High-level athletes are among the most competitive people you’ll find anywhere. Talent is extremely important to success as a pro, but it’s the drive and determination that can turn athletes from good to great. Almost all of them will retire from their sport at a relatively young age, and many feel the need to find a way to satisfy their inner competitiveness once they move on to something else.
Many athletes struggle to find other areas of life as fulfilling as training and competing in high-level athletics shortly after they retire. Some of the most famous athletes are in high demand shortly after retirement, and here’s a look at some of the ways retired athletes are keeping up with their competitive drive.
Sports Media
There are countless examples of pro athletes stepping away from their sport and immediately diving into the sports media space. Some may get on TV because it does not require a ton of hours and the pay is good, but former athletes who are highly competitive want to be the absolute best at their new craft.
Pat McAfee left pro sports at the age of 29 despite being one of the best punters in the NFL, and he has developed into a sports media star with a significant following on social media including more than 2 million followers on Twitter. Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is another NFL star who could have kept playing but instead jumped right into the broadcast booth and set a new standard for NFL analysts almost immediately.
Coaching
Many pro athletes can successfully make a smooth transition from being on the field or court to being a part of the coaching staff. There is a growing trend in sports right now, especially at the college level, where former pro athletes are being hired as head coaches at relatively young ages, some of whom do not have significant coaching experience.
Some examples include Steve Nash taking over the Brooklyn Nets, Deion Sanders becoming the coach at Jackson State, and Eddie George was recently hired at Tennessee State. Both had little to no experience in coaching.
Why Not us! Why can’t we be blessed,promoted,endorsed & identified as game changers! Why not Jackson State University football Team. I BELIEVE! Do u ? pic.twitter.com/aBfVHt2Zjk
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) March 14, 2021
Some recently retired athletes taking over important coaching jobs are Juwan Howard at Michigan and Jerry Stackhouse at Vanderbilt. You clearly have to be a competitive person in order to spend the hours necessary to run a quality college sports program.
Play Sports
Some athletes will announce their retirement from a sport only to realize they miss it too much and come back, and others find a whole new sport altogether. A recent example is Jason Witten, who left the NFL to work on Monday Night Football only to return to the field the next season.
Tim Tebow left football to play baseball, and then left baseball to return to football. Tony Romo is excelling in calling NFL games, but he also plays a ton of golf and has competed in high-level tournaments.
Picture Credit: Google Creative Commons Licenses, Twitter
