John Niyo:  NFL insider

NFL rookies told: Toe the line

The comments are enough to make Lions fans -- and management -- cringe.

But then, that's sort of the idea behind the annual NFL Rookie Symposium this week in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. It's a three-day indoctrination for the newest members of an exclusive fraternity, and the message is simple: You've made it; now don't screw it up.

And in an offseason dominated by news surrounding the criminal trials and legal woes of high-profile NFL stars like Michael Vick and Plaxico Burress, and others like Donte Stallworth, it's a message that probably resonates now as well as ever.

"The main person that jumped out at me was Michael Vick because we're a lot alike," Lions rookie safety Louis Delmas told NFL.com at this week's symposium. "We're boys from tough upbringings who had to support our families. It was shocking to me to see him have everything torn from him like that."

Shock treatment is what the mandatory rookie seminar is all about, of course, with a long list of guest speakers and former players preaching about the pitfalls accompanying football fame and fortune.

But it's also what NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is all about. Soon, he'll weigh in with further punishment for Vick, and perhaps a preemptive strike with an indefinite suspension for Burress, whose day in court keeps getting pushed back.

Goodell's broadened powers have put everyone on notice. And while the players might not like it -- their union probably will demand neutral arbitration for league disciplinary actions in the next round of bargaining -- they'd better learn to live with it.

"I don't know of anybody who likes to be disciplined, and I don't like issuing discipline," Goodell said at the owners' meetings. "I would rather not be doing it. The reality is, we've been very clear about the fact that there are consequences to your actions. When those actions reflect negatively on the NFL, were going to make sure that there are negative consequences in hopes that they don't happen again."

Reach for the top

The man might not be able to move mountains, but Goodell's going to climb one this weekend.

Goodell will join Seahawks coach Jim Mora Jr. in a group expedition to summit 14,000-foot Mt. Rainier. The commish, who just turned 50, reportedly has been busy with running the hills near his home with a 30-pound weight strapped to his back and also running the stairs in a 50-story building near his office in New York.

Extra points

One notable absentee at the rookie symposium was Vikings receiver Percy Harvin . For the second time in two months, illness forced him to miss a mandatory session -- first a rookie camp and now this. Harvin has the doctor's note to prove it -- he actually was sent home Sunday due to flu-like symptoms -- but given his off-field issues coming out of college, it's not the first impression he wanted.

... Another wild-card rookie is Bengals offensive tackle Andre Smith , whose pre-draft follies -- suspended from Alabama's bowl, bolting from the scouting combine, switching agents, weight issues -- raised red flags. Now there's speculation the No. 6 pick will be a camp holdout.

john.niyo@detnews.com (313) 982-3810