The upcoming 2024 NFL Draft serves as a reminder of the millions of dollars football players can earn, while also serving as backdrop to the issue of professional athletes needing to be smart with their money.
Benzinga is hosting the Sports Business Titans event on April 25 in downtown Detroit. The event will feature athletes, social media stars and business leaders who will provide a behind-the-scenes look at how sports and business often intersect.
Here are seven current and former Detroit Lions and a look at the non-NFL investments they made.
Rob Sims: A speaker at the 2024 Benzinga Sports Business Titans event, Sims is a former NFL player with the Lions and Seattle Seahawks.
Sims today is an entrepreneur as the co-founder of Locker Room Consulting and co-founder of cannabis company Primitiv Group. The name for Primitiv is based on the idea that plants have been used for thousands of years for medicinal purposes.
Calvin Johnson: One of the most well-known Lions players of recent decades, former wide receiver Johnson was known to fans as "Megatron." Johnson retired from the NFL after the 2015 season, playing nine years with the Lions.
Johnson has gone on to be a co-founder of Locker Room Consulting and Primitiv Group with Sims.
Gosder Cherilus: A former teammate of Sims and Johnson while with the Lions, Cherilus is also involved with Primitiv as the co-founder of Primitiv Group Boston, a cannabis company focused on relaxation, rejuvenation and holistic wellness.
Barry Sanders: Considered one of the best Lions players of all time and an NFL Hall of Famer, Sanders needs no introduction.
Since retiring from the NFL, Sanders has expanded his focus to entrepreneurial efforts that include running the Barry Sanders Nissan dealerships and Lefty's Cheesesteak stores. Sanders also supports several charities including the Scleroderma Research Foundation.
Nate Burleson: The former NFL wide receiver played for the Lions from 2010 to 2013, which came after previous stints with the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings.
Today, Burleson can be seen on television around the world as a host of CBS Mornings, The NFL Today and NFL Slimetime. Burleson has also founded several businesses, including those in the clothing sector.
While a member of the Lions, Burleson founded Lion Blood, a clothing company. Burleson is also a co-founder of suit company Baynes and Baker.
Glover Quin: The former NFL safety played with the Lions from 2013 to 2018 where he played all 16 games in each season, showing off his durability.
Quin was famous for investing his money while in the NFL, choosing to live off of 30% of his earnings and put the other 70% into savings and investments.
Quin was an early investor in sports betting companies DraftKings Inc and Flutter Entertainment-owned FanDuel. Other investments of Quin also included Health Warrior, PeerWell and pawTree.
Jared Goff: One of the newest Lions players and a fan favorite is quarterback Goff, who came to the team via a trade in the 2021 offseason for Matthew Stafford.
Goff has made several investments during his NFL career including being part of a 2021 fundraise for fantasy sports company Underdog Fantasy. Goff was among a group of investors that included Mark Cuban, Kevin Durant, Adam Schefter, The Chainsmokers and more who invested $10 million in the growing company.
Goff also invested in hygiene-first, waterless, membership-based New York City manicure studio operator GLOSSLAB.
Don’t miss this unique Benzinga Sports Business Titans event featuring former and current athletes and key voices in the business world. Join Benzinga for the 2024 Sports Business Titans. Get tickets here.
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