From five-star recruit to Rhodes Scholar, ex-NFL safety’s journey has been anything but traditional. In 2008, he earned Associated Press 3rd team All-American honors and was named 2nd team All-ACC by the Football Writers Association of America. His stats were eye-popping, with 388 tackles on defense, big-play bursts at running back, and his brain might have been even sharper. The former NFL standout safety once carried a 4.0 GPA and posted a 1970 on the SAT. His famous remark, which he still stands by, is: “An intrinsic motivation to be a leader and create a landscape for others to do the same.”
That balance of brawn and brilliance followed him to Florida State, where he became a standout safety and a standout student. And it is none other than Myron Rolle, who earned his degree in Exercise Science in just two and a half years with a 3.75 GPA, completing pre-med requirements on top. Later, he carved out his path to the NFL with the Titans’ sixth-round pick 2010 NFL draft. After 2 seasons (2010-1011) with the Titans, he played under Mike Tomlin, joining the Steelers in 2012.
And now, years after years of medical training at Harvard and Florida State, he is ready to make a difference where it matters most. Thirteen years after walking away from the NFL, the former Florida State standout has officially announced his newest title.
As shared in a tweet amplified by Yahoo Sports, Rolle announced that he is officially joining Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando as an attending pediatric neurosurgeon. The post read, “Former NFL safety and Florida State star Myron Rolle is joining the Nemours Children’s Hospital (Orlando) as an attending pediatric neurosurgeon. He announced on social media.” That’s a win after years of medical training following his time in professional football.
So, now, he is stepping into a role where he will treat complex conditions like brain tumors, spinal disorders, Chiari malformations, congenital anomalies, trauma, epilepsy, hydrocephalus, etc. But this isn’t just about medicine… It is about mentorship, too.
Former NFL safety and Florida State star Myron Rolle is joining the Nemours Children’s Hospital (Orlando) as an attending pediatric neurosurgeon, he announced on social media pic.twitter.com/MVARKSOFBh
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) July 23, 2025
In a tweet featured prominently in the announcement image, Dr. Myron Rolle called it a “life update” as he proudly shared the news with the world. After completing his residency, he wrote, “it’s been my hope to find a place to apply my medical/surgical skills, collective experiences, and education.” Now based in Orlando, Rolle sees his role as more than just clinical. “Being here… will create an access point for mentorship,” he added—particularly for young minorities and athletes. He had punctuated his message with hashtags. Like #BlackExcellence, #GirlDads, and #KidSurgeons, underscoring the impact he hopes to make.
While his NFL career never included a regular-season snap, as he spent time on the Titans’ and Steelers’ practice squads, it was his time off the field, including late-night workouts at Oxford and soul-searching after his 2012 release, that truly defined him. “I talked to my family, brothers, and pastors… I still received interest from a few teams, and it didn’t have to be over,” Rolle recalled. But when his mother pulled out his childhood notebook with two dreams, i.e., “play in the NFL” and “become a neurosurgeon,” she simply pointed and said, “This one’s done. Now we need to do this.”
And he did. Rolle went on to earn his MD from Florida State. He completed a neurosurgery residency at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital. That’s one of the most competitive programs in the country. Now, he begins treating kids with conditions ranging from epilepsy to brain tumors. Sure, his NFL chapter is over. But it wasn’t before Coach Tomlin backed his guy!
Myron Rolle’s football journey
Mike Tomlin’s advice to Mryon Rolle? “You should want to be like Myron Rolle. I’ve followed your career – I know you’ll succeed. But you don’t have to be like someone else to succeed. Make your own path. Be the first you.” Naturally, Myron Rolle didn’t take the conventional route to—or through—the NFL. On the field, he earned All-American nods and made plays that turned heads. In one game against Miami, he showed his prowess. 4our tackles (two saving touchdowns). One sack. Four pass breakups… And three third-down stops. Mickey Andrews, FSU’s longtime defensive coordinator, called it “the best and most complete game he has ever seen a safety play at Florida State University in his 25 years of coaching.”
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Preseason-Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills Aug. 25, 2012 Orchard Park, NY, USA Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Myron Rolle 47 watches from the bench during the second half against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Steelers beat the Bills 38-7. Orchard Park Ralph Wilson Stadium NY USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xTimothyxT.xLudwig-USAxTODAYxSportsx 6521008
Then came the moment that separated Rolle from nearly every other draft hopeful as he became a Rhodes Scholar in 2008. Instead of entering the NFL Draft right away, he headed to Oxford to study medical anthropology. “To me, it’s the highest level of my passions—in academics and in athletics,” he said at the time. But that detour came with a cost. Once projected as a potential first-round pick, Rolle fell to the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Before Tennessee took a chance on him. He never played a regular season down.
Teams began to question his commitment to football, and even when he gave every ounce of effort, the perception followed. “It was definitely a blow to my athletic career by spending that time in Oxford,” Rolle later said. Coaches grilled him on Rhodes, not routes. “Other players were asked about coverages. I was asked about meeting Clinton or traveling with celebrities on a humanitarian trip to Africa,” he recalled. The Titans released him in 2011. The Steelers brought him in for one last shot in 2012.
But when Pittsburgh cut him after preseason, the reality hit hard. Rolle admitted: “It was the most frustrated I’ve been in my life, the most disappointed I’ve been in my life, the most downtrodden I’ve been in my life. The time where I felt like I failed… And I let people down.” Still, that release came with a message. As Rolle tells it, a Steelers staffer told him, “Your talent is there… but there’s a guy that’s not as talented as you, and this is all he has. You? I’m not worried about you. You can go be president one day, you can go be a doctor, you’re going to be great.” Myron Rolle eventually let the game go, but not the lessons, which prepared him for the next stage of his life.
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