By Samantha Kleinman
NFL Player Engagement
As teams around the League are gearing up for the second half of the NFL season, the Player Engagement season is just getting started. With more offseason opportunities than ever before, there are plenty of ways to maximize your time away from football. Why don’t you…
Take a class: You would be surprised how easy it is to chip away at the requirements you have remaining towards your undergraduate degree. Many schools are willing to put together flexible plans to help their former student-athletes achieve the ultimate goal of graduation. In addition to returning to your original university, you may have the option of taking online classes or in-person classes at a local university that you can transfer back. Even one class is valuable progress towards a degree and can get you back in the swing of doing schoolwork.
If you’ve already graduated and would like to apply to a graduate program, the offseason is a great time to prepare your application. Time away from football will give you additional time to study for and take graduate admissions tests, put together a resume, write essays, and get letters of recommendation that you can use in your application. If you’re considering business school but aren’t quite sure it’s right for you, you may want to consider applying for one of NFLPE’s Business Management & Entrepreneurial Program. Hosted at Notre Dame, Wharton, and Stanford with focuses on social entrepreneurship, transitioning and real estate, and business evaluation respectively, one of these programs will give you a taste of what business school classes have to offer.
Do a job shadow or internship: Now is the time to start thinking about your second career. NFLPE works with over 20 companies in a variety of industries that are eager to offer job shadows and internships to current and former players. Completing a job shadow or internship is an excellent way to learn about the day-to-day operations of a company, roles and responsibilities of different employees, education and training required of employees, and the corporate environment. These opportunities can last anywhere from two days to two months, so you can start small and work your way towards a more extensive experience. You never know what career path you’ll find out is right for you!
Participate in a Player Engagement program: This offseason, NFLPE is offering more programs than ever before. With over 10 programs in a variety of career fields, you can receive hands on training in a field of your interest. Applications are available for:
- Career Transition Program, January 19th – 22nd, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA (former players only)
- Business Management & Entrepreneurial Program: Transitioning for Success, February 10th – 13th, Wharton School of Business, Philadelphia, PA
- NFL-NCAA Coaches Academy, February 17th – 19th, Charlotte, NC
- Pro Hollywood Boot Camp, March 11th – 15th, Universal City, CA
- Business of Music Boot Camp, March 18th – 21st, NYU, New York, NY
- Business Management & Entrepreneurial Program: Evaluating Business Opportunities, April 2nd – 5th, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Business Management & Entrepreneurial Program: Investment for Impact, April 18th – 21st, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN
- Franchising Boot Camp, April 26th – 29th, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Hospitality & Culinary Management Workshop, May 6th, Institute for Culinary Education, New York, NY
- Sports Journalism & Communications Boot Camp, May 13th – 16th, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH
- Broadcast Boot Camp, June 17th – 20th, NFL Films, Mt. Laurel, NJ
- Advanced Broadcast Boot Camp, June 17th – 20th, NFL Films, Mt. Laurel, NJ (past Broadcast Boot Camp graduates only)
For information on how to get involved in any of NFLPE’s offseason opportunities, contact your team Director of Player Engagement, the Player Engagement Department at the League Office, or visit the NFL Engagement Zone (www.nflengagementzone.com).