Randy Neal

What do I do next? I had a wife, I had a child, I had NFL bills without NFL money coming in so I really didn’t know what to do. I turned to friends to see if they could help me out and try and figure out a way to support my family. Unfortunately, a lot of us are unable to leave the game on our own terms.

You know, I needed some direction. From the outside looking in, people are like, “Oh, you made it! You played! That’s great!” But in our minds, it’s like, we were expected to do this – we failed. I didn’t get to do the things that I wanted to do, or I didn’t reach the goals that I set.

So, to speak to someone who hasn’t gone through that, others are all cheery and happy, but I don’t feel that. I don’t feel cheery and happy. And, people are like, “Aw, no. You’re great! You made it!” And, I’m like, "no, I have a family, where do I go from here?" You know, I’ve played this game since I was 8, and now I’m a grown man … what’s my next love?

In the beginning, I didn’t really have much of a support network, just family and friends. But, now my support system is great. I can call people weekly, people are checking in, I got meetings with people, so it’s been great – a blessing, a true blessing. Now, it’s much better. I’m able to communicate with folks that shared the same experience that I did.

I don’t really like testing – I don’t like to limit myself to A, B, C, D, I wanna choose E. But I was actually introduced to the Strong Interest Inventory through AthLife and that really helped me figure out different career paths. It really helped solidify some things I thought about myself, and it opened up some different careers I had never even thought about.

So that was the initial piece of it, and then I worked with AthLife on getting my resume together, getting my LinkedIn and all of my social networking set up, all of that kind of stuff. All of these crucial things that I didn’t even think about doing, now I’m doing them and see it as a benefit. I may have been the last person on earth to create a Facebook account, but it showed me the importance of networking with people.

I am actively involved with the local retired players chapter here in Charlotte and the charities that we support. We try to choose the charities that help and uplift children and women in the community. As a father of three girls, I understand the importance of providing the support that they require.

I am also involved in the sports ministry at my church, Uplift Christian Ministries. I truly believe that the lessons learned in sports combined with faith are great tools that can be used in any field to help someone become successful.

Looking back at my football career there is not one moment that I'm most proud of – it's my entire career that I'm proud of.

Since stepping away from the game, I came to realize that it was a privilege to play in the NFL and that each and every day I had to earn the right to keep that privilege. While playing, I had the perception that being in the NFL was a right and that I was supposed to be doing it. At the time, I thought of my career as a failure as I wasn't able to achieve the goals that I set out for myself, but in reality, playing in the NFL was a great accomplishment.

Each day, each play and each moment required that I show my value. I'm very proud of each and every day and each and every play that allowed me to remain in the NFL for the time that I did.

Since leaving football no one moment stands out from the rest but rather a series outstanding moments.

I was proud the day I said, "I do," to my wife 17 years ago.

I was just as proud to be there to witness the birth of each of my three children.

I was proud to be baptized and to recommit my life to Christ as an adult knowing what it truly meant rather than to be born into the faith as a child.

Other great moments included finishing my undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia, earning a master's degree from Villanova University and embarking on an endeavor to complete a doctorate degree.

As a father, I've had proud moments watching my freshman daughter team up with her sister, who was a senior guard on the varsity basketball team. I watched the two make game winning shots, make game saving steals, provide leadership, play tremendous defense, hustle and carry out the many facets of the game that go unnoticed in the box score. Their team went undefeated before losing in the state title game.

Another proud moment was seeing my daughter being offered the opportunity to follow her dreams by earning a scholarship to play college basketball after only four years of playing the game.

A typical day in my life begins with hitting the snooze button one too many times and ultimately having to rush to get the little one ready for school and getting off to work on time. My wife and I also try to spend some time each morning praying with the kids before we leave the house for the day.

Then, it's off to work. Work has been rewarding since starting a new job which is in line with the things that I enjoy. At work, I'm able to coach, mentor and develop supervisors and associates. Additionally, I’m an agent of change from an operational standpoint. Thankfully, it is not very often that I head home feeling stressed or worn out because I am working in my giftedness.

Once home I debate whether I should work out as I walk past my gym equipment and into the kitchen. Needless to say, the kitchen has a stellar winning percentage. Lately, the wife and I have tried to be a bit more active by playing tennis (or that’s what we call it), walking or heading to the swimming pool.

As the day closes, while the kids are watching Netflix, the wife and I try to sit down in the backyard to reflect on the day, plan the next day and strategize our future which includes one day opening our own business and retiring somewhere on some beach.

Finally, we try to close the day praying and reading Bible verses. The plan is to get to bed at a decent time, but there is much room for improvement in that area.

For most of our lives, you know, it’s weird, we’ve always kind of been told what to do. And when you lose that person leading or guiding you, you can feel a little bit lost. So, having that person, via The Trust there, you know, someone you feel like you can trust, someone who’s working in your best interest, that can be there to guide you … it’s a relief, it’s reassuring.

The big thing is {The Trust’s} support. Man, when I first retired, there was nothing. You know, you sit back, you watch, a little bit bitter, like, “Man, those guys are doing this and I kind of helped paved the way … but nobody cares about me.” So {The Trust} gives me that feeling of “I belong again. It paid off for something.” So just to have that guidance, to have that coach to tell you, “Hey, try that. Do it this way, do it that way.” It’s just been good to talk to other people who understand.

The Trust have given me some direction, and some hope that those goals can be accomplished.