NFLPA Takes Player Leaders on "Tech Tour"

NFL Players Association player leaders and other NFL players will visit some major Silicon Valley corporations, including Uber, Facebook and Intel this week.

What union officials are calling the “tech tour” was NFLPA President Eric Winston’s idea.

“After the Super Bowl last year, I felt like our NFLPA guys didn’t get much value out of it,” Winston said. “They come into town to participate in our press conference, but we didn’t have much else for them.”

The NFLPA holds its news conference on Thursday before the Super Bowl. This year, 50 players will visit about 50 technology companies, as well as venture capital firms, including Andreessen Horowitz, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

NFL Players Inc. President Ahmad Nassar said some of the companies are looking to hire players as interns in the NFL offseason.

Whether or not players get internships or jobs from the tour, Winston said he thinks they likely will get some interesting post-playing-career advice from Silicon Valley executives.

“We want to see what they are working on, if there are any synergies that we can possibly help each other with, but also hear from them what they think guys that have spent a considerable amount of years in the NFL would do if they were us,” Winston said. “How would they look at the opportunities and challenges facing a 10-year vet exiting the NFL? I’m guessing that they might see different possibilities than we see.”