The big event in the NFL this week is the scouting combine in Indianapolis, but there's another combine where plenty of NFL talent will be, including Patriots wide receiver Chris Hogan.
Kaleb Thornhill, a former NFL player, has created a new platform called Athlete Transition U (ATU), which focuses on "business combines" that provide athletes the tools they need to succeed when they retire.
The first business combine is this week in New York City.
"The initial concept started in 2007 when I was in college and I saw players failing when the game was no longer in their life," Thornhill said, via Forbes. "There's a saying that athletes die twice -- once when they're done playing and when they actually die. I want to change that so that they feel like they're born twice."
"It took about two months to on-board the athletes," he added. "I created a black box that was a special invitation for those I targeted. It said 'Unlock your future' and had the number thirty on the key, basically saying that only thirty people were receiving the exclusive invite. I then wrote an email and then called them to describe it in full detail."
Players attending besides Hogan include Bears cornerback Prince Amukamara, Chiefs defensive back Eric Berry, Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham, and Dolphins defensive linemen Ndamukong Suh and Cameron Wake. Speakers will include Nets general manager Sean Marks, Snoop Dogg's business manager Ted Chung, Facebook Global Head of Sports Partnerships Dan Reed, Compass Real Estate CEO Robert Reffkin, and Draymond Green.
"[Athletes] go into identity foreclosure," said Thornhill. "I wanted to create ATU, because of hundreds of personal stories brought to my doorstep of guys struggling once the game is over. We can combat that by activating them while they're playing the game so they have an ecosystem where they can develop relationships and so that when they're done they're ready for the transition and people can help them. If you don't activate the relationships outside of the game, it is very hard for guys to go from an itinerary to a blank sheet and not knowing what to do with it."
Thornhill hopes to expand his combine to multiple cities next year.
