RADIO – This week on the Edge of Sports, Dave Zirin talks to Jarvis Green, former defensive end of the New England Patriots about life after football and how Green prepared for the next phase of his life after a nine-year NFL career. Green is one of the great success stories, as he had a nine-year NFL career and prepared and transitioned successfully to owning his own business after football.
Green was drafted in the fourth round by the Patriots and played with them from 2002 to 2009, including winning two Super Bowl rings. In his rookie season, he started four games and recorded 2.5 sacks, and in 2003 he started seven games and had 2 sacks in the regular season. Then, in the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts, Green had career-highs of 6 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
Green was a full time starter beginning in 2004 and stayed with the Patriots through the 2009 season. He then played briefly last year for the Broncos and Texans.
Now that his playing days are over, Green feels that he is well prepared for life after the NFL, but that not all of his fellow NFL players have that same advantage. He talks seriously about the transition from playing in the NFL to life after the game.
“That transition starts from day one when you’re in the NFL. Guys go and they play and they think they’re invincible, they’re powerful, and they’re going to be playing for 15 or 20 years,” Green said. “For every guy that plays 15 years, ten guys play 2 years.”
Green prepared by doing internships while his football career was still at its peak, so he’d be prepared for the next phase.
“I did two different internships for four years while I was playing football,” Green said. “When it was time for me to transition, I took off my helmet and put on a suit”
While he didn’t have firm statistics, Green estimates that of the 1600-1700 players in the NFL, maybe 200 or 300 players do internships while they are playing football. And internships really represent just the first step in the process. As Green says, “You can do an internship, but then you’ve got to follow through and move to the next step.”
Green also talks about what lessons he took from playing in the Patriots organization, one of the most successful franchises in the league, and what he learned from them that has led to their sustained excellence and that he can apply to his post-NFL career.
“Integrity, pride, leadership not from one person but from everybody in the room, accountability – [that] when someone’s not watching, you still do your job.”
Green announced this summer what he’s doing now that he’s done playing football. “I bought into a company 17 months ago and never made it public until it was established. It is First Millennium Construction based out of Louisiana,” Green explained.
“I’m still working 12-14 hours a day with my business and helping my son who is in 8th grade playing football as well.”
He certainly hasn’t slowed down since his NFL days, and Green is a great model of preparing and executing, both on the football field and then to a successful career afterwards.
