"never wanted to end up as a homeless guy who once played in the NFL."

[ludo21]

Quote is From Rod Smith.

Actually an interesting read from Espin about life after football.


Terrell Owens hasn't officially retired yet and he already has blown the $80 million he earned during his career. Warren Sapp recently filed for bankruptcy. Former first-round picks Michael Bennett and William Joseph currently face federal charges of tax fraud and identity theft. Not every player falls into these traps, but a 2009 Sports Illustrated study claimed 78 percent of NFL retirees have "gone bankrupt or are under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce" within two years of their careers ending. "You're talking about an identity crisis," said NFL vice president of player engagement and former Pro Bowl cornerback Troy Vincent. "Every athlete has to face the same question when they're done: 'Who am I?' "


http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/79...former-players

[Crushaholic]

Originally Posted by ludo21

Quote is From Rod Smith.

Actually an interesting read from Espin about life after football.


Terrell Owens hasn't officially retired yet and he already has blown the $80 million he earned during his career. Warren Sapp recently filed for bankruptcy. Former first-round picks Michael Bennett and William Joseph currently face federal charges of tax fraud and identity theft. Not every player falls into these traps, but a 2009 Sports Illustrated study claimed 78 percent of NFL retirees have "gone bankrupt or are under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce" within two years of their careers ending. "You're talking about an identity crisis," said NFL vice president of player engagement and former Pro Bowl cornerback Troy Vincent. "Every athlete has to face the same question when they're done: 'Who am I?' "


http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/79...former-players

"Who am I"? You're someone who made millions of dollars playing a game...

[ludo21]

to be fair, they have all been playing since HS with no other structure around their life (most of them, and yes it is there fault).

It is a fair question they have to process.

[Drek]

Says Rod has made $13M with his side business since retiring in '06. Pretty damn solid start up he's got going there.

[gyldenlove]

Good find, it highlights the risks of making poor kids millionaires over night without teaching them how to deal with money and the consequences of money.

Role models who have been through the system are so important, a guy like Rod Smith carries more weight when he speaks than 10 GMs and agents.

[gyldenlove]

Originally Posted by Drek

Says Rod has made $13M with his side business since retiring in '06. Pretty damn solid start up he's got going there.

Still a few paces behind the biggest coffee shop started by an ex-pro....

[Miss I.]

that was interesting. I didn't know Trent Green was still alive.

[Houshyamama]

Originally Posted by Drek

Says Rod has made $13M with his side business since retiring in '06. Pretty damn solid start up he's got going there.

Rod Smith works hard, at anything he does. That is why he is successful.

OK, time for me to get off the OMane and back to work

[Baba Booey]

Not surprised that Rod is doing just fine. He's obviously very passionate about everything he does.

[UberBroncoMan]

Originally Posted by Drek

Says Rod has made $13M with his side business since retiring in '06. Pretty damn solid start up he's got going there.

A lot of our great former players have done ****ing amazing after retiring.

[DivineLegion]

[ghwk]

It starts early as they are coddled through school and not held to the same standards as those of us that had to do it becasue sports at that level aren't an option. Not all schools are this way of course but for those that are the player either starts to find out who they are after college or thier career.

The rest of us had to find out who we were every day without feeling that we were special because there wasn't an athletic program supporting us.

[alkemical]

Originally Posted by ghwk

It starts early as they are coddled through school and not held to the same standards as those of us that had to do it becasue sports at that level aren't an option. Not all schools are this way of course but for those that are the player either starts to find out who they are after college or thier career.

The rest of us had to find out who we were every day without feeling that we were special because there wasn't an athletic program supporting us.

I've met God across his long walnut desk with his diplomas hanging on the wall behind him, and God asks me, "Why?" Why did I cause so much pain? Didn't I realize that each of us is a sacred, unique snowflake of special unique specialness? Can't I see how we're all manifestations of love? I look at God behind his desk, taking notes on a pad, but God's got this all wrong. We are not special. We are not crap or trash, either. We just are. We just are, and what happens just happens. And God says, "No, that's not right." Yeah. Well. Whatever. You can't teach God anything. ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 30

Tyler Durden: Listen up, maggots. You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You're the same decaying organic matter as everything else.

