Former Player Advisory Board

Robertson, Rob (Chairman)

Rob was born and raised in Baton Rouge, LA. He attended Istrouma High School where he earned All District, All-State, and Academic All-State. He graduated 3rd in his Senior Class with a 3.998 GPA. Rob was a member of the Louisiana High School All Star Game. After High School Rob played collegiately at Northwestern State University where he helped lead the NSU to a Southland Conference Championship in 1996. Rob left Northwestern as one of thirteen All-Time Team Captain and Top 100 Players in Northwestern State History! Rob was recently inducted into the Northwestern State Hall of Distinction in the College of Business in 2018. He was also nominated for the NSU Hall of Fame in 2020. Rob went on to play for the Baltimore Ravens earning (2) accredited seasons. He was part of the Raven's inaugural season opening up M&T Bank Stadium. A fun fact about Rob is he played pop-warner football with Warrick Dunn. He was roommates for 2 years in Baltimore with Priest Holmes.

Rob has 20+ years of financial services experience. Rob currently serves as the Southeast Divisional Territory Manager for PNC Bank. Rob overseas the retail home lending vertical in the states of Washington, DC, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Florida. Rob has served in numerous Senior Executive Leadership Roles with GMFS, Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase. Rob has extensive leadership experience as a culture-centric builder, change agent, and P & L Leader. As a Senior Leader, Rob has been a dynamic innovator and influencer. Rob is best known for restructuring organizations and expanding foundations for scale. Recognized for establishing an identity of culture by hiring and sourcing diverse and competitive successful talent. Rob possesses a unique ability to integrate cross-functionally to drive value and keen focus on accountability and KPM’s. He has established creditability in transforming difficult opportunities into dynamic and successful outcomes. Increasing compliance gaps by 50%, rebuilding P&L’s from a loss to a substantial gain year over year and taking an expansion market from ground zero to an established well-built ecosystem are a few highlights Rob is very proud of.

Rob is passionate about building and coaching a successful team building the foundation and "culture of caring." His leadership skills and ability to develop a winning culture has played a key role to his success serving in many different geographies during his leadership journey, moving from Georgia to Florida and from Florida to Virginia. Rob has served as a Servant Leader across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic and has developed a tremendous followership as a result of his leadership. Rob thrives on the acronym CPR. Culture, People and Relationships are the 3 core ingredients that Rob likes to develop his business model behind. Rob is a big component of collaborating with internal partners and driving strategy that will encourage a great customer experience internally so that the team can drive a great customer experience externally and helping customers succeed financially!

Bell, Jerry

Jerry Bell, former Third-round pick, enjoyed a five-year career in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Prior to his NFL Career, Jerry attended Arizona State University receiving his B.A in Computer Information Systems. While playing tight end for the Buccaneers, Jerry also served as the teams United Way Spokesman, Team Captain, Player Rep to the NFLPA for two seasons while also achieving multiple Buccaneer Player of the Week awards, NFC Player of the Week Awards, etc.

During his playing career, Jerry devoted a lot of his time to giving back to his community by organizing food drives for the United Way, providing tickets to Buccaneer games for Boys and Girls Clubs, tutoring youths by helping them prepare for the College Entrance Exams (SAT and ACT), and hosting football camps for at-risk children. Jerry also earned his MBA from the University of Tampa during his playing years stating, “I always played football with the understanding that I would eventually have to do something following my playing days and I wanted to prepare for it.

Jerry post football professional career started within the technology sales environment by working at IBM, GE, and Oracle. Jerry and his wife Ruth established the Ruth and Jerry Bell Endowed Minority Scholarship and it has been going strong ever since for the last 25 years. They also recently established the Jerry and Ruth Bell W. P. Carey Black Student Success Endowment Scholarship at Arizona State University

Jerry is currently on the Board of Directors for the Reliaquest Bowl game and AdventHeath Hospital System and has served multiple terms as President of the Former Players NFLPA Tampa Chapter where he enjoys assisting Former players in utilizing their benefits and rights and assisting in their efforts to transition from professional football to post football life.

Coffman, Chase

Chase Coffman is a former NFL tight end known for his eight-year professional football career. Selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft, he also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks, and Indianapolis Colts. Before his NFL career, Coffman was a standout at the University of Missouri, earning the John Mackey Award, Consensus All-American honors, and multiple First-Team All-Big 12 selections.

Since retiring from football, Coffman has transitioned into the financial sector, working as an LPL Financial Advisor at BMG Advisors, where he helps clients navigate their financial futures. He also remains deeply involved in the football community as the President of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) Kansas City Former Player Chapter, leading initiatives to support former players and foster community engagement.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Coffman is a dedicated family man. He and his wife, Stacy, share a strong commitment to faith, family, and community. Together, they are raising their three children while balancing their careers and philanthropic efforts.

Collins, Marc

Marc was born and raised in Erlanger, KY where he attended Lloyd Memorial High School. He was a 3-sport athlete lettering in Football, Basketball and Tennis. Marc was All-State in all 3 sports. He went on to play collegiately at Eastern Kentucky University where he was a 4-year starter and helped lead The Colonels to 2 OVC Conference Championships. Marc was a placekicker and punter, and he went on to earn All Conference in both kicking and punting.  He was a consensus First Team All American in 1995 while leading Division 1-AA in Punting Average and Net Punting. His senior year he set a single season record for punting average which stood for 18 years. Marc was the Ohio Valley Conference Special Teams Player of the Year in 1995

Marc went on to sign a free agent contract with the Seattle Seahawks in 1996 and with the Buffalo Bills in 1997.

Marc has been inducted to the Lloyd Memorial High School Hall of Fame, Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame and is a member of the Eastern Kentucky University All Century Team.

