seriously and just played with my teammates and some friends every now and then.

Once I went out and I was driving the cart to help out and they told me they needed someone to be in their foursome. I was with my teammates and some of them golfed really well. But I kid you not—out of 18 holes on that course I hit the ball twice on the first try. Every time I hit I took out a chunk of earth and one time it went backwards! The last two times I got the hang of it though. I am a perfectionist so I’m still in the process of trying to do better. I don’t play very regularly but when I do I enjoy playing on a course near my house because it’s convenient.

Football and golf are similar in that they are both very competitive games. If you are an athlete, you have an innate desire to win at whatever you do; it doesn’t matter how you get there. In football you have to prepare to practice—preparation is key. Once that clock starts you can’t really stop it. When the lights come and the quarterback touches you, you’ve got to go! What surprised me about golf is that it also takes a lot of physical strength. People would be surprised at how much professional golfers work out; you have to have strength to play golf. They do weights, Pilates and work out but they don’t have injuries as much as we do.

I already had a competitive streak in me; I am used to preparing and getting ready. In football I have to try to figure out which way I should go and how to best beat the defense. In golf you are trying to figure out how to best beat the course. Playing against people is more fun; playing against a course is no fun for me. I love playing against people and getting into their heads. The most difficult thing about football would have to be the preparation. On some days when you’re out there in front of 8,000 fans and bright lights you sometimes feel like a warrior who can make any play. As far as golf is concerned, the whole thing is really hard. The toughest thing for me is how to not use all my strength. I have heavy hands and a heavy swing, so I need to control my swing and strength to get a smooth swing. Right now I swing the club as hard and fast as I can.

My best memory was in Hawaii. I was with other NFL Hall of Famers and the course was more challenging than I anticipated. I had one instance when the ball went in a straight line. As long as I see improvement in myself I get excited—that’s what matters.