By JOHN INGOLDSBY
Engagement Insider
MIAMI, FL May 14, 2014 – Football and finance have proven to be a winning combination for former NFL player Shawn Wooden, both on and off the field.
First he played for nine years in the League, and then has followed that up with nine years serving as a financial advisor, where he now runs his own group called “Wooden Well Strategies” inside the Principal Financial Group.
Together the two careers meshed, since during his two four-year stints with the Miami Dolphins he figured out his own financial future and learned that his acumen in this area could become his career as well.
But that would mean some work, since he had graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in Computer Science.
“After I was in the League for so long, I knew it would be tough to get back into the computer field since things had changed so much that I felt like I had been in a time capsule,” said the affable Philadelphia native. “I knew I would have to go back for another Bachelor’s degree to catch up since I was so far behind, so I decided to take my self-taught financial knowledge and make a career in the financial world.”
That still meant some schooling, which when his gridiron experience ended in 2005 was just fine with Wooden.
“I went out and got my financial licenses, and then in 2008 went to Wharton Business School for an Executive Training in Retirement Planning Certificate,” recalled the former defensive back.
By this time, he had stayed and set up shop in South Florida, and his gridiron stardom served him well in his new field.
“My NFL career certainly helps open some doors in this business, since I built a big network while playing here, and the first question I hear is always, ‘What are you doing now?’ which gives me the opportunity to discuss my financial services.”
That network has flourished in large part due to Wooden’s dedication to giving back.
“I have been actively involved down here with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization, doing golf tournaments and the like, and have gotten hands-on with the Dolphins in Make-A-Wish and Cystic Fibrosis foundations,” said Wooden. “But I have always been involved, going back to my Philly days with the Fight Against Drugs where we would tell elementary school students to steer clear of substance abuse.”
Once again, the football past plays into the present.
“We Dolphins stick together and help each other, and since most of us stay here in beautiful South Florida after we play, our team alumni events often draw up to 60 or so former players,” he noted. “I also work with some former players, and will also assist others by looking at their financial situation since we all have a responsibility to others in the brotherhood of former NFL players.”
That expertise and assistance cover important topics for all his clients, not just former players, and all of whom he interacts with face-to-face.
“We do the whole financial and retirement planning holistically, which includes items like 401Ks,” observed Wooden, adding that, “we offer the best of both worlds by having the boutique approach of my group inside the global expertise of Principal.”
An approach that works well with what he learned at Notre Dame.
“It took some getting used to when I went from Philly to South Bend, but Notre Dame taught me how to be a quality individual both personally and professionally,” he remembered. “Importantly, they also taught me time management, which helped me both in the NFL and afterwards in my current field.”
But the memories work both ways, since he left the Irish with his own lore.
“I am remembered out there for knocking down a pass from Heisman Trophy Winner Charlie Ward, which gave us a win over undefeated Florida State,” Wooden recalled fondly.” Coach (Lou) Holtz told the DBs right before the play to ‘not go for a pick and just bat it down if it came our way,’ and I had positioned myself well so the throw was right at me.”
He made the famous play, but did so under duress.
“Earlier in the game, I tore something in my knee so it was unstable throughout the day, and after my knockdown, a teammate jumped on me to celebrate and my knee buckled, so I spent the next week in the hospital.”
But you can’t keep a good man down, and after leaving a lifetime memory for Irish fans, he got back on his feet to return to the field and into the NFL, and then follow that up with winning off the field in the financial world.