After football, Marc has had a successful business in the mortgage industry for over 23 years.

Marc is the current NFLPA Cincinnati Chapter President and was Chapter of the Year in 2021.

DesRochers, Dave

Dave DesRochers played collegiately for San Diego State University and was a dual letterman playing a season of basketball for the Aztecs in '85. Dave was selected to play in the '88 Hula Bowl collegiate all-star game. He was a 12th round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in '88. After one season with the team, he went into acting appearing in commercials, tv series & movies. In '91 he decided to give football another shot and then spent 2 seasons in the World League of Amercian Football before retiring to a successful 20-year career in the financial services industry.

He now is the founder and CEO of The 1st & Goal Project a 501 (c) 3 that helps former players, veterans, those formerly incarcerated and others to successfully transition or improve their social economic situation. Dave has been honored with recognitions from Congress and the Senate for his work in the veteran community. He has served as the VP for the Orange County Chapter for 5 years before being elected as the President in '23.

He is honored to have been selected by his peers to serve on the Former Players Advisory Board.

Howard, Bobby

Bobby Howard is a former running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and current Director, Multicultural Donation Education Program at LifeLink of Georgia. After suffering severe kidney disease and receiving a kidney transplant, Mr. Howard has dedicated his life to helping others who face life-threatening health challenges. 

He continues to lead collaborative efforts with local, national coalitions and community partners to spread the important message of organ donation. He’s President of the NFLPA Formers Players Atlanta Chapter, Board member for AParent Miracles, and Chair at  the National Multicultural Action Group. Bobby has faithfully served in the following capacities: President of the Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation, President of the Georgia Transplant Foundation, a board member of the United Network of Organ Sharing and board member of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County.

Langham, Antonio

Antonio Langham was born and raised in Town Creek, Al and was a former first round pick to the Cleveland Browns. He graduated from the University of Alabama and was part of the 1992 National Championship team. He also played 7 years in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots. 

After football, he has been coaching high school football since 2005 and was the NFLPA Birmingham Chapter President until 2023.

Sutton Sr., Frank

“The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.” - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Frank LaRose Sutton, Sr., born in Jackson, Mississippi, attended Jackson State University, and started as a freshman at the age of sixteen. He was one of the top offensive linemen in the country. Sutton “reached and kept” the acclaimed status by earning First Team All-SWAC for three consecutive years. Frank Sutton and Lem Barney (NFL H.O.F.) put their marks in the JSU history book when they started on both sides of the ball in a game.

Sutton parlayed his exceptional freshman and sophomore years with the Tigers into a phenomenal junior year when he was named team captain. Not only was Sutton a standout athlete, but he was also a standout teammate and scholar as well. Sutton was inducted into the JSU Hall of Fame in 2016. He is also a member of the JSU All-Century Football Team. Sutton signed a free agent contract with the New England Patriots in 1985. He incurred an injury which sidelined him for that seasoned year which was a Super Bowl year against the Chicago Bears. In 1987, he returned to the NFL with the New York Giants. Sutton is currently the pastor of Fairfield Missionary Baptist Church in Jackson, MS. Today, Sutton presides as Hinds County Justice Court Judge District 3 (20 years) and Municipal Court Judge (Edwards, MS -15 years).

Using his wisdom gained through the NFL, Sutton has been blessed to be accomplished and affiliated with such organizations as: Jackson State Alumni (National/Local Member); Belhaven University Alumni (National/Local Member); General Missionary State Baptist Convention Board; National Baptist Convention, U.S.A.; National Association Drug Court Professional (NADCP); President - Mississippi Association Drug Court Professionals (MADCP) 2016; Executive Director - Fairfield Community Development Corporation; Omega Psi Phi Fraternity; NFLPA President 23-24: Newly Reelected 25-26 NFLPA President; Newly Elected NFLPA Advisory Board Member 2025; Board of Directors Riggs Manor; and Methodist Seniors Services (State) Board Member.

Under his leadership, the Mississippi NFLPA Chapter was awarded the 2023 Most Improved Chapter of the Year. Beyond Sutton’s professional endeavors, he is a devoted family man. He and his wife, Harriet, share a persistently, intentionally commitment to their faith, their family, and their community.

Williams, Ben

Ben Williams is a former National Football League defensive lineman and an emerging institutional leader within the NFLPA, currently serving as President of the Minnesota Chapter of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). A University of Minnesota standout and All-Big Ten performer, Williams went on to play professionally with the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, and in NFL Europe.

In his post-playing career, Williams has distinguished himself as a strategic operator within the NFLPA framework—consistently working at the intersection of player advocacy, organizational alignment, and long-term policy development. As Chapter President, he has established himself as a credible and solutions-oriented leader, serving as a primary conduit between former players, team organizations, and union leadership while addressing complex issues related to benefits, engagement, and post-career outcomes.

Williams brings a rare combination of lived player experience and executive-level preparation. He holds an MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and is currently completing his Juris Doctor at Columbia Law School, equipping him with the financial, legal, and governance expertise required to operate effectively in high-stakes environments and contribute to union-wide strategic decisions.

His leadership is defined by a focus on institutional strength and accountability—advocating for scalable solutions that enhance benefits, expand access, and ensure that former players are represented with clarity, leverage, and continuity across all levels of the NFLPA. He has been particularly focused on addressing structural gaps impacting players from earlier eras, while helping position the organization to meet the evolving demands of today’s and tomorrow’s membership.

As a member of the Former Players Advisory Board, Williams is committed to advancing a unified, forward-thinking agenda—one that aligns legacy with leverage and ensures that the voices of former players are not only heard, but actively shape the direction of the union.