Good article about Will Allen and his preparations for life after football.
You have to understand. It’s really strange that Will Allen began preparing for life after football 12 years ago. In the summer of 2004, Allen was beginning his first season in the NFL, and for most rookies, “the future” means after practice. But not for Allen.
Throughout his college career at Ohio State, Allen heard and absorbed horror stories about players whose lives had crumbled after the cheering stopped. Divorce, bankruptcy, homelessness – so much could go wrong so quickly with retirement, Allen learned. So as soon as Allen entered NFL training camp, he also started the process of training for his post-football career, always reminding himself to stay on the lookout for anything that could help him in that goal. Allen put aside a portion of his game checks to savings. In the offseason, he attended business management seminars. And he read. A lot.
Accepted into the NFLPA’s externship program, Allen, who’s pursuing a career in the energy field, was placed with two energy companies after the 2014 season. Allen enjoyed his work so much that he applied again following the 2015 season. In his second externship, Allen worked on Capitol Hill under a congressman who’s heavily involved in energy issues. Now Allen believes he possesses the tools necessary to launch his second career, and he acquired them through a program that has been especially beneficial to African-American players.
