Semoball Awards keynote speaker Mark Schlereth challenges athletes to make difference

Shelbey Johnson said she could relate to what three-time Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth had to say during his keynote speech at the Third Annual Semoball Awards on Saturday night.

Schlereth, who had 29 surgeries before the end of a 12-year NFL career, spoke about his journey.

"I guess it hit more because of my brain [injury]," said Johnson who was named Comeback Athlete of the Year during the ceremony at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus.

"It meant a lot that he still went super far and had all those injuries."

The Poplar Bluff sophomore, who like Schlereth was born in Alaska, missed nearly the entire 2015 season with bleeding on her brain only to set school records this year.

Schlereth had to overcome a lot more than injuries. First, he needed an NFL team to give him a chance.

His story of working out 20 different times for scouts, even though Schlereth wasn't the player they had come to see, hit home for recent Malden graduate Nick Thompson.

"You've got to have guts to come out and do something like that, not even thinking somebody wants you," said Thompson, who was named the Male Athlete of the Year.

"His ability to persevere stood out for me."

Schlereth was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the 10th round, 263rd overall, but ended up starting on the offensive line for Joe Gibbs. During his third season, Schlereth started at right guard when Washington beat the Buffalo Bills 37-24 in Super Bowl XXVI.

During his speech, Schlereth told the story of the famous play in Super Bowl XXXII when Broncos quarterback John Elway ran for a first down, spinning like a helicopter after getting hit by three Green Bay Packers.

"I don't like to brag, but I single-handily won Super Bowl XXXII," Schlereth joked.

On third-and-6 in the third quarter of a tied game, a 37-year-old Elway scrambled for a first down after Schlereth had missed a block. Denver went on to win 31-24 and the following year 34-19 in Super Bowl XXXIII against the Atlanta Falcons.

When his playing career ended, Schlereth acted on the long-running soap opera "Guiding Light" and hosted an afternoon sports talk radio show in Denver. He went on to be an NFL analyst for ESPN and an entrepreneur with his Stinkin' Good chile sauce.

"I think the biggest thing for me is that you've got to be flexible," Schlereth said following the show. "It never really turns out the way you think it's going to turn out so it's just about enjoying the journey."

His journey started with his parents who had him think about who he wanted to be instead of what he wanted to be when he grew up.

Schlereth's "mission statement" came from the Bible and Philippians 2:1-4.

"As you're traveling to the destination there's all kinds of ruts in the road, there's going to be all kinds of disappointments, all kinds of things that don't work out the way you thought they were going to work out," Schlereth said. "Embrace it, enjoy it because it may just turn out better than you thought."

Schlereth said being a part of the Semoball Awards took him back 32 years to when he was in high school and had dreams of playing in the NFL.

"The energy is great and the kids are awesome," he said. "I know how hard they've worked.

"Athletics has taught me so much. Honestly, for me it's all I ever wanted to be. I've been blessed to live out those dreams," Schlereth added. "So to see this group of athletes and see these young kids trying to fulfill those same things I was doing when I was their age, that's special.

"It gives me great energy, gives me great hope."

The keynote speaker's message hit home with those in attendance.

"Everything he says about not giving up, about playing for others, we before me, everything he said just hit home," Malden football coach Joel Wyatt said. "Things that we stress every day. You've got to play for the guy next to you, it's not just about you.

"We could all relate to that sitting there."