By John Ingoldsby, Player Engagement Insider
Dat Nguyen is a man with a plan, and although it took a decade to realize his goal, it was worth the wait.
The former Dallas Cowboys All-Pro (1995-2005) and later coach just became the new owner of a Chick-fil-A restaurant, fulfilling a pursuit he began 10 years ago.
“The first few weeks have been very exciting and rewarding, like taking over a new team,” said the seven-year linebacker who then became a Cowboys assistant coach for three years (2007-2009).
Luckily, perseverance was one of the many virtues he learned from football.
“My family was in the restaurant business growing up in Texas, and I always liked the industry, so soon after I was done playing in 2005, I began the process to work in the business.”
But it didn’t come easy, as he was denied the opportunity for franchises early on, but always kept at it as he continued coaching with not only the Cowboys, but also with Texas A&M for two years where he had starred for the team in the late 1990s while winning multiple, national awards.
“I re-applied a year-and-a-half ago, and ultimately went through seven intense interviews, some of which included my wife and then were followed with calls to my references,” Nguyen recalled. “Then at the end of March they called me to say my name kept coming up, so we discussed another Texas location that I did not get, but soon thereafter we flew to Atlanta to meet with the company president, and I was offered the franchise then.”
That franchise turned out to be the Chick-fil-A at Montgomery Plaza in Fort Worth, practically in the shadow of where he made his name in Dallas.
“It was tough for the first week working 18-hour days, but the restaurant I took over has good people who work hard, and is in a nice growing urban area,” Nguyen said. “It’s amazing what the corporation does with the freshness and quality of their product.”
Fortunately, Nguyen knows how to maximize a quality product.
“I learned from all of my coaches through the years from Bill Parcells to Jason Garrett, and the most important thing is how to treat each individual, which will be important for me now,” he noted.
Yet another change for someone who has mastered the art.
“Transitions often involve dramatic change that is hard for everybody, but mine was always easier because I had plans for what I wanted to do after football,” said the first-ever Vietnamese-American to be drafted in the NFL.
“But even knowing this, it was difficult to get used to life after the game since it had been structured for so long, so setting up my own schedule was one of the hardest things for me.”
But not the only difficult decision for those in transition who learn they can’t play forever.
“Psychologically, leaving the game means there is no more spotlight, which can make everything else seem rather pedestrian,” he said, adding that former players who have typically been stars since Pop Warner often need to learn how to accept lesser roles in life.
“My advice would be to use the traits that made you successful in football to leverage all the opportunities that come with playing in the NFL, from establishing relationships with sponsors to taking internship opportunities,” offered Nguyen.
Which is what he is doing as he embarks on his new long-awaited career, saying, “I plan to put my restaurant on the map.”