Today, the National Football League Alumni Association (NFL Alumni) announced the launch of the Small Business Training Camp in collaboration with the BBB Foundation for Better Business, to provide educational resources, support, and a forum for sharing insights and best practices to former National Football League (NFL) players who are starting or currently running a small business.
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Insights from fellow former players who have become successful entrepreneurs-as well as other successful business leaders-are playing a key role in the program. Former NFL players who have already lent their insights to the Small Business Training Camp include Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Colts defensive back and founder and president of the JADT Development Group, Tim Baylor; former All-Pro, Pro Bowl Tennessee Titans and New York Giants linebacker and owner of Just Love Coffee Café, Keith Bulluck; former All-Pro, Pro Bowl Green Bay Packers safety, member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and owner of Leap Vodka LeRoy Butler; former All-Pro, Pro Bowl Tennessee Titans safety Michael Griffin who co-owns Gigi's Cupcakes in Austin, TX with former NFL Player Brian Orakpo and Bryan Hinson; and former Detroit Lions safety Terrence Holt who co-owns Holt Brothers Construction with his brother-Torry Holt, former All-Pro, Pro Bowl wide receiver for the St. Louis Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars; and former head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, St. Louis Rams, and Kansas City Chiefs and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Dick Vermeil, who is a long-time owner of Vermeil Wines.
The Small Business Training Camp for former NFL players also aims to promote and support small business development in communities across the U.S. partnering with NFL Alumni's more 40 chapters, beginning with Austin, TX in collaboration with BBB Heart of Texas.
NFL Alumni is leveraging the expertise and educational programming developed by the BBB Foundation for Better Business for the Small Business Training Camp, including course content related to forming a small business, financial fundamentals and cash flow, sales and marketing, customer service and retention, compliance and risk management, and human resources management. NFL Alumni is also leveraging resources provided by the Small Business Administration (SBA), including Small Business Development Centers, and engaging highly successful business leaders across the country-including former NFL players-to lend their key insights and support.
“Supporting former NFL players in life after football is a core component of NFL Alumni's mission,” said Brad Edwards, CEO of NFL Alumni. “Our continued partnership with BBB – Heart of Texas and its Foundation for Better Business enables us to provide retired players many of the resources they need to become entrepreneurs and both launch and grow businesses and contribute to the community.”
“The Small Business Training Camp brings together two incredible groups, retired NFL players and small business owners, to learn side by side, support one another, and build something lasting,” said Carrie Angell, EdD, MPAff, President and CEO, Better Business Bureau serving the Heart of Texas and BBB Foundation for Better Business. “We look forward to partnering with NFL Alumni on this effort to offer real-world tools, peer learning, and mentorship to help individuals lead with confidence.”
NFL Alumni kicked off its first in a series of webinars-designed solely for former NFL players and their families on the evening of July 30, 2025, with a session featuring Paul Fitzpatrick, Associate Administrator, Office of Entrepreneurial Development, Small Business Administration (SBA), along with former NFL players who have been successful with small business.
“There are 34 million small businesses in America and small businesses create two-thirds of all new jobs in our country,” said Fitzpatrick. “The SBA helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. We provide job creators with the resources and support they need to start and grow their businesses or recover from a disaster. I was pleased to join former NFL players for the launch of the Small Business Training Camp, to share information about the resources SBA makes available to entrepreneurs-including former players-across the country to contribute to small business success.”
For more information about the Small Business Training Camp, visit www.nflasmallbusiness.org.
About NFL AlumniFounded in 1967 by a small group of successful retired NFL players, NFL Alumni is the oldest and most well-known retired player organization in professional sports with 40 chapters across the United States. NFL Alumni's triple mission focuses on “caring for our own,” “caring for kids,” and “caring for the community.” For more information about NFL Alumni, visit www.nflalumni.org.
About Better Business Bureau – Heart of Texas and BBB Foundation for Better BusinessThe Better Business Bureau has empowered people to find businesses, brands, and charities they can trust for more than 110 years. In 2024, people turned to BBB.org more than 220 million times for BBB Business Profiles on 5.5 million businesses, and 725,000 times for BBB charity reports on 12,000 local and national charities.
The mission of the BBB Foundation for Better Business is to strengthen marketplace and community trust through education, outreach, and scam prevention. For 40 years, BBB's Foundation for Better Business has championed ethical business practices and consumer education across Texas.
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SOURCE National Football League Alumni Association
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