For Paul Rabil, loyalty, hard decision making, and readiness are part of the territory in business and sports

by Tom Eschen Oct 7, 2021

In the wake of Tom Brady returning to Foxboro, Premier Lacrosse League co-founder Paul Rabil admits there is a fun conflict generated between his loyalty towards Johns Hopkins University lacrosse and his respect and relationship with new Syracuse University men's defensive coordinator, Dave Petramala, the head coach who recruited Rabil to play.

"I owe a lot of debt and gratitude to Johns Hopkins for investing in me as a player, but at the same time, Dave Pietramala recruited me.  What you learn in business and in sports, it's about the people," said Rabil in a recent interview with "Lacrosse Now" host, Tom Eschen.  "I'm going to be on the sidelines cheering for Syracuse.  I'm going to be on the sidelines cheering for Hopkins.  If the two play each other it will probably feel a little bit like that Tom Brady- Belichick, Patriots-Bucs game."

These days Rabil is focused on his transition from full-time professional superstar to day-to-day front office visionary with the PLL. He announced his retirement in September.

"Making a decision like this is incredibly hard.  I've had other moments in my life where I have had to make hard decisions.  If you can get to 80%, in the hard decisions in life, that is pretty powerful.  I was above 80%.  I was like, 95%, but at the same time, I am nuts enough to build a lacrosse league so I'd be nuts enough to come back."

Comeback.  Wait, what?

"I want to be in good enough shape in the event that things were ever to turn back in the other direction."

There is a seemingly playful twinkle in his eye when he says it as if he may have teased a possible season-ending cliffhanger for PLL fans to debate during the next few months.  That storyline would be an interesting encore to a storied career.