After The Gridiron

Noel achieved his dream of playing in the NFL, playing for 3 years with the Cleveland Browns.  Sports was not a big part of his life as a child, with his parents not wanting him to participate in organized sports.  He eventually entered the sports arena in an unusual sport; cycling.  He eventually made it to the football field where became a well sought after prospect.  He excelled academically as well, which allowed him to be accepted to many schools on his academic merit alone, before he decided on a where to go for football.  He chose the University of Virginia, which had the athletic and academic combination he was looking for.   He had a stellar career there, earning All-American honours athletically and academically.  Injuries derailed his career, which had a promising trajectory.  Now retired, he is the Director of Verdence Capital Advisors, an asset management company.  They also have a sports & entertainment division, which allows him to stay involved in the game by advising the players on how to best manage their wealth.  For more information on Noel, please follow the links below.LINKS website: https://verdence.com/ (www.Verdence.com) sports & entertainment division: https://verdencepro.com/ (www.VerdencePRO.COM) twitter: https://twitter.com/nolamo77?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor (@nolamo77) instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nolamo77/ (@nolamo77)RESOURCES http://www.atgridiron.com (www.atgridiron.com)

Solomon had an outstanding 10 year career in the CFL playing for the BC Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders. Baseball was his first love as a sport, but football is where he would make a name for himself. He was not highly recruited out of high school, but went to the University of Hawaii where he developed into a star. He left as the schools all-time leader in tackles. Despite his success, he didn't get much attention from the NFL. He trained for months hoping for an opportunity. That opportunity came from the CFL, a league which he had no idea about. CFL coaching legend Wally Buono gave him a shot, even though it took two workouts to do it. He made an impression right away, winning the leagues Rookie of the Year award in his first season. He went on to win many awards, as well as a Grey Cup Championship in a memorable 2011 season. He's now still involved in the game, serving as the President of the CFL Players Association, and working towards a return to the field for this season. For more on Solomon, check out the links below.LINKS:twitter: https://twitter.com/solomone56?lang=en (@SolomonE56)instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solomone56/?hl=en (@solomone56)RESOURCES:www.atgridiron.com

Bonus episode with Paul Epstein who is a 15 year veteran in the professional sports industry as an executive. He shares his experiences in sports and how it led him to write his new book, "The Power of Playing Offense, A Leader's Playbook For Personal and Team Transformation." LINKS:instagram:https://www.instagram.com/paulepsteinspeaks/ ( @paulepsteinspeaks)linkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulepsteinspeaks (Paul Epstein)website: https://paulepsteinspeaks.com/ (www.paulepsteinspeaks.com)RESOURCES:www.atgridiron.com

Ottis (OJ) Anderson enjoyed a stellar 14 year NFL career, playing with the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Giants. He grew up playing sports like baseball, but football was his passion. For university, he chose the University of Miami primarily because it was close to home. He had offers from all the top schools in Florida and across the country, but with his strong bond with his mother, he saw no need to go elsewhere. At Miami, he blossomed into an elite back which saw him become a 1st-Team All-American. His NFL career started off with a bang, as he was only a handful of yards away from leading the league in rushing as a rookie. His team success came as a member of the Giants, winning 2 Super Bowls, and earning Super Bowl MVP honours in Super Bowl XXV. After football, he was involved in the insurance business for many years. He is currently a Patient Ambassador for Novo Nordisk, a healthcare company that he has teamed up with as he shares his journey with diabetes. He is also involved with Tridelix, a 5-D imaging company that is producing some amazing things. For more information, please follow the links below.LINKStwitter: https://twitter.com/OJAnderson24?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor (@OJAnderson24)instagram: https://www.instagram.com/otis_ojanderson24/?hl=en (@otis_ojanderson24)company: https://www.novonordisk.com/ (NovoNordisk)company: https://tridelix.com/ (Tridelix)RESOURCESwww.atgridiron.com

