After nearly 27 years since his selection in Round 4 of the 1997 NFL Draft, Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel found himself again waiting to hear which team would choose him yesterday.
“I Got Hooked”
However, this time around, it’s a pickleball draft he will be a part of. It’s the culmination of four years of dedication, steady progress, and a genuine passion for the competitive side of his newfound sporting love.
“I got hooked, like so many others,” Wuerffel remarked, reflecting on his journey. The milestone of a 50th birthday in May coincides with the onset of the second season of the National Pickleball League (NPL) for professionals aged 50 and above,
“Like a lot of people, I caught the bug,” Wuerffel told The Daytona Beach News Journal. I love to play and love to compete, and it just sort of developed.”
A Team-Based Format
The NPL distinguishes itself through a team-based format rather than individual play. While still in its nascent stages, the league’s itinerary comprises five tournaments scheduled through the summer in various cities such as Chicago, Columbus, Cincinnati, Kansas City, and Houston.
With the league expanding from six to 12 franchises this year, it recently conducted two combines in preparation for the forthcoming draft.
Wuerffel’s affinity for racket and paddle sports can be traced all the way back to his childhood in Fort Walton Beach, a small city in the Florida panhandle. Football and basketball took precedence, while tennis, racquetball, and ping pong were strictly only occasional pastimes.
However, Wuerffel remembers, “I always figured that eventually I’d play more tennis.”.
Falling Under Pickleball’s Spell
As fate would have it, the onset of the Covid era steered Wuerffel onto a different course. He had played before the pandemic, but it was during lockdown that he really fell under pickleball’s spell.
“I started playing with a friend who’s a big pickleball guy,” he said. “We met in Gainesville with some other friends who’d already been playing, and they were all ahead of me and were beating me. The competitive part of me said that’s not how this is supposed to work.
“Then Covid hit. My son Jonah and I, like a lot of people, were just trying to find anything we could do. Some people were playing on a tennis court in a park down from our house (in Atlanta). We went down a few times, and somebody there invited us to another park, and we really fell in love with it.”
The Wuerfell Foundation
Wuerffel started integrating pickleball tournaments into his Wuerffel Foundation fundraising initiatives, alongside his continued commitment to Desire Street Ministries.
Participating in celebrity events, including the Major League Pickleball event at Pictona in Holly Hill last spring, paved the way for his upcoming appearance in the Minto US Open Pickleball Championships at East Naples Community Park in Naples, which is expected to attract over 4,000 competitors.
“Pickleball, for me, really aligns well with my mission in life, the non-profit, the Wuerffel Foundation, with Desire Street,” he said. “I’ve met a lot of new people through pickleball that have helped the organizations. Hosted some celebrity pro-am events as fundraisers. I’m really enjoying the relationships I’ve made through the pickleball world.”
Satisfying His Competitive Appetite
However, to satisfy his competitive appetite, Wuerffel sought to elevate his game to the next level. Hence his introduction to the senior pro circuit.
Wuerffel’s pickleball regimen extends beyond mere gameplay; he embellishes it with an an array of drills targeting serves, returns, volleys, and the indispensable art of dinking.
“You really can’t get too much better without doing some level of drilling,” he said. I’m hoping to be in the mix and compete. When I put my mind to something, I usually figure out what I need to do to get better, and I have a good work ethic.”
Ironically, Wuerffel draws parallels between his quarterbacking prowess and his approach to pickleball strategy.
“At a certain level, most people can make most of the shots,” he said. Then it comes down to … and what I love about pickleball is that it becomes more of a chess match. Who are you playing, and what are their strengths and weaknesses? Can you isolate them into more of their weaknesses?
