NFL Players Association Partners with 20 Companies for Fifth Year of Externship

For Immediate Release
February 12, 2018

NFL PLAYERS ASSOCIATION PARTNERS WITH 20 COMPANIES FOR FIFTH YEAR OF EXTERNSHIP
Forty-one NFL players to take part in three-week program at organizations across the country

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The fifth year of the NFLPA Externship begins Monday with unprecedented numbers as 41 players start positions at 20 distinguished organizations.

Nine new host companies have joined the program, helping to make the NFLPA Externship unlike any other opportunity offered to professional athletes. For three weeks during the offseason, current and transitioning NFL players are provided practical experience in the workforce and insight into areas they may want to pursue after football. Externs will spend invaluable time with various organizations committed to providing insight into their fields, assigning impactful projects, offering feedback and creating networking opportunities.

The NFLPA fielded a record 110 applications this winter from interested players. After narrowing the applicants, each member of the 2018 NFLPA Externship class was matched with businesses and industries that best fit their interests and career goals.

“Heading into the fifth year of the program, the NFLPA Externship allows our members to gain hands-on experience in hopes that they discover post-football career interests,” said Dana Hammonds Shuler, senior director of the NFLPA’s player affairs department. “The players get a chance to build their network and gain the confidence they need for future endeavors. We’ve recruited some of the best organizations to host our player externs, and they are fully committed to immersing participants in the business world.”

Among the nine new organizations featured in the 2018 program are Catapult, Complex, International Justice Mission (IJM), Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), The Players’ Tribune, StubHub, University of Georgia athletic department, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and WHOOP. The NFLPA is proud to welcome back the following host companies: Capitol Hill, ESPN 980, Events DC, Fanatics, NBC Sports Washington, NFLPA, The Trust, Under Armour, United Way and the University of Maryland athletic department.

Twenty NFL teams are represented across this year’s Externship, with the Chicago Bears boasting four externs.

“I’m excited for this externship because it gives me the chance to connect with Congress in our ongoing efforts to create real change in our communities,” said Miami Dolphins safety Michael Thomas, who will work in the office of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. “It’s not everyday that you get hands-on experience at this level of politics. I am going to take this opportunity to learn as much as I can while representing those who may feel voiceless in our communities.”

The program, run by the NFLPA’s Player Affairs department, is designed to assist players in realizing their potential and value beyond football through gainful, real-world experience. The Externship serves as one of several post-career programs offered by the NFLPA, all of which are built on the theme of helping players--both active and transitioning-- find their niche and discover more of their gifts.

At the start and conclusion of the three-week program, the NFLPA will host local externs for a day of professional development, including an address by Executive Director DeMaurice Smith as well as advice for successful job interviewing, building your brand and crafting résumés.

The program runs through March 2. For more information, please visit nflpa.com/active-players/externships and follow the NFLPA on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Full list of 2018 NFLPA Externs and Host Companies:

*Darius Jennings will also work with Under Armour.
**Dontrelle Inman will also work with NBC Sports Washington and ESPN 980.
***Michael Davis will also work with Under Armour.

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About the NFL Players Association:

The National Football League Players Association is the union for professional football players in the National Football League. Established in 1956, the NFLPA has a long history of assuring proper recognition and representation of players’ interests. The NFLPA has shown that it will do whatever is necessary to assure that the rights of players are protected—including ceasing to be a union, if necessary, as it did in 1989. In 1993, the NFLPA again was officially recognized as the union representing the players, and negotiated a landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL. The current CBA will govern the sport through 2020. Learn more at www.nflpa.com.