Bowling Green State University Athletics
Taking It to the Next Level: Pros and Cons of Going Pro
April 08, 2008 | General
April 8, 2008
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Office of Student-Athlete Services at Bowling Green State University will be hosting a discussion panel called "Taking It to the Next Level: Pros and Cons of Going Pro", on Thursday, April 10. The hour long panel discussion will begin at 7:00 p.m. on the second floor of the Sebo Center. It is open to BGSU student-athletes, as well as the rest of the campus community.
The panel will consist of three current BGSU coaches, each of whom have played at the professional level. The coaches will be assistant football coach Stephen Bird, head men's basketball coach Louis Orr, and assistant hockey coach Todd Reirden.
Reirden played hockey professionally for 13 seasons and saw action for five different NHL teams. Reirden skated in 183 career NHL games and scored 46 points (11 goals and 35 assists). Those totals include 94 games played for the St. Louis Blues, during which time Reirden scored 31 points (6 goals and 25 assists). Reirden is one of 12 NCAA Division I hockey coaches to have played in 100 or more NCAA games.
Orr was selected 28th overall in the 1980 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers. Orr played two seasons with the Pacers and spent six more with the New York Knicks. Orr averaged 9.8 points per game over his professional career and enjoyed a career high 12.7 points per game average with the Knicks during the 1984-85 season.
Bird was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals. He spent two seasons with the Cardinals before completing his NFL career by playing two seasons for the San Diego Chargers.
Each coach will spend roughly ten to fifteen minutes speaking about their professional playing experiences. They will talk about positive and negative aspects of a professional career and possibly discuss their thoughts on leaving school early to play professionally. Following the remarks by the coaches, the audience will be allowed to ask questions of the coaches. This forum will allow these coaches to share their experiences and knowledge with BGSU student-athletes and other members of the community.
This forum is part of BGSU's commitment to the CHAMPS/Life Skills Program. The CHAMPS/Life Skills Program was launched in 1994 by the NCAA to support the student-athlete development initiatives of NCAA member institutions and to enhance the quality of the student-athlete experience within the context of higher education. The program focuses on both academic and athletic excellence, as well as personal and career development and service to the community. As of August 2007, the CHAMPS/Life Skills Program included 581 participating NCAA institutions.
