A week after the rookie symposium became the first casualty of the NFL lockout, the NFLPA* has decided to host its own version of the annual event.
Albert Breer of NFL Network reports that the event will take place June 28-29 in Washington, D.C.
NFLPA* spokesman George Atallah told SI.com that the symposium will be open to every player who was drafted this year, and will focus on financial planning, dealing with the media and other issues that have traditionally been a part of the rookie symposium.
“It was important for us to do this because it’s a critical time in the lives of players who are about to enter the league,” Atallah said. “Lockout issues aside, it’s important that players are prepared for this next phase in their lives and careers.”
One interesting question is what kind of turnout this version of the symposium will get. In years past, attendance was always close to perfect, and the league would fine the small handful of players who didn’t attend. The NFLPA* event is voluntary, and we’ll find out how many players attend just because they want to, not because they have to.