After achieving glory on the pitch, entrepreneurship beckons for many gridiron vets. In this article, we share the lives and remarkable business achievements of four celebrated NFL players.
1. Marshawn Lynch
One of the most talented running backs in NFL history, Marshawn Lynch allegedly never spent a cent of the money he earned from his NFL career, choosing to tuck away his on-field salary from the moment he was drafted in 2007. Instead, he lived day-to-day on the millions he generated from his Beastmode clothing line, as well as several lucrative endorsement deals.
In addition to founding Beastmode Apparel, Marshawn Lynch owns several other businesses, including Dodi Blunts, Beastmode Productions, and Rob Ben’s Restaurant. He also cofounded the Fam1st Family Foundation, an organization created with the mission of empowering and elevating underserved youth and contributing to the broader economic, educational, athletic, and experimental opportunities that impact self-sustainability and long-term community growth.
2. John Elway
Quarterback Hall of Famer John Elway spent his entire career playing for the Denver Broncos. He led the team to its first Super Bowl championship in 1998 and again the following year. During this time, Elway amassed five car dealerships in total across the Denver area. In 1997 he sold his auto dealership chain John Elway Autos to AutoNation Inc. for a reported $82.5 million.
Following his retirement from professional football in 1999, Elway also ventured into the restaurant business. Today he co-owns four Elway’s brand steakhouses in Denver, including one at the Ritz-Carlton, Denver.
John Elway was appointed general manager of the Denver Broncos in 2011. In 2015 he joined forces with long-term business partner Jeff Sperbeck to launch the 7Cellars wine label, a brand that currently produces some 25,000 bottles of wine every year. 7Cellars recently launched its Farm Collection, a line of more accessible, affordable wines priced at $30 or under as part of plans to grow and expand the business. A portion of all 7Cellars sales goes to Team Rubicon, an organization created with the mission of uniting military veterans and inspiring a shared sense of purpose through humanitarian relief.
3. Gale Sayers
Hall of Famer Gale Sayers was born in Wichita, Kansas, in 1943. A running back at the University of Kansas, Sayers went on to become a two-time All-American, earning the moniker “the Kansas Comet” and setting an NCAA Division I record in 1963 with a 99-yard run against Nebraska.
Drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1965, Sayers remained with the team for the duration of his NFL career. He was unanimously voted Rookie of the Year in 1965 and was subsequently named MVP three times.
Following his retirement from professional sports, Sayers returned to education, earning a bachelor’s in physical education and a master’s in educational administration. Sayers subsequently returned to Chicago, where he cofounded Sayers and Sayers Enterprises, a sports marketing and public relations firm.
In 1984 Sayers started a computer supplies business, a venture that later expanded to become a leading supplier of technology products and services. Sayers later earned a place in the Chicago Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame in 1999 and received the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.
In addition to his business activities, Sayers devoted a great deal of his time to philanthropic causes and was a loyal supporter of the Cradle Adoption Agency, the Better Boys Foundation, Grid Iron Greats, and Wesley House.
By the time of his passing on September 23, 2020, Sayers is believed to have amassed a net worth of circa $50 million.
4. Isaiah Kacyvenski
Following his retirement from NFL football, Isaiah Kacyvenski, a former linebacker, made the leap from a gridiron competitor to a business leader at the forefront of science and technology. His company, MC10, specializes in wearable devices such as CheckLight, a skullcap that uses sensors to capture head impact data in play. MC10 partnered with Reebok to launch the product, providing critical information to players, healthcare professionals, and coaches about head injuries, something that Kacyvenski had experienced firsthand. He underwent some 11 surgeries as a result of injuries sustained in his sporting career. Kacyvenski formerly served as MC10’s global head of business development.
Kacyvenski also founded the Sports Innovation Lab, formerly serving as the leading market research and advisory firm’s managing director. The Boston-based company specializes in identifying and evaluating tech products and services, using data analysis to power the future of sports by revealing compelling stories that mobilize partnerships between investment capital firms, startups, and corporate influencers.
Boasting a diverse business background and two Harvard degrees, Isaiah Kacyvenski is also the founder of Will Ventures, a venture capital investment fund he continues to serve as a managing partner, focusing on sports technology and the vast adjacent markets it opens up in health and wellness, human performance, e-sports, media and entertainment, and more.