By Mark Eckel, Player Engagement Insider
It took Mike Mamula a few years to figure out what he wanted to after his six-year NFL career ended. But he found it, and has now logged twice that many years in his new venture.
Mamula, a defensive end/linebacker and the 1995 first-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles out of Boston College, is a partner in Comprehensive Screening Solutions (CSS), a Southern New Jersey-based company that does, among other things, corporate drug screenings and background checks. He joined the company in 2003.
“When my (NFL) career ended, I dabbled a little bit in some things, but never jumped in with both feet,’’ Mamula said. “I just wasn’t sure what I wanted to do.’’
Mamula was one of the first college players to specifically train for the NFL Scouting Combine something that is now commonplace. He ran a 4.58 40-yard dash, unusual for his position and which ultimately raised his draft stock, elevating him to the seventh overall pick.
His career, all with the Eagles produced 31 1/2 sacks in 77 games. It could have gone longer, but a foot injury told him it was time to retire even though there were offers to continue playing.
“Toward the end there I blew out my foot,’’ Mamula said. “I was never the biggest guy; I was 245, 250 (pounds), so when your foot’s not 100 percent it makes it kind of difficult. It was just getting tough on the body.’’
After a few years of, as he calls it, “dabbling,’’ a former teammate, Mike Chalenski (a defensive lineman for the Eagles, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions), convinced him to join him CSS.
“Mike started the company in 1999,’’ Mamula said. “We kept in contact. I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do with myself. Then, I bought in and that was it. I’ve been doing business development pretty much since then.’’
CSS is an employer service provider, delivering comprehensive employee screening solutions to companies nationwide. They use innovative technologies and services support growing companies as they seek the most secure data to make informed decisions in their human capital investments.
“Mainly what we do is the background screenings,’’ Mamula said. “We’re one of the few companies that is accredited by our compliance governing body (The National Association of Professional Background Screeners).
“I’m in sales, meeting folks, bringing business in, we have so many different things that we do. The drug screening and background screening are on one side. Then we also do instant cups and dips for drug tests and pregnancy tests.’’
While it took Mamula some time, after football to figure out what he wanted, he seems to have found his niche.
“It’s kind of ironic, because I was a sociology major in college,’’ he said. “So this is somewhat in that world. It’s something I studied. I did an internship in college at a probation department. Now, we’re making sure companies hire the right people.’’
It’s not always easy for players to go from the world of the NFL to the world outside.
“I missed Sundays. That’s when it all counts,’’ Mamula said. “I missed the camaraderie with the guys, especially when you’re winning. But I think I transitioned pretty well. I was never a big ego guy when I played. So being in the business world, especially what I’m doing, you have to be humble.
“The best thing about going from football to the business world is the regimen. In business the best thing you can do is be on time, and in football, or any sport, you know you always have to be on time for everything.’’
Mamula took his time in life after football, but has found success in another career as well.