One thing I try to preach is that if you want to work in football, and you’re really serious about it, you may need to find your own way in. There are far more than the two paths — player representation and scouting — that we focus on at ITL, and that’s true even if you are a former NFL player with all the connections that come with that status.

This brings me to my friend, Hannibal Navies, who knows the truth of finding one’s way all too well. “Bull,” as his friends call him, played for some good Colorado teams in the late 90s before being drafted by the Panthers in the fourth round in 1999, then playing almost a decade with four NFL teams. The thing to recognize about Hannibal is that, at least in the decade I’ve known him, he’s never been content to let opportunities come to him. He’s always pursued them.

I met him somewhere in the 2010s when he was considering opening a gym and really investing in combine prep. Partly due to my counsel (I think), he decided the barrier to entry was too high, which led him to continue searching for his niche. Along the way, he’s been involved in several charitable endeavors and even runs his own camp aimed at surrounding youth with mentors and getting them on the right track in life.

Just this week, I found out he’s part of a pretty exciting company with a unique concept. It’s rare when you come across a player who really knows the struggle that comes with making the NFL (typically Day 3/UDFA types) who don’t want to give back to young men trying to make the same climb. That leads them to wanting to develop a foundation, but often those players aren’t making the truly big money it takes to start their own. That’s where Hannibal’s company, Athletes Charitable, comes in.

Athletes that are part of Athletes Charitable don’t need to employ reliable family members or capable professionals to run their foundations for them. They let Athletes Charitable do that through the services provided like IRS compliance, event insurance for camps, payroll and HR services, application for grants, legal support and plenty more. You also don’t have to come up with a board of people, like all 501(c)3 organizations have to. It’s like a one-stop shop for anyone seeking to start a foundation. It really takes a player’s interest in helping others from good intentions to good practices. 

If you’re an agent who has players interested in starting a foundation, but you don’t know how, you don’t have to farm it out to a dozen different organizations. You can just contact Hannibal to get started. On the other hand, if you’re just someone looking for a way to get started in the game, I encourage you to consider Hannibal’s path. After looking at one of the more popular roads into the business, combine prep, he found a less-traveled one that serves other people. What’s more rewarding than that?