From Football Fields to Hospital Beds: Former NFL Players Find Success in Nursing

As they trade in their football cleats for scrubs, a handful of former NFL players are finding a new sense of purpose and fulfillment in nursing. D'Brickashaw Ferguson, a former New York Jets offