Zamir Cobb

Cobb’s passion for football sparked at an early age. He was the younger sibling who wanted to do whatever his older brother did. Cobb’s brother, who is two years older than him, played football, so Cobb followed his path. It was finally at the age of eight that Cobb was good enough to play alongside his 10-year-old brother, and it was at his first scrimmage game that Cobb earned the wideout position. “Starting wideout, youngest kid on the team, never threw me the ball though,” Cobb laughed. “It was literally just a position.”

A former wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals, Cobb’s career lasted three years in the NFL after sustaining a leg and knee injury in his first two seasons. “I quickly saw endless potential turn into ‘I’m not so sure’,” he said.

But Cobb is no stranger to injuries as he suffered multiple injuries and underwent a couple surgeries while attending Temple University. “The first three to four years at Temple were miserable. I stayed injured,” Cobb said. The second surgery initially made Cobb think that his football career was over, but his time in the NFL says otherwise.

Though he spent his entire rookie season rehabbing, Cobb tried to make his presence known in other ways. He watched extra game films and increased his time in the weight room, hoping his teammates and coaches could recognize him by his work ethic.

Despite the hardships Cobb faced while in the league, he was fortunate enough to have built a network outside of football due to his major’s social work intern requirement, which he completed during his sophomore and senior years of college. “You never could really prepare for the change in identity that you withstand going from arguably the coolest game in the world to more conventional employment,” Cobb said.

Before joining The Trust in October 2013, Cobb served as an upper manager in the non-profit sector. The first two questions Cobb asks before making career moves is “One, can I maximize impact and two can I amplify the mission? If there’s a third, can I do those two in a deeper way than I can already accomplish in my current role?”

Transitioning from football to reality can be nerve-wracking, but Cobb believes that The Trust removes a lot of that anxiety. “There’s a dedicated staff and resources to propel players towards a productive transition from football,” Cobb said. “For those who haven’t yet discovered, you have to explore, whether it be finding internship opportunities or continuing your education.”

The Trust offers a fellowship program which provides Former Players with workplace learning opportunities to acquire technical skills, build networks, and explore a variety of career paths.

The Trust also offers Former Players an individualized plan to assist in the transition process. Cobb encourages Former Players to explore all The Trust benefits and services as they support players in several ways. “If I’m counseling a player that’s transitioning, my goal is to help him self-determine his next steps with the support of The Trust,” he said. As managing director for The Trust, Cobb is responsible for making key decisions that impact how they service Former Players in the short and long term. “In many ways, I have to ensure our staff and systems are grounded in helping players identify their needs and interest and achieve their goals,” he said.

In ten years, The Trust went from seven employees and 500 Former Players enrolled to over thirty employees and over 6,000 Former Players enrolled. But there is still work to be done and more players to serve.

Cobb hopes that enrollment in The Trust becomes “as routine as laced up cleats on a Sunday afternoon; no different than severance pay, no different than the 401K benefit, no different than the annuity plan.”