By Lisa Zimmerman, Player Engagement Insider
As a young man in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Eddie Kennison hadn’t formulated a life plan that went beyond football. During his years as an integral player for the LSU Tigers, where in addition to success as a wide receiver, he was a prolific punt returner, he had only one thought toward the future, the NFL.
He entered the NFL with the St. Louis Rams in 1996 as their first-round pick, ultimately making his mark on the league during his years as a receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs (2001-2007), the team from which he officially retired following the 2008 season.
It was during those 13 years in the NFL that Kennison’s vision broadened. He began to make business contacts and build relationships and soon put his toe in the water with his own businesses. Then in 2003, a friend invited him to partner in a wine business. Kennison took to it immediately and in 2014 struck out on his own, forming Barrel 87, based in Kansas City, Missouri where Kennison, his wife and three sons have made their permanent home.
Barrel 87 is an online club where members purchase wine, spirits and beer, but with a different twist. Kennison works with distributors to obtain products prior to their being released on a broad scale to other retailers. His official title? Pro Wine Receiver.
“I work with distributors and I personally pick products every month that are not things they would normally get in a store.” Kennison said. “I taste everything for the club members and it’s a surprise for them every month.”
Barrel 87 ships to most states, however, in the Kansas City metropolitan area, Kennison makes the deliveries in person, which is one of the parts of his job that he enjoys the most.
“It gives me the opportunity to meet our club members and get to know different people in and around Kansas City,” he said. “They know Eddie Kennison, but Eddie Kennison wants to get to know them.”
For more than a decade, Kennison has spent time educating himself on wine. He travels regularly to vineyards to learn the specifics and details about all of the wines that are produced.
“I meet with wine makers and I learn from those people,” he said. “There’s no better setting to learn about wine than putting your feet on the ground in a vineyard and learning the process.”
Kennison has put that same effort into learning about building businesses. He has participated in three of the NFL’s MBA programs including those at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and LSU’s E.J. Ourso College of Business. He credits those programs, as well as networking and building relationships, to contributing to the successful businesses he has been able to create.
But, business isn’t Kennison’s only undertaking. He puts just as much time and energy into Quickstart-The Eddie Kennison Foundation, which works to build awareness about and raise funds for research to find a cure for Lupus.
The cause is personal for Kennison. In 2003, after experiencing symptoms for two years, his wife, Shimika, was diagnosed with the disease and the couple immediately knew they wanted to find a way to reach out and help others.
In 2005, things took an unexpected turn. On opening day with the Chiefs in New York to play the Jets, Kennison was going through his pre-game warm-up when he spotted Jets owner Woody Johnson on the other side of the field. Kennison knew about Johnson’s foundation, Alliance for Lupus Research. He sprinted over to Johnson, introduced himself and asked if he might be able to speak with Johnson at some point.
Kennison recalled what happened next. “Johnson looked at me and said, ‘You’re supposed to be warming up. Let’s connect very soon and we can talk about it.’ I took it as a brush off, but the following Wednesday morning a package arrived in my locker with Woody’s contact information. We’ve now merged and over the last 10 years we’ve raised $90 million. 100% of the money we raise goes to research. None of my staff receives any payment for the work we do and Woody pays his staff out of his own pocket.”
The best news for the Kennison family is that Shimika is symptom-free. Over the last several years she made her own health and wellness a focus and has started her own health and wellness coaching business to share what she knows with others.
Kennison couldn’t be more gratified at the current status of his life and continues to look forward to making a difference in other people’s lives through his various endeavors.
“Every morning I wake up it’s a day to be a positive impact on whoever I come in contact with.”
For more information about Barrel 87: www.barrel87.com
For more information about lupus: www.lupusreasearch.org
Lisa Zimmerman is a long-time NFL writer and reporter. She was the Jets correspondent for CBSSports.com, SportsNet New York’s TheJetsBlog.com and Sirius NFL Radio. She has also written for NFL.com.