On the 585th Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams speak with Antoine Bethea, a former All-Pro safety, about his business journey since retiring from the NFL.
Bethea was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2006 draft. He went on to play 14 NFL season with the Colts, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants. He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection, and retired having made about $55.7 million in salary.
Bethea talks about his playing days, and how he approached money while he was in the league. Over the course of his career, he says, NFL locker rooms began openly discussing business opportunities more and more. He talks about who in his life gave him advice early on, and how he prepared for life after the NFL.
He breaks down his post-NFL business opportunities. That includes a trucking company that he launched following inspiration from a friend who was incarcerated, and various real estate projects. He had a sports bar for a time in Newport News, Va., but that recently shut down.
Bethea also discusses a viral trend of pro athletes—particularly NBA players—speaking openly about the money they don’t take home due to taxes, agent fees and other expenditures. Bethea talks about his own experience when his game checks became more than he’d ever earned previously, and gives advice to current athletes about how to handle it.
