In recent years, the NFL has catered to the post-career pipe dreams of players with “boot camps” aimed at introducing current and former players to broadcasting, the music industry, and acting. (The last two represent unrealistic transitional careers for athletes; even broadcasting is an uphill battle for most former players.)
The NFL is now providing current and former players a more realistic way to capitalize on the resources that can flow from an NFL career.
The league has announced that 23 players (13 active, 10 former) will participate in a three-day “Investment for Impact” event at Notre Dame University. The program, development by Brady Quinn and Jeff Faine along with NFL Player Engagement, will be aimed at helping guide players toward quality investment opportunities that also have a positive effect on their surroundings.
“The opportunity to play in the NFL has provided a platform to have an impact on our communities,” Quinn, a free agent, said in a release issued by the NFL. “It is my hope that through the Notre Dame Entrepreneurial program, attendees may learn how to invest with an impact for the greater good.”
Speakers include Warrick Dunn, Rick Mirer, Jeremy Bloom, and Deke Cooper.
The “Investment for Impact” program expands on the NFL’s Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program, which has helped more than 700 players since 2005. We’d prefer to see more events like this, and less that entice current and former players with the perception that football celebrity easily can be parlayed into a career in entertainment.