I recently had the privilege of assisting with the structured settlement choices made by two men who spent more than a decade in prison for crimes they did not commit. Eventually freed and vindicated of all criminal charges, they were wise to have selected excellent counsel to work on their behalf when it came time to negotiate their civil settlements.

Most people generally think of structured settlements only for “traditional” personal injury claims: auto accidents, dog bites, slip and falls, medical malpractice and the like. But for a variety of reasons, these two cases reinforced my belief that structured settlements can be even MORE valuable when applied to settlement discussions that are anything but traditional.

For confidentiality reasons, I will reveal only that these two settlements occurred in a major American city and their legal teams (these were separate cases) included respected Super Lawyers highly regarded for their skills. I was honored to have been offered the opportunity to assist on these challenging and quite unique structured settlements. And proud to have helped secure a portion of the financial futures of these two deserving men.

Because of the circumstances surrounding these cases, I reached out to Bill Moushey, a former high school basketball teammate of mine who, in 2001, had founded the Innocence Institute of Point Park University. I knew that Bill, an award-winning investigative journalist who was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 1997, was himself committed to helping free the wrongfully convicted through the Power of the Press so he was the perfect person to contact for information on this subject. He proved an excellent resource for information relating to the processes that can lead to the wrongful incarceration in the first place.

Coincidentally, Bill was just about to publish a book chronicling the life of Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison, the 2008 Defensive Player of the Year and Superbowl record holder. Its title and theme, Never Give Up, seemed an appropriate parallel to the two men I had recently been fortunate enough to help. So I ordered a copy for myself and a few more for other people I thought might enjoy reading a human interest story about a guy who wouldn’t quit.

It’s probably safe to assume that all of us, no matter our backgrounds, can relate to a time or two in our lives when we faced challenges and wanted to throw in the towel. But when you read this story about a talented person who overcame many challenges, some of which he readily admits to having brought about himself, to become one of the best in his chosen profession, it reminds you that focus, perseverance and belief in oneself are powerful allies in the quest for success. Never Give Up is a story about that quest. And obvious required reading for any true Steelers fan!

Click HERE to go to the book’s website.

On a very personal level, I confess to experiencing more than my own share of frustration, heartache and disappointment during my life. There have been many days when I thought the sun would never shine and hopelessness and despair seemed my only companions. Yet with each passing dark hour when the world seemed bereft of any positive possibilities, I summoned all my strength to force myself into believing that maybe, just maybe, next week would be different and success would eventually arrive.

But then again, nobody ever said being a Browns fan would be easy.

Never Give Up.