After Steve Cheek’s departure from the league in 2005, he wasn’t completely ready to end his stint with football — especially considering what it took for him to get there.
“ For me there was a little bit of work that had to be done on the front end to get noticed. ”
Unlike some NFL players, Cheek’s path to the NFL wasn’t linear. He graduated from Humboldt State University in 1999 and played an additional year post-graduation, but still wasn’t signed. It wasn’t until 2001 that he signed with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent.
Cheek earned two credited seasons in the league before he was released due to his injuries.
“ I went into my last season pretty banged up, and then had to basically have my contract bought out from an injury settlement. ”
With hopes of getting back on a team after nursing his injury, the call never came. Two years went by and still, Cheek was not back on an active roster.
“I was trying to stay ready and be involved until roughly about 2007,” he said. “That’s when I finally realized the road had probably come to an end.”
His transition from the game had officially begun and he recalls the challenges he faced.
“It was hard, but it gets easier over time,” Cheek alluded. “I felt like I left a lot on the table due to the unfortunate element of my injuries, but there was a very strong possibility that I would never have gotten the opportunity to play in the first place.”
“ I felt like I left a lot on the table due to the unfortunate element of my injuries... ”
The next avenue for the former punter consisted of coaching, corporate training, and culinary school.
After one year as Assistant Coach of the Argonautes of Aix-en-Provence, a professional football team in South France, Cheek was promoted to Head Coach in 2011.
“It was a great ride and a lot of fun,” he remembered. “During my playing career, I got the opportunity to play in NFL Europe and that kind of sparked my interest to want to explore and see different cultures.”
Following his coaching career, Cheek transitioned into a more corporate role and became a corporate trainer at SMART Payment Plan, a money-transmitter company. He assisted with onboarding, training and management of accounts. Unfortunately, the company eventually had to downsize, making Cheek refocus his efforts again.
Cheek’s next stop on a winding path of discovering his passions: Culinary school. Cheek attended San Diego Continuing Education and received certifications in both Culinary and Baking & Pastries in 2016.
Even while working in a bakery utilizing his new skill set, Cheek still wasn’t sure he’d found his passion.
“The pivoting from one career to another was me just trying to find something that I was inspired by,” he said. “It’s never easy to just start over. But that process got easier and easier.”
“ It’s never easy to just start over. ”
Shortly after, Cheek received an email from The Trust detailing access to The Trust’s free YMCA benefit. Unbeknownst to him, there was a whole world of benefits available to him.
Cheek wasted no time enrolling into The Trust (Powered by the NFLPA) and activating his benefit. The first thing he took advantage of was The Trust’s Scholarship Award Benefit.
Cheek completed an online master’s program, earning a M.A. in Coaching & Athletics Administration from Concordia University. Since then, Cheek has also taken advantage of The Trust’s partnership with AthLife, allowing him to connect with advisors who assist with career counseling.
Cheek has explored many different paths but his message to other former players is to just stay the course (where ever it leads).
“ Keep moving ahead,” he said. “Trial and error, for me, was the best way to learn. ”
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