Sean played 4 seasons of professional football with stops in Detroit, Indianapolis and New York. He also kicked in NFL Europe with the Scottish Claymores. He played other sports growing up but football was always his passion. He didn't have much formal training growing up, but his love for the game fueled him to work on his craft. He was a self-taught kicker and would spend hours kicking, trying to hone in his accuracy. After some time at a couple division 3 schools, he got an opportunity at the University of Pittsburgh where he finally was able to learn from an experienced coach. His leg talent got him an chance in the NFL and he was able to fulfill a dream of kicking in the pros. After football, he struggled a while trying to find a new path. He eventually got into yoga and now owns a studio with his wife called "Amazing Yoga." He has also written a book, "The Point After" where he talks about his life after football. Use the links below for more information.LINKSwebsite: https://www.seanconley.net/ (www.SeanConley.net)twitter: https://twitter.com/sean_conley_?lang=en (@Sean_Conley_)RESOURCESwww.atgridiron.com

Marcelis enjoyed a 4 year professional football career, with 2 of those coming in the NFL. He spent time with the Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers before going to the XFL. However, he is looking to return to the gridiron in either the XFL or CFL. As that opportunity develops, he has started a fitness apparel line, NDO Society. The NDO stands for, "No Days Off." The name is in line with his philosophy that has aided him in achieving great success on the football field. He is passionate about the environment as well, which is why portions of sales go towards the planting of trees. For more information on Marcelis, please follow the links below.LINKSwebsite: www.ndosociety.comtwitter: https://twitter.com/_hit_mann?lang=en (@_Hit_Mann)instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_hit_mann/?hl=en (_Hit_Mann)RESOURCESwww.atgridiron.com

Tom played 7 seasons in the NFL with stops in Washington, New England, Cleveland, San Diego and New York, with the Jets. He played different sports growing up, but football was his favourite. His love of the game was apparent very early, as he found ways to sneak into opportunities to work with NFL teams playing exhibition games in his city. He played collegiately at the University of Washington, where he became team MVP and Pac 10 player of the year. He was drafted in the 4th round of the 1981 draft by Washington who was coached by the legendary Joe Gibbs. Unable to earn starter status, he bounced around to a few teams before his career ended. Despite that, he was thankful for the experience because it strengthened his faith in God. Since his retirement, he has become a sought after speaker, having done talks for fortune 500 companies as well as the White House. For more information on Tom, or to book his for a speaking engagement, follow the links below.LINKS:website: www.TomFlick.comtwitter: https://twitter.com/tomflick?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor (@tomflick)instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tom_flick/ (@tom_flick)YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TomFlickVideo (TomFlickVideo)RESOURCES:www.atgridiron.com

Shannon achieved a lifelong dream of playing in the NFL. He spent 2 years in the league, with stops in Carolina and Indianapolis. He also played in the CFL, Europe and the Arena League. He went to college at Western Illinois University. Coaching changes made it difficult for him to establish himself there, but he showed enough to get an opportunity. It didn't come right away though, having to wait a year for that chance to come. Despite that, he remained confident in himself, and believed he was good enough to play at the highest level. He first tried-out for the CFL, but got injured. Soon after, an NFL tryout came and he ran a great time. That led to his opportunity. He talks about covering Steve Smith and how Peyton Manning did him a favour for a fan, while with the Colts. Life after football has led him to start his company, G3Powerhouse which is an athletic and academic training program. His passion for helping people is what led him in this direction, even though he has a Masters degree in a different field. For more information about Shannon and his program check out the links below.LINKS:website: https://www.g3powerhouse.org/ (www.G3Powerhouse.com)twitter: https://twitter.com/g3powerhouse (@G3Powerhouse)RESOURCES:www.atgridiron.com

Mark played 2 seasons in the Canadian Football League, all with the Edmonton Eskimos. He was a late bloomer, not starting football until high school. He played hockey and baseball growing up, but football was his best sport. He decided to go to McMaster University in large part due to their kinesiology program as well as the opportunity to play quickly. He enjoyed a great career there winning the Yates Cup and narrowly loosing the Vanier Cup to the University of Montreal. Making the Eskimos was a thrill for him and in his 1st game registered a sack versus the Toronto Argos, with his family and friends there to watch. He is now in medical school at Western University, and may possibly look to become a team doctor to stay involved in the game he loves. Time will tell. For more on Mark, use the links below.LINKS:instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mackie_91/?hl=en (@mackie_91)linkedin: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/mark-mackie-30a887106 (MarkMackie)RESOURCES:www.atgridiron.com