[jonny1]

Originally Posted by Drek

Says Rod has made $13M with his side business since retiring in '06. Pretty damn solid start up he's got going there.

That's not quite accurate, the business has made $13M over 6 years, so with overhead, employees, etc., I doubt he personally is rolling in dough, but he is doing well. The main thing is that he has a reason to get up and go everyday.

[broncosteven]

One would think these guys would know the average career only lasts 3 years and hold something back and have an exit plan.

I understand where most of these guys are coming from but they also got 4 years worth of college and you think somewhere along the line they would pickup some sort of intro to finance course.

Maybe the colleges need to develop some sort of finance or business class requirements for all those in the football program.

I also know it is not just football players who can't stop spending, we might not have had the housing bubble if people would not have cashed in on their home equity and then spent it.

Live within your means and plan for the future people!

[alkemical]

Narrator: I flipped through catalogs and wondered: What kind of dining set defines me as a person?

[ludo21]

Originally Posted by gyldenlove

Still a few paces behind the biggest coffee shop started by an ex-pro....

ill bite... who does?

[alkemical]

Warning: If you are reading this then this warning is for you. Every word you read of this useless fine print is another second off your life. Don't you have other things to do? Is your life so empty that you honestly can't think of a better way to spend these moments? Or are you so impressed with authority that you give respect and credence to all that claim it? Do you read everything you're supposed to read? Do you think every thing you're supposed to think? Buy what you're told to want? Get out of your apartment. Meet a member of the opposite sex. Stop the excessive shopping and masturbation. Quit your job. Start a fight. Prove you're alive. If you don't claim your humanity you will become a statistic. You have been warned- Tyler.

[broncosteven]

Originally Posted by alkemical

Warning: If you are reading this then this warning is for you. Every word you read of this useless fine print is another second off your life. Don't you have other things to do? Is your life so empty that you honestly can't think of a better way to spend these moments? Or are you so impressed with authority that you give respect and credence to all that claim it? Do you read everything you're supposed to read? Do you think every thing you're supposed to think? Buy what you're told to want? Get out of your apartment. Meet a member of the opposite sex. Stop the excessive shopping and masturbation. Quit your job. Start a fight. Prove you're alive. If you don't claim your humanity you will become a statistic. You have been warned- Tyler.

Never talk about Fight Club

[gyldenlove]

Originally Posted by ludo21

ill bite... who does?

Hockey Hall of famer Tim Horton - Tim Horton's coffee franchise had a revenue of 2.5 billion in 2010.

[broncocalijohn]

Originally Posted by ludo21

"You're talking about an identity crisis," said NFL vice president of player engagement and former Pro Bowl cornerback Troy Vincent. "Every athlete has to face the same question when they're done: 'Who am I?' "


http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/79...former-players

Classic because for their careers, many of them were telling us common folks, "Do you know who I am?"

We do now. You are the broke guy that **** on everyone when you thought you were someone big. Now here is a quarter I purposely tossed to see you scramble for it. See you lost some of your quickness from the 40 yard dash.

[Mountain Bronco]

Originally Posted by Drek

Says Rod has made $13M with his side business since retiring in '06. Pretty damn solid start up he's got going there.

Generating $13M in sales is not Rod made $13M. He probably made a fraction of that after costs. Still good for him and any money made is a positive as (1) it is time spent on something productive not rotting the brain and (2) it is time spent not spending your saved money.

[broncocalijohn]

Originally Posted by Miss I.

that was interesting. I didn't know Trent Green was still alive.

Of couse he is! He was never on the 1994 Chargers Super Bowl team.

[Jesterhole]

No pity for those fools. Not even a little bit.

[mnfan]

Originally Posted by Drek

Says Rod has made $13M with his side business since retiring in '06. Pretty damn solid start up he's got going there.

He generated $13 million in sales, not made $13 million.