The recently turned 60-year-old, in an interview with Inquirer staff writer Jeff McLane, answered questions about the NFL lockout, the Eagles' quarterback situation, and the draft:
Question: You were involved in three work stoppages as an NFL player. What do you make of the current lockout?
Jaworski: I'm very saddened by it. The game has never been better on the field or in the field of business. The game is flourishing, and right now normally everyone should feel really excited about the draft. . . . I just don't sense a buzz right now as there has been in the past. When people are talking about greedy athletes, greedy owners, millionaires vs. billionaires, I think that's bad for the game.
Q: Who's more in the wrong - the owners or the players?
A: I normally favor the players' side slightly, and I probably still go this way. But I think of it in these terms: I don't think that anyone's really wrong or anyone's right. It's just a matter of getting the thing worked out and not looking to blame someone. But we all know in these situations . . . there's going to be a winner, and there has to be a loser. But I certainly side with the players because of the short career. The average NFL career is 3.4 years.
Q: So do you believe the players union is doing a good job representing former players once they're out of the game?
A: That part does disappoint me. I've been around long enough to understand that present-day players, they don't understand what the guys went through in [the previous work stoppages of 1987, '82, and '74]. . . . Quite honestly, I don't think they really give a damn about the guys that laid the foundation for the game. I think it's a lot of verbiage, but I don't think they really care.
Q: Can more by done for former players, especially in terms of their post-football health?
