Kory enjoyed a 5 year pro career, spending time with the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers and Oakland Raiders in the NFL.  He rose to stardom in the CFL playing with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.  He was a natural athlete as a child and was an excellent baseball player.  However football is the path he ended up taking.  He went to Purdue University, were he excelled in Big 10 competition.  He didn&apos;t get much of a look out of college, facing obstacles not only from players, but from coaches as well.  He ended up with the Riders and took full advantage of his opportunity.  He parlayed his performance up north into another shot in the NFL.  However, an achilles injury ended his chance.  After football, he struggled to cope without the game.  He has dipped into his artistic side, doing some acting as well as writing.  He&apos;s also now working in Tampa, doing some camps for kids with the city.  For more on Kory, use the links below.LINKSwebsite: Sheets24k.comtwitter: @Sheets24Kinstagram: @sheets24k

After The Gridiron

Interview With Former NFL & CFL Player Kory Sheets

Sedrick enjoyed a 4 year career in the NFL, spending time with the Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins.  After a great high school career where he shared a backfield with some standout players, he chose Michigan State University coached by Nick Saban.  While there he became an All-American runningback.  In 1999, he was a 4th round pick for the Lions.  He&apos;s now coaching at Gulliver Prep in Miami.  For more on Sedrick, use the links below.LINKStwitter: @coachirvin

Interview With Former NFL Player Sedrick Irvin

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)

Interview With Former NFL Player Noel LaMontagne

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&apos;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&apos;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

Interview With Former CFL Great, and Current CFLPA President Solomon Elimimian

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&apos;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

Interview With Former NFL Executive Paul Epstein

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

Interview With Former NFL Great Ottis Anderson

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&apos;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

Interview With Former NFL Player Sean Conley

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

Interview With Former Pro Football Player Marcelis Branch

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

Interview With Former NFL Player & Renowned Speaker Tom Flick

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&apos;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

Interview With Former NFL Player Shannon Fitzhugh

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

Interview With Retired CFL Player Mark Mackie

Dominique played 4 years of professional football, with 3 of them coming in the NFL. He played with the Rams, Lions and Panthers. He was a 3-sport star, playing basketball and track, in addition to football. His father played professionally overseas and was actually his basketball coach in College. He had a few schools interested in him coming out of high school, however they wanted him to play a position other than wide receiver. When it was time to chose, he decided to go to Cheyney University. He performed well there, however a conflict with the new coaching staff that arrived, caused him to decide to transfer. His time at California University of Pennsylvania was not the best due to injuries and courses availability. Resigned to starting life after football, he got a call from the Rams which led to him making the team. From there, he made stops in Detroit and Carolina, before spending time in the Arena League with San Jose. Now, he&apos;s teaching 8th Grade writing and coaching receivers for Nationally ranked St. Joe&apos;s high school team. For more on Dominique, follow the links below.LINKS:twitter: https://twitter.com/DomCurry_18?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor (@DomCurry_18)instagram: https://www.instagram.com/domcurry18/ (@domcurry18)REFERENCES:www.atgridiron.com

Interview With Retired NFL Player Dominique Curry

Former NFL tight-end Irv Smith played 7 seasons in the league with New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49&apos;ers and Cleveland Browns. His son, Irv Smith Jr. is currently playing with the Minnesota Vikings and is an obvious sense of pride for him; being able to watch him play and live out his dream. Even though Irv made it in football, baseball was his first love. He was an excellent baseball player, however his ascension in the sport was disrupted by his inability to hit a curve-ball. Due to that, he ended up pursuing football. He chose to attend Notre Dame, despite being recruited by all the top programs. Coach Lou Holtz was a major factor in that decision. After an outstanding career there, he was selected by the Saints in the 1st round of the 1993 draft. He went to New York and had an amazing experience. His pro career was mixed with peaks and valleys. He experienced the politics that come with professional sports, being replaced and released even though he was playing well. That left a sour taste in his mouth and got him to start thinking of life after football. While with the 49&apos;ers he got his Real Estate licence in Arizona. He is now a partner with Executive Global Tours, which organize travel around the world for anyone who wants to travel alongside former players. He is also Vice-President of Primerica, assisting people with money management. For more information please use the links below.LINKStwitter: https://twitter.com/IrvSmith8284?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor (@IrvSmith8284)instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigtime8284/?hl=en (@bigtime8284)email: irv8284@yahoo.comglobal tours website: https://egttours.com/about-exec-global-tours (https://egttours.com/about-exec-global-tours)RESOURCESwww.atgridiron.com

Interview With Retired NFL Player Irv Smith

Christo played 4 seasons in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders, Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens and Washington Redskins. Football wasn&apos;t his intended profession since he grew up a soccer fan. However he knew he wanted to play sports professionally when he was older. He excelled at football in high school and earned the interest of the University of Louisville. However, he didn&apos;t have the classes needed to qualify academically there so he went to Eastern Arizona Junior College to start off. Unfortunately for him, the staff at Louisville that was recruiting him were fired, so that opportunity went by the wayside. Fortunately, another opportunity arose as Georgia State and head coach Bill Curry showed interest in him and offered a scholarship. With the chance play for a well respected coach, and to be one of the pioneers of the new program, he decided to transfer there. Playing Alabama got him noticed by the NFL scouts. Even with his excellent play and exposure, he wasn&apos;t expecting to be drafted. However, Oakland selected him in the 6th round. He had a few more stops with Cincinnati and Washington, but he credits Baltimore as the "best franchise he has been a part of." After his playing days ended, he was drawn to Real Estate. His goal is to own 100 doors and he is well on his way to that. He is part of the Real Estate Group "The Dream Team 613" which he established in his hometown of Ottawa Ontario Canada. For more information on Christo follow the links below.LINKS:instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationscapitalrealtor/?hl=en (@nationscapitalrealtor)website: www.dreamteam613.caRESOURCES:www.atgridiron.com

Interview With Retired NFL Player Christo Bilukidi

Ben played 6 seasons in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts, and Cincinnati Bengals. He grew up a hockey fan, which is big in his home state of Minnesota. However, football was his best opportunity to play at the professional level. He went to the University of Minnesota where he excelled as a player. Destined for the 1st round of the NFL draft, an injury almost ended his pro aspirations. Tony Dungy met him at an event, and promised to take a shot on him. He fulfilled his promise and led to Ben eventually becoming a pro with the Colts. He won a Super Bowl with the Colts in 2006 and had an accomplished career. He started thinking of life after football near the end of his career and started his singing career while still playing. He is now a part of the international group "Reborn" with Mark Masri & Andre Venter, and have just released a new album which is available on iTunes. For more information on Ben, please follow the links below.LINKS:Twitter: https://twitter.com/benutecht?lang=en (@BenUtecht)Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benutecht/?hl=en (@benutecht)music: http://www.rebornmusicgroup.org/ (Reborn_Music_Group)RESOURCES:www.atgridiron.com

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After The Gridiron

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