Many people have turned to the franchise business model to start a new career, and former professional athletes are no different. Away from the limelight of the playing field, a variety of athletes, many of them former football players, have done quite well in franchising. There’s even an organization called Franchise Athletes, who try to find franchise opportunities for players. So, with that in mind, we’ve decided to compile our own list of the athletes who’ve scored with franchising- we call it our Franchising All-Stars
Lorenzo Neal: The Fresno State grad has played for six professional football teams and started in Super Bowl 34, but has recently turned to franchising. He’s an investor in Athletic Nation, a no-frills gym where out of work pros can receive intensive personal training.
Lee Woodall: Woodall has a Superbowl ring and a Pro-Bowl appearance on his resume, but one of his greatest career distinctions came off the football field. In 2008, Woodall was named as the first franchise consultant at the Roni Deutch Tax Center.
Nate Wayne: Wayne’s gutsy performances on Monday Night Football earned him the nickname ‘Mr Monday Night’ but these days, he should be known as ‘Mr Franchising’. The retired linebacker owns a Cold Stone Creamery franchise in Atlanta.
Orlando Brown: This huge lineman is probably most famous for being on the receiving end of a referee’s flag, when he was blinded in one eye in what was of one of the strangest plays in NFL history. Brown was not deterred and now owns a Fatburger franchise in Elkridge, Maryland.
Raheem Black: The Philadelphia native may ply his trade in Indianapolis, but he is keen to give back to his home city. This week, Black opened the first Wingstop restaurant in Philadelphia and currently planning to open two more of the popular wings franchise in the City of Brotherly Love.
Honorable mention:
Franco Harris: Perhaps the most well-known pro-footballer to turn to franchising. The Pittsburgh Steelers great is most famous for his role in the Immaculate Reception, but did you know he owned a handful of Wendy’s franchises in the early-1980s?