From Pro Sports to Franchising: Why Athletes Are Winning in Business

By Brady Sheldon

Unlock the playbook for athlete success in franchising. Learn how pro sports discipline scales business empires. Master the winning model for multi-unit growth.

Across global sport, a growing number of retired professional athletes are moving beyond endorsements and into multi-unit franchise ownership. For competitors who spent their careers inside structured systems built on discipline, teamwork, and measurable performance, franchising presents a surprisingly familiar environment. Increasingly, former athletes are discovering that the same mindset that helped them succeed on the field can translate directly into building scalable businesses.

From the Field to the First Business

Professional sports careers move quickly. One moment you are competing at the highest level, the next you are thinking seriously about what the next phase of life looks like.

My own journey through professional football included time with organizations such as the Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Cincinnati Bengals, and New York Jets in the NFL, followed by seasons with the Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Elks in the CFL. Like many athletes, my career involved constant movement, learning new systems, adapting to new teams, and performing under pressure.

Eventually injuries forced me to step away from the game. That transition can be difficult for athletes. For years your focus is singular. Training, preparation, performance, recovery, and competition. When that chapter ends, the question becomes what structure replaces it.

For me, the answer was entrepreneurship.

And the more I explored business opportunities, the more I realized that franchising shares many of the same characteristics that define professional sports.

Why Franchising Feels Familiar to Athletes

Athletes spend their entire careers operating inside structured systems. A playbook defines responsibilities. Coaches establish performance expectations. Teams rely on repetition, accountability, and measurable outcomes.

Franchising operates in much the same way. Instead of a playbook, there are operating manuals and brand standards. Instead of coaches, there are franchisors and support teams. Instead of game statistics, there are unit economics, customer metrics, and operational benchmarks.

That structure is appealing for athletes entering business ownership. You are not starting from scratch. You are stepping into a proven model that has already been refined across multiple markets.

Equally important is scalability. In sports, success often comes from executing the same play consistently at a high level. In franchising, growth comes from replicating a successful business model across multiple locations.

For athletes who understand discipline, leadership, and systems, that model makes sense.

Athletes Who Built Franchise Empires

The movement of athletes into franchising is no longer a niche trend. It has become a global phenomenon spanning multiple sports and continents.

One of the most widely cited examples is NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal. Over the years he has built an extensive franchise investment portfolio that has included Papa John's restaurants, Krispy Kreme locations, Auntie Anne's, and formerly one of the largest Five Guys franchise portfolios in the United States. His investments have also expanded into fitness clubs, car washes, and entertainment ventures.

Former NBA player Junior Bridgeman represents perhaps one of the most significant athlete-to-franchise success stories. After retiring from basketball in the 1980s, Bridgeman began purchasing fast-food restaurants and ultimately built a massive franchise operation that included more than 160 Wendy's restaurants and over 120 Chili's locations. His company, Bridgeman Foods, became one of the largest restaurant franchise groups in the United States.

LeBron James has also taken a strategic approach to franchise ownership. Early in his business career he invested in Blaze Pizza, helping the fast-casual brand expand rapidly across North America. James has described the investment as one of the most successful financial decisions of his career.

Across the NFL, quarterback Drew Brees built a significant portfolio of franchise businesses including Jimmy John's sandwich shops, Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux restaurants, and Stretch Zone recovery studios. Former defensive back Richard Sherman became a multi-unit Wingstop franchise owner in the Seattle region.

The trend extends beyond North America.

Global soccer icon David Beckham has invested in fitness and wellness concepts while also building a broader sports and lifestyle portfolio through ventures including Inter Miami CF. In the United Kingdom, former England international Rio Ferdinand has invested in hospitality and fitness concepts tied to the growing premium gym sector.

Tennis champion Venus Williams became an early investor in Jamba Juice franchises and has continued expanding her presence across fitness and lifestyle ventures through her investment firm.

In Australia, several former rugby league and AFL players have moved into franchise ownership across restaurant and fitness brands, recognizing the operational leverage that comes with multi-unit systems.

What these stories share is a common theme. Athletes are increasingly becoming operators rather than just endorsers.

Why Franchisors Value Athlete Operators

From a franchisor's perspective, former athletes can bring unique advantages as franchisees.

Professional athletes understand accountability and team culture. They are accustomed to high performance environments where execution matters and results are measurable.

They also bring leadership experience. Even players who are not team captains spend years operating inside collaborative systems where success depends on trust, communication, and consistency.

Another advantage is visibility. Well-known athletes can bring brand awareness to emerging franchise concepts, particularly in regional markets where their names carry recognition.

However, the most successful athlete investors understand that franchising is ultimately about operations, not celebrity.

The operators who succeed are the ones who build strong management teams, learn the business fundamentals, and treat franchise ownership as a long-term enterprise.

Lessons From My Own Transition

As I moved from professional football into business, I realized that many of the lessons from sport applied directly to entrepreneurship.

Preparation matters. Discipline matters. Surrounding yourself with the right team matters.

Athletes are often trained to focus on incremental improvement. In sports that might mean improving strength, speed, or technique. In franchising it might mean improving customer service metrics, operational efficiency, or unit profitability.

The scoreboard changes, but the mindset does not.

I also believe athletes are beginning to approach business more strategically than previous generations. Financial literacy, investment education, and mentorship programs within professional leagues have improved significantly over the past decade.

As a result, more players are entering the business world with a long-term ownership mindset rather than simply pursuing short-term endorsements.

A Growing Pipeline of Athlete Entrepreneurs

Looking ahead, the intersection between professional sports and franchising is likely to grow.

Many athletes today begin exploring business opportunities while they are still playing. By the time retirement arrives, they have already built partnerships, invested in operating businesses, or joined franchise development groups.

Franchise systems are also becoming more sophisticated in how they recruit ownership groups. Some brands actively target professional athletes as potential multi-unit operators, recognizing the alignment between athletic leadership and business systems. For former players searching for purpose after sports, franchising offers something powerful: structure, teamwork, competition, and the ability to build something lasting.

In many ways, it becomes the next season of the same mindset that defined an athletic career.