Cliff Crosby

It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. In my mind, the way I entered the league as a free agent, I knew at some point it would come to an end. As I moved toward the end of my career, I was in preparation for that day to come. I got married the same year I retired, which was a harder transition than my transition from the NFL.

I always wanted to work with the NFLPA after leaving the NFL. When The Trust was created it was the perfect opportunity. I wanted to impact the lives of my peers and help them understand what a successful transition looks like. I had used resources available to us, so I wanted to be able to give back, pay it forward, and help former players navigate those services and resources they may not know about.

Know what you're going to do with your time. Have a plan of how long you’ll wait before officially calling it a retirement. Sometimes when you transition from the league, they retire you before you retire you. You have to have a plan of how long you are going to wait for the next phone call to be a part of another team. At the end of the day, it comes down to being prepared and having some type of plan in case things don’t go your way.

It feels good. When you isolate yourself, you're not around people, or you're not doing things you used to do, it is easy to slip into a depressive state. Being with your peers is an opportunity for us to put eyes on each other and be able to recognize when someone needs help. The brotherhood is a fraternity.

After leaving the game, a lot of guys tend to disconnect. Sometimes they feel wronged by the NFL or the NFLPA. Getting around peers helps clear up things and helps them understand we are here for them.

It’s a great social opportunity for former players. Maybe they don’t get out as much since they’ve retired, maybe they’re working or coaching, maybe they’re being a full-time parent – we have these events to bring them outside the home and get them back around teammates, friends, or even someone they may have competed against at one time.

It’s an opportunity for us to celebrate them while they’re at the event and let them know The Trust is a resource and a benefit. We want them to activate their benefit and are here to answer any questions they may have.

Being able to have the opportunity to not only play in, but win the Super Bowl as a rookie. I’m proudest of that moment because it can never be taken away from me. I will always be associated as a Super Bowl Champion. It was also an opportunity for my family to see me play at the highest level and show them we did it and got there as a family.

I’m a father to a 17-year-old son named CJ. I work in the intelligence community as a contractor. It is something I never thought I'd be doing but it's something I fell into and I enjoy.

I have a master’s degree in psychology. I am a motivational speaker for an organization called Caron Treatment Centers. I've been working with them for the last 10 years, speaking up and down the east coast. I try to motivate young people by telling my story and helping them understand they can become anything they want; however, they have to make good decisions.

I also do a lot of community work and try to give back to my hometown by having football and cheerleading camps over the summer. Those camps have affected over 500 youth in the past five years.

Getting my master's degree. The NFLPA had a competition where they were partnering with the University of Phoenix. They had five scholarships and you had to write an essay in order to be considered. I wrote my essay and I was selected to be one of those five to get a scholarship. It was huge for me to go back and get my master’s and walk away with no student loans. Not many people can say that.