By JOHN INGOLDSBY
Engagement Insider
PHOENIX, AZ – Former NFL players wanting to stay in the game these days have more opportunities than ever before, well beyond the traditional areas of coaching and officiating.
And no area is growing faster for players who transitioned out of the league than that of assisting former players with their own transitions.
Case in point, former Arizona Cardinals Running Back Damien Anderson is now holding the position of Manager of Alumni Relations for the very franchise he performed for – the Arizona Cardinals.
“My job is to assist players in transitioning out of the league into their NEXT careers, by securing any information they need to do so smoothly, including expertise with resumes, job opportunities, and getting connections here in the Valley (of the Sun),” said the former Northwestern star. “And now, with the NFL’s new Legends Program that I was able to cross-reference, it is even easier for me to foster these relationships by reaching out to former players to bring them back and tell them we still care about them and want them around.”
But that is just one of the myriad of ways Anderson has been involved with former players since assuming the position in 2011.
“We have an Alumni Ambassador Program, where four former players per game are paid to come and sign autographs at designated locations in the stadium, and also visit some of the Club areas as well to mingle, and this has proven to be very popular,” he noted. “Additionally, sometimes they want to come out to Arizona and golf or they want tickets for a game, so whatever it is, I am the man they contact.”
But sometimes the University of Phoenix MBA is the one initiating the contact, which goes as far back as the St. Louis Cardinals days, and is sure to be busy this year with Arizona hosting the next Super Bowl.
“We are sometimes involved in football camps where we get former players to come out, and we also schedule Alumni Weekends where we set up players in a golf tournament with hotel accommodations.”
Since he is someone who has walked in their shoes, Anderson recognizes the value of all of these interactions.
“When you leave football, you lose a part of your identity and need to find yourself. Everyone goes through it, I know I did, but then I quickly got going knowing that I needed to provide for my family. It reminds me of when I went to Northwestern and had tremendous tutors and resources, and now the NFL is providing so many resources that it makes it difficult for former players to fail in life after football.”
And it’s former athletes like Anderson who help make sure failure is not an option, since he has stayed in the game and is in a great position to reconnect with many former players, peers, and friends.
“All of us who hold positions like mine around the NFL are guys who care. If a former player wants assistance, we are always trying to work with them. We are all about service so they continue to make money in their post-football career.