By Mark Eckel/Engagement Insider
Joe Klopfenstein began his post-NFL life before his NFL life was over.
Klopfensten, a second-round pick of the St. Louis Rams in the 2006 draft, was playing tight end for the Buffalo Bills in 2009 when a couple of old friends got him involved in the real estate game.
Now five years after his career ended, Klopfenstein and his two friends, Artis Peterson and Joe Bellio, are partners in Apex Real Estate Solutions in Denver.
“I had real estate in my background, because my father was a real estate developer,’’ Klopfenstein said. “He was in the building end of it, so I had that.
“It was during camp in 2009 when the guys called and asked if I would be interested in getting involved.’’
Klopfenstein had spent his first three seasons in St. Louis before moving on to Buffalo where injuries would eventually curtail his first career.
He joined Peterson and Bellio, who like Klopfenstein are Denver natives, in what at first was simply buying houses in the Denver area, making improvements, and re-selling them for a profit. That eventually led to Apex, which has bought and sold close to 200 properties since the company was formed.
“I enjoy it,’’ Klopfenstein said of the real estate business. “It’s not football, but I like what I do. It’s a full-time, every-day job. We’re out there looking at homes, deciding what to buy. We do a lot of residential, but we’ve also gotten involved in new construction as well. It’s something different every day and that’s good. It’s not a monotonous job. It’s not boring.’’
Klopfenstein knew his NFL life wouldn’t last forever. And it ended after the 2010 season. But because the former University of Colorado standout tight end was prepared, he made the smooth transition to his new life.
“While I was playing I wasn’t oblivious to the fact that I wasn’t going to play forever,’’ he said. “A football career can end at any time, and I knew it would only be a matter of time when I was done playing.
“This was a great opportunity for me, and once I was finished playing I just moved right into it.’’
That isn’t always the case for a player who sees their career come to a screeching halt at the prime of their life. Klopfenstein, who is 31 years old, was just 27 when his football career ended.
“I know a lot of guys don’t plan ahead for their future and then feel a little lost (when it’s over),’’ Klopfenstein said. “I was fortunate. I was learning about my new career, while my football career was still going.’’
Still, it wasn’t that easy.
“Even with that, the transition can be tough,’’ he said. “You miss it. Think about it, I played football for 20 years and then all of a sudden I’m not playing any more.
“And it’s not just the game you miss, it’s the camaraderie you have with your teammates. You’re going out there every week with guys who are your best friends.’’
Now he’s with two of his long-time friends and enjoying the same kind of success he did playing football.
“It’s not an easy business,’’ Klopfenstein said. “We started in a bad market, and deeding on the cycle, there are different kind of deals you have to make. Then the market got better and it changed things. You have to know when it’s good for the buyer and when it’s good for the seller.’’
And a lot of what he learned in his years as a player has helped him in business.
“Football teaches you a lot,’’ Klopfenstein said. “The teamwork aspect of it is big. Then the discipline of having meetings every morning at 7 a.m. and if you’re on time, that’s being late. And of course there is the competitive nature of the game, you never lose that.’’