Share and Follow
DECATUR, Ill. – Millikin University’s athletes received valuable insights on Friday from a former NFL player who shared lessons that extended beyond the field.
Randy Grimes, who once stood strong as an offensive lineman for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, spoke candidly to the students about the challenges of transitional trauma, substance abuse, and addiction. His words were rooted in personal experience, having fought many battles on the gridiron but facing even tougher ones at home due to a painkiller addiction.
Having emerged from those struggles, Grimes is now dedicated to guiding athletes through life’s uncertainties once the playbook is no longer in their hands. His message was one of hope and transformation, emphasizing the importance of seeking help and finding a new path forward.
Now, he is on the other side and wants to help athletes when there’s no longer a playbook.
“I struggled for a long time without any help,” Grimes said. “But a lot of that was me with pride and ego and guilt and shame and my refusal to raise my hand when I should have raised it years ago. But boy did things change when I finally did raise my hand. And I want people to know that the best is yet to come. But you gotta get help.”
Marisa’s Purpose, an organization helping people who have been touched by addiction challenges, and the Macon/Piatt Regional Office of Education brought Grimes to the university.