NFLPA Reaches Unprecedented Numbers in Sixth Year of Externship

For Immediate Release
February 18, 2019

NFL PLAYERS ASSOCIATION REACHES UNPRECEDENTED NUMBERS IN SIXTH YEAR OF EXTERNSHIP
66 players enrolled across 27 organizations for offseason program providing practical workplace experience

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In its sixth year, the NFLPA Externship once again boasts record numbers as 66 players will start positions at 27 distinguished organizations this month.

With 12 new organizations joining the offseason program, the NFLPA Externship remains unlike any other opportunity offered to professional athletes. This year’s externs will work with businesses ranging from start-ups to established industry leaders while learning about the legislative process, the financial literacy space, media skills and much more.

The NFLPA fielded 123 applications this winter from interested players. After applying for their top three experiences, each member of the 2019 NFLPA Externship class was interviewed and selected by organizations committed to providing insight into their line of work, engaging in impactful projects, offering feedback and developing networking opportunities.

“We are proud to provide a service for our members that allows them to gain practical experience that will go a long way in positioning them to succeed in their post-football careers,” NFLPA Player Manager Connor Ford said. “By expanding the players’ network through organizations that are committed to immersing the externs in their fields, the NFLPA Externship continues to be one of the most valued programs offered by our union.”

Among the 12 new organizations featured in the 2019 program are ACE Media, Brandgenuity, Everfi, Financial Finesse, Forbes Tate Partners, FOX Sports, Gatorade Sports Science Institute, Headspace, Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA), Ohio State University Athletics, UNINTERRUPTED and WeWork Labs.

The NFLPA is proud to welcome back the following organizations: Capitol Hill (various placements with members of Congress), Catapult, Complex, Events DC, Fanatics, LAPD, NFL Players Inc., StubHub, The Players’ Tribune, The Trust, Under Armour, United Way Worldwide, University of Georgia Athletic Association, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and WHOOP.

Players from 27 different NFL teams are represented in the 2019 NFLPA Externship, which runs through March 8, with the New York Giants boasting the most participants at seven.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of broadcasting and production,” said Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Cameron Lynch, who is externing with FOX Sports. “The hands-on experience that I will gain through this externship will go a long way in helping me realize one of my other dreams outside of football.”

This year’s Externship features the #AthleteAnd Workshop on Tuesday, February 19 at the NFLPA headquarters in Washington, D.C. This exclusive event enables current players to hear from industry leaders as well as NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith on how to grow professionally and leverage the opportunities provided by their NFL careers. By gaining confidence to define their identities beyond being a professional athlete, they can write their own endings to the phrase “Athlete And ”.

The Externship, 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 program serves as one of several post-career opportunities 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.

For more information, please visit nflpa.com/externship and follow the NFLPA on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Full list of 2019 NFLPA Externs and Host Organizations:

*Started externship on Feb. 11

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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.