Updates

More than 150 NFL Legends and their partners took part in the NFL’s Bridge to Success program, October 26-29 in Orlando, FL. Hosted annually, the Bridge to Success is an opportunity for players to celebrate their past, assess their present and develop a plan for future success.

“I’m more excited than ever about the NFL Bridge to Success,” said Keith Elias, Director of NFL Player Engagement and NFL Legend. “I believe the program’s meteoric growth is attributable to player and significant other word-of-mouth, and the fact that it meets a very real need.”

The Bridge to Success is one of several NFL Player Engagement events aimed at preparing and empowering Legends to lead successful lives after football.

Through a series of panels, breakout sessions and networking opportunities, players learn about resources that can assist them in the next chapter of their lives. Attendees are paired with transition coaches to develop personalized goals. The final day of the event features onsite interview opportunities with Fortune 500 companies like Amazon and Pepsi.

“This program is a launching pad to success beyond the game. A challenge that I faced in my own transition was forming a new identity, but it also provided an important opportunity to take stock in who I am and what success looks like for me,” said Ken Ruettgers, another Legend and a current NFL Player Engagement Transition Coach. “The big takeaway here is what these guys are experiencing is common. They aren’t alone, and they will succeed as men before them have.”

This year’s event featured sessions on topics including career transitions, NFL Player Benefits and mock interview training.

“As players make their way through this transition, they need to begin to define what winning looks like — What’s Important Now,” said presenter Felicia Hall Allen, President and CEO of Felicia Hall Allen & Associates. “The Bridge to Success gives these guys permission to change the rules of the game and define for themselves what’s important now.”