At a Glance
- NFL’s Player Care Foundation helps former players launch new careers.
- The program has assisted 2,741 retirees and contributed $21.7 million.
- Eric Lee, Johnson Bademosi, and Brandin Dandridge are examples of successful transitions.
- Why it matters: Former NFL athletes can find meaningful second careers with the Foundation’s support.
After a few seasons on the field and a Super Bowl appearance, former linebacker Eric Lee began preparing for life after football, just as many other players are turning to the NFL’s Player Care Foundation to chart new professional paths.
Transition Stories
Lee, who played for the Texans, Bills, Patriots and Lions between 2016-20, used the Foundation’s resources to secure a role as a development director at a nonprofit.
Eric Lee (linebacker, Texans, Bills, Patriots, Lions 2016-20) said:
> “The one thing that I didn’t want to discount going through this process were their resource pieces… I could do my own resume. I can do some of these… but allowing someone else to come to the picture and add their professional eyes onto my life, it was very helpful. Sometimes we feel like we have to do everything ourselves, but the human resource that goes behind this, that’s the machine. People actually care. They’ve helped me through this process and along every step of the way.”
Bademosi, a former defensive back for the Browns, Patriots, Texans, Dolphins and Saints, transitioned to an analyst position at Blue Owl Capital after a fellowship in NFL football operations.
Johnson Bademosi said:
> “I was really grateful to get that experience.”
Johnson Bademosi said:
> “It was an opportunity to bridge my experience playing in the NFL with actually working in the headquarters and seeing, in a sense, how the sausage is made, how the business operates, how they’re funded, and how they support players in a variety of ways.”
Dandridge, who spent a brief stint with the Chiefs and a season in the Canadian Football League, launched a sales career through Microsoft Leap’s eight-week program.
Brandin Dandridge said:
> “This is my career after football. I need to prioritize this. I need to take it serious. So that’s kind of the mentality I had going into the course. And ever since Day 1, I fell in love with everything.”
- Resume reviews
- Career coaching
- Predictive index testing
- Job matching
- Interview coaching
- Certification programs
- Mock interviews
- Career fair at the Super Bowl
Program Overview
The Player Care Foundation, launched in 2018, offers resume reviews, career coaching, predictive index testing, job matching, interview coaching, certification programs, mock interviews, and an annual career fair at the Super Bowl.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Program start | 2018 |
| Players assisted | 2,741 |
| Money contributed | $21.7 million |
Participants also receive one-on-one support and access to a career fair each year at the Super Bowl.
Impact & Resources
Since 2007, the Foundation has helped 2,741 former players and contributed $21.7 million across its programs.
A.J. Forbes said:
> “No matter that scale, we still have that one-on-one resource with each player, which I think is what makes us unique and powerful and what kind of delivers these kinds of results. We believe in the transferable skills from football. We believe that the skills that players learn while they’re preparing to get to the NFL, while they are in the NFL and then post-NFL, those translate to corporate.”
Key Takeaways
- The Player Care Foundation supports former NFL athletes in launching new careers.
- Over 2,700 retirees have benefited from the program’s resources.
- The Foundation’s services include coaching, testing, and career fairs.
With structured support and real-world opportunities, the Player Care Foundation continues to empower former NFL athletes to build thriving post-football careers.
