Myron Rolle’s next chapter has him back in football, but this time the former Florida State standout is bringing a doctor’s bag instead of shoulder pads.
The NFL Players Association announced Monday, July 6, that Rolle has taken on strategic advisory roles with the union, where he’ll focus on player health, brain cognition and preventive care across a player’s life. The work will also include involvement with the Mackey-White Health and Safety Committee as the NFLPA continues efforts to protect players during and after their NFL careers.
For Rolle, 39, the move fits the path he’s been on for years. He starred at safety for Florida State from 2006-08, won a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University, then built a career as a pediatric neurosurgeon and nationally recognized researcher. He now lives in Orlando and works at Nemours Children’s Health after graduating from FSU Medical School in 2017.
Rolle called the opportunity a full-circle moment, and his statement made clear why.
“This sport gave my family joy, discipline, and community,” Rolle said in a statement. “To return now, as a physician, researcher and former player, and contribute to the wellbeing of the men who make this game what it is, feels deeply meaningful. I am honored to support the NFLPA’s mission and help advance a future where every player’s health is protected with the highest standard of care.”
Those around him aren’t shocked by the latest turn in his career. Dr. Sally Karioth, a professor in FSU’s College of Nursing, remembered Rolle from FSU London in 2007, when he was already talking about the future with uncommon purpose.
“Myron spoke passionately about his vision of his life in the future,” Karioth told the Tallahassee Democrat. “Now, 18 years later, he has not only met those goals but continues to expand his vision daily.”
Karioth said that drive to serve has never left him.
“He gives back because he believes his platform as a pediatric neurosurgeon and former athlete gives him a powerful opportunity to inspire youth, improve athletic safety and advance health equity,” Karitoh said.
“He’s always believed that if each of us upped our game 2 % the worldwide outcome would be stunning.”
She also pointed to the day in Birmingham, Alabama, on Nov. 22, 2008, when Rolle interviewed for the Rhodes Scholarship after months of preparation.
"I remember the ride to Birmingham as he had his final interview for the Rhodes Scholarship that we'd been prepping for for months," she said. "I took two cards - one to give him if he won and one to give him if he lost. And by some freaky moment, I forgot to pack the one for if he lost."
That missing card never mattered. Rolle became just the third FSU student selected as a Rhodes Scholar, a distinction that helped launch a career built on achievement, service and a steady push to improve the lives of others.
In Other News...
Danny Kanell Sends Florida State A Tough Message For 2026
Danny Kanell is making it clear Florida State cannot count on reputation to carry it anymore. The former Seminoles quarterback, now watching the program from the outside, framed the coming season as one where low expectations should become fuel, with the players and Mike Norvell needing to embrace the pressure instead of trying to talk around it.
For Florida State, the message lands in a familiar place: the roster has to answer for itself. Kanell pointed to the need for leadership from within and for key contributors to help change the tone around the program, because the Seminoles are no longer in a spot where history alone will win respect. The challenge now is whether the team can turn that skepticism into something useful before the season starts to define them. [Read more 🡒]
What Will Finally Prove FSU Is Different This Time
For Florida State, the 2026 conversation is less about chasing a headline record right away and more about proving the program has cleaned up the details that have too often worked against it. The Seminoles have spent the offseason looking for better execution, sharper communication and fewer self-inflicted mistakes, the kind of basic football traits that tend to show up before the wins do. If that progress is real, it should be visible in how the team operates, not just in the final score.
A sturdier offensive line and a more organized defense would go a long way toward making that case, especially with Ashton Daniels needing a cleaner pocket to function. Florida State has poured resources into both fronts, and the expectation is that the roster should look more stable and more connected than it did a year ago. Even the road schedule will be part of the evaluation, since the Seminoles have been trying to fix the kind of planning and organization issues that have made those games so difficult. [Read more 🡒]