Players who attended the USA Football National Team Trials this weekend in Austin, Texas, worked closely with top U.S. coaches from the high school, college and NFL level.

The trials included individual position drills, one-on-one and seven-on-seven competitions where players improved their skills and competed for spots on U.S. Under-19, Under-17 and Under-15 National Teams.

If that is where the learning ended, said Willie Drew, who brought his son and four others from Mesquite, Texas, to Austin to take part, that would make for a great experience.

Where USA Football separates itself is with its off-the-field program, Drew said, where former NFL players serve as keynote speakers, addressing leadership and character-development topics as well offering suggestions to help families manage the college recruiting process.

As a youth football and track coach himself, Drew understands the challenges that young athletes face. He appreciates USA Football adding its voice in trying to help teenagers make the right decisions.

"Exposing these players to guys who have been there is invaluable," Drew said. "Kids can sometimes tune out their parents or their coaches at home, but when they hear the same message here, it reinforces what we have been telling them."

Speakers at the National Team Trials included NFL Vice President of Player Development Troy Vincent; fellow former NFL players LeCharles Bentley, Terry Johnson and Ron Rice; NCAA leadership development director Curtis Hollomon; U.S. Under-19 National Team head coach Steve Specht; and former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Terry Shea. Rice, an NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year, and Shea also served as National Trials evaluators.

Their talks were drawn from life experiences, sharing the highs of being an athlete or coach at the highest level along with the responsibility that comes with it. They stressed character, teamwork, leadership and choices - on the field, in the classroom and in picking friends.

"Off the field, who we are is much more important than anything we did as football players," said Bentley, an All-America center at Ohio State and an NFL All-Star with the New Orleans Saints. "Some of you will play in college. Most of you won't make it to the next level. ... These are the most formative years of your life. By the time you think you need to figure it out, it will be too late."

Johnson was a second-round pick of the Chicago Bears and played seven NFL seasons. Known as "Tank" during his playing days, he's better known by fans for spending time in an Illinois jail on weapons charges and missing half the 2007 NFL season because of suspension.

Johnson is dedicating his post-playing days to speaking to kids. He hopes he is one day remembered for that instead of the trouble he got into.

"You may not get caught every time," Johnson said, "but if you get caught one time, it changes your life."

That's a lesson worth learning from, Drew said.

"You can usually get young athletes to try their best to do right on the field," Drew said. "Focusing on school and at home is just as important to their growth."