JOB TRUMPS STANCE

Jet great Mawae eyes NFL line gig, mum on Don talk

Retired Jets center Kevin Mawae has his opinions on the weekend’s NFL protests and President Donald Trump’s comments, but he isn’t sharing them.

“It’s not an area I wish to put my name in, I’m just going to avoid that all together,” Mawae told reporters Tuesday. “Hopefully, you respect that.”

It’s rather peculiar to see Mawae abstain from making his opinion heard, given he was such an outspoken voice throughout his NFL career and as NFLPA president.

The former Pro Bowler, who will be inducted into the Jets Ring of Honor in a ceremont Sunday, said he is looking to find a fulltime coaching gig in the league. He explained that making his stance public, however, won’t help him make that a reality.

“Hard to get a job in the NFL if you have strong opinions, one way or another,” he said.

Mawae was likely referring to Colin Kaepernick’s continued unemployment from the league, a path the ex-Jet clearly has no interest in following.

Instead, he wants to get back into the game. After working with both the Vikings and Falcons during training camp, Mawae is turning his attention toward next season.

“I would love to get into coaching full-time, but as everyone knows, there’s only 32 positions, maybe 64 total, that hire offensive linemen,” he said. “So the number of applicants versus the number of jobs available is quite a lot different.

“So I’ll jump in on the coaching cycle when the season ends and hopefully find a job somewhere. If not, then I’ll enjoy life.”

One of his goals is to improve the line play around the league, which he acknowleged has taken a downturn over recent seasons.

“I would agree with the general consensus that offensive line play has detoriated over the last couple of years,” Mawae said. “Some people say it’s because (football is) more of a spread game, most people say it’s because of the offseason workout rules.

“Whatever the reason may be, but I do think we have some good players out there, there’s great coaches out there. I think just the emphasis on time spent during development at all levels, college and pros, I don’t think it’s there like it used to be.”

Mawae, an eight-time Pro Bowler and one of the best centers of his generation, certainly has the credentials to impart some knowledge on today’s players.

Hall-of-Famers Curtis Martin, Don Maynard and Joe Namath will all also receive their Rings of Excellence, the third form of Hall-of-Fame recognition after receiving their Gold Jackets and bronze busts, during the halftime ceremony.

For Mawae, football is an experience he doesn’t regret, even with the widespread conversations and research regarding CTE. The former center said he feels healthy, and would still encourage young people to get into the game.

“The guys who are indeed suffering, I feel for them,” he said. “We signed up to play this game in junior high, high school, knowing there’s inherent risks with the game. That was my stance in the past, that’s my stance now.

“Would I trade it for what I have now? Absolutely not. I would do it all over again. I would not discourage parents to keep their kids from playing football. There’s more lessons to be learned in this game than the other avenues that people might choose.”