Feb. 5, 2025
NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University alum Rob Robertson is visiting Louisiana this week, making appearances at events surrounding Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans to network, inspire and talk about his new book, “Persevering Through Purpose.”
Robertson lives in Virginia with his wife, Nneka, and their children, Bryson and Boston Olivia. Traveling south, his itinerary includes a stop at Istrouma High School in Baton Rouge, his alma mater, and a series of engagements in New Orleans, some related to his financial services career, some related to his involvement with the NFL and some in advocacy for mental health and other issues, platforms enabled by the extensive coverage and high visibility that Super Bowl week provides.
Robertson played with the NSU Demon football team and was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens to play fullback for two seasons in 1998-2000. When his time with the NFL was over, he completed his degree in business at NSU in 2000. A well-known motivational speaker, he has over 24 years experience in the financial services industry and holds certifications in business analytics, executive leadership development, strategic communication management and transformational leadership. He maintains ties to football as a Ravens Legend Member, an active member of the National Former Players NFL Alumni and Chairman of the NFLPA Advisory Board. He also mentors youth by serving on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters National Capital Area.
Among many Super Bowl Week events, Robertson will attend dinners, connect with colleagues and former teammates and represent his company, First Citizens Bank, at the NFL job fair. He is scheduled for a breakfast sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness and will participate in Radio Row, a mashup of podcasters, reporters and media from all over the world eager to interview NFL stars, former players and other celebrities to ask questions and share stories on all manner of topics.
In his book, Robertson talks about elements that shaped his life: the death of his mother when he was 10, the strength of his grandmother, his experiences as a college athlete, the challenges he and his teammates faced and finding a successful career after his football playing days were cut short due to injuries. He hopes the message resonates with people seeking to overcome their own challenges.
“I’m going to be down there promoting my book and sharing my story, but that’s not that’s not my sole reason,” he said. “I’m going to Baton Rouge to my local high school where they are they’re doing these pep rallies for hope, trying to give hope to some of the young teenagers and students talking about mental health. I want to let these kids know ‘Do not let your zip code define you.’ A lot of these kids are lacking hope. They’re lacking momentum and motivation, so I’m trying to be that beacon of light and say, ‘Hey I went to Istrouma. I know how it feels but look at me today.’”
Part of the message is a philosophy that he calls CPR.
“I want to breathe life into the community” he explained. “I came up with the acronym CPR. C is culture. I want to create a culture of caring. The P is the people I want to surround myself with. I want to be around great people, talented people and people who may know more than me or can challenge me. That leads to the R which is relationships. If you have a great culture of caring, if you surround yourself with great talent, then people will run through a wall for you. If you have your team happy internally, that extends to the customers externally.”
Writing the book, he said, was an emotional experience.
“I was able to build a timeline and tell my story from childhood, from five years old up until where I am today and, I’ll be honest with you, it was tough. Those first three chapters for me were probably toughest thing I’ve done in a long time. There were a lot of a lot of tears, reflecting back on my childhood and where I started in my life to where I am today.”
An underlying theme of the memoir is gratitude. He speaks about the grandmother who took him in and raised him after his mother’s death and the sacrifices she made for him. Later, he was helped, encouraged and sometimes pushed by mentors like former Demons head football Coach Sam Goodwin, the late athletic trainer Ed Evans, the late Dr. Carroll Aby, who was dean of the College of Business; Dr. Margaret Kilcoyne, business professor who later served as dean; advisors, members of the athletic staff, teammates and his wife of 23 years, Nneka.
“She believed in me. We believed in each other. Twenty-three years later, married, two kids. We have a son at the University of Miami and a daughter who is a junior in high school. I thank God daily for allowing me to be a husband and allowing me to be a parent because a lot of people don’t get to do both. I’m extremely grateful to lead my family. At the end of the day, all I want to do is lead people with a glimmer of hope that we all have greatness within us and tap into that greatness. I’m challenging people to embrace their story, tell their story and connect with someone and help them start up and let’s be successful together.”
“Persevering Through Purpose” is available on Amazon. Readers can follow Robertson on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-robertson/) or Instagram (robertsonrobjr).
