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Originally Posted On: https://www.equities.com/impact-investing/athletes-of-influence-shaun-alexanders-success-is-propelled-by-preparation-and-purpose/
Athletes of Influence: Shaun Alexander’s success is propelled by preparation and purpose
Record-breaking athletes can wake up on Day 1 of retirement without a purpose. But not Shaun Alexander. The 2005 National Football League MVP had been preparing for years for the day his historic career on the field would come to a close.
Driven from a young age by a certainty that he was set apart for a purpose, Shaun knew that purpose extended beyond football. Grounded by faith, he’s running hard and fast in his post retirement toward opportunities to use his wealth to make a lasting impact.
Shaun knew he was different even before he was heralded by ESPN as the No. 1 football player in the country, earned All-American honors playing at the University of Alabama and was drafted in the first round by the Seattle Seahawks in 2000.
“There was something inside of me that said you were created to be a little bit different than everybody else. So whatever everybody’s doing, just know you’re probably supposed to do the opposite. I just took that to heart,” Shaun said.
From high school to post retirement, Shaun knew he needed mentors to propel him through life. In high school, he was preparing for college. In college, he was preparing for the NFL. And in the NFL, he was already preparing for post retirement.
Surrounded by fame and fortune, Shaun kept his head down while playing in the NFL and focused on fostering relationships with three tiers of people: mentors, close friends and mentees. “I knew that to be great, you have to wrestle through the feeling of being lonely,” he explained.
Shaun attributes his ability to stay grounded to those relationships and faith. He explains that God gave him a dream and a vision for his life that extends far beyond his years playing football. That belief helped him avoid pitfalls like divorce and substance abuse.
“God has just allowed me a wonderful opportunity to meet people where they are, to be comfortable in my own skin,” Shaun said.
Reaching the mountaintop
Raised by his mother, Shaun is one of nine children. Growing up “in a broken home barely outside the projects,” Shaun said he didn’t know his family was poor until he started college.
Fast forward to his years as the Seattle Seahawks all-time leading rusher and all-time touchdowns leader, and Shaun was making between $300 million and $500 million a year. After initially relying on financial advisors, he saw his investments take a downturn in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
So he fired his financial advisors – a move Shaun explained is atypical in the NFL – and took his investing into his own hands. It paid off. He invested in hotels and the annual return soon matched his NFL salary.
In 2008, at the age of 31, Shaun hung up his football jersey. Headed into retirement, he asked: “God, what do you want to happen next?”
“That mountaintop that everybody said that I was gonna climb. I climbed it. I’ve done everything except win the Super Bowl. And I’m not in the Hall of Fame yet,” Shaun said.
Make money to make an impact
His post-retirement plan: Make money. More money than he was making in the NFL. Shaun wanted to keep racking up his earnings to fund his philanthropy, including his partnership with Stand Together. The Virginia-based group aims to address the root causes of the country’s biggest problems, from education to the economy.
Through the Shaun Alexander Professional Legacy Program, he strives to help NFL players realize the greatest version of themselves on and off the field, including through social entrepreneurship. “I teach them how to master the five F’s: how to master fame, how to master family, how to master friendships, how to master finances, and how to master the future,” he explained.
Shaun’s latest endeavor is a “disruptive educational model” that supports individualized education and dynamic sports. As parents of 12 homeschooled children, Shaun and his wife Valerie identified a gap in athletic programming for homeschooled children when their son was unable to play football on the public high school team. They developed Harvest Covenant for homeschool families to help children excel both academically and athletically without compromising their faith or family values.
Next: Equities.com dives into Shaun Alexander’s venture capital fund and how he mentors NFL players on their finances and legacy. Subscribe to our newsletter to learn more about Shaun’s post-retirement path as a social entrepreneur.
