When athletes trade sports dreams for regular jobs

 When athletes trade sports dreams for regular jobs

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Most retired athletes do not become coaches or broadcasters. Many more trade in their uniforms for J. Crew button-downs and Patagonia sweater vests, so they can take the jobs that the rest of us would quit today if we could become professional athletes. The length of an average professional sports career in the MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL is only five to seven years, with most calling it quits before age 30, according to a study by the RBC Sports Professionals group. That means linebackers, pitchers, and goalies are either scouring LinkedIn job listings or—if their careers were longer and more fruitful—launching their own businesses: LinkedIn data from 2022 showed that more than a quarter of retired athletes pivoted to sales, where traits like competitiveness and self-drive tend to translate well. Finance is also a popular second act—Goldman Sachs has made recruiting athletes a priority. Former New York Giants player Justin Tuck has been with the company since 2018. Others become the boss After years of taking orders from coaches, some ex-players decide it’s their turn to start bossing people around. Some of the notable success stories include: George Foreman: Perhaps the most memorable of them all, there’s an entire generation that knows him more for his grills than his boxing accolades. Shaquille O’Neal: It seems like he’s in every third commercial that comes across your TV screen. After investing in Papa Johns and Five Guys, he started a fast-casual chain called Big Chicken, opened a slate of car washes, and more. Magic Johnson: The former basketball star and one-time talk show host built a multibillion-dollar investment firm and holds ownership stakes in multiple pro sports franchises. Michael Jordan: Among other notable high-value business ventures, he was the majority owner of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets before selling his stake in 2023 at a $3 billion valuation (he bought it for $275 million in 2010). However…many other former athletes who start businesses struggle. MLB pitcher Curt Schilling’s video game company, outfielder Lenny Dykstra’s financial advice magazine, and quarterback Mark Brunell’s real estate business are among those that serve as cautionary tales.