Second Act Stories

Life After The NFL: Arrelious Benn's Java Journey


Listen Later

Arrelious Benn was a star football player at Dunbar Senior High School (Washington, DC) and the University of Illinois. He entered the NFL draft after his junior year in college and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His NFL career with Tampa Bay, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Jacksonville Jaguars spanned seven years, twice the league average. But it is also included two ACL tears, a fractured lumbar and a shattered collarbone.

After his final season with the Jaguars, he and his family put down roots and decided to open Social House Coffee in the Avondale section of Jacksonville. Replacing a former gun store, his neighborhood shop is all about great coffee and building community.

As Benn shares in the podcast, "Football consumed my life for so many years. But I know I only have one body. And I want to see my kids grow up and there are other things I want to do. It's a breath of fresh air to do something new and be creative."

Benn is now working in what he calls "my first real job." He spends his days taking customers orders, serving coffee/pastries and managing a staff of six. And he couldn't be happier.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Second Act StoriesBy Andy Levine

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

75 ratings


More shows like Second Act Stories

View all
This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

91,297 Listeners

The Moth by The Moth

The Moth

27,011 Listeners

Marketplace by Marketplace

Marketplace

8,801 Listeners

Heavyweight by Pushkin Industries

Heavyweight

17,649 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

113,121 Listeners

Dateline NBC by NBC News

Dateline NBC

47,718 Listeners

The Journal. by The Wall Street Journal & Spotify Studios

The Journal.

6,097 Listeners

The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart by Comedy Central

The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart

11,013 Listeners

Search Engine by PJ Vogt

Search Engine

4,599 Listeners