By Eden Haladay
Manager of NFL Benefits
We are pleased to announce our first ever West Coast NFL Career Transition Program! The CTP is being held at Stanford University starting the evening of Friday, October 26th and concluding on the afternoon of Monday, October 29th. This will be our sixth CTP and we are excited about the core curriculum and results we have seen from previous programs leading up to this point.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the CTP, here is a little background information and insight to the four and a half day program. The CTP is geared toward players with at least two (2) credited seasons who have been out of the game for one to three years. The goal is to educate players who are transitioning out of their NFL playing experience about the resources and opportunities available to them as they pursue their next profession and a life post-football (touching on the emotional, physical, and financial transition). Although some instruction is presented in a lecture hall, the program attempts to recreate a locker room setting where players and their peers will reconnect, explore the challenges of transition, and share strategies for success. The program includes interactive teaching led by top professionals in their fields, NFL executives, qualified panelists, former players who have walked-the-walk, and lastly medical and business professionals who will provide insight and instruction on how to handle the personal, professional, and financial changes that occur when leaving the playing field.
The program’s successes have been conveyed through positive feedback to the Player Engagement department. CTP graduate and 10-year NFL veteran Alge Crumpler spoke about what the program meant to him: “CTP taught me not only to be proud of my experiences in the National Football League, but to be able to use those skills to adapt to the world in which we must survive when those playing days are over. Using the program helped me have a better understanding of who I am, as well as what to expect in the business world.” Alge also provides some words of wisdom that we at the League Office continually try to reinforce: “Use your resources, the NFL Player Engagement team is ready to help.” And it is true; we are here and ready to help.
Another graduate and six-year veteran Corey Mays touted “this is a truly awesome program that I would recommend to each and every player facing the inevitable voluntary or involuntary retirement. It was a priceless weekend that allowed every player in the room to feel that locker room chemistry once again.It was an educational and therapeutic first step into our next journey, in which we will now tackle the business world."
The cost of attending the CTP is reasonable, as you will only be responsible for your travel to and from the program. Course materials, lodging, and the majority of your meals are covered by the NFL. We attempt to make attending as easy as possible, although your takeaway from the program will be whatever you put into it.
Applications for the Stanford CTP will be distributed in early August, but it is never too early to call in and express your interest in attending or inquiring more about the Program. Be on the lookout to receive an application in the mail and a friendly phone call from our staff at the League Office. You may reach us at 800-234-4NFL (4635) and you may also learn more about what is available by visiting www.nflplayerengagement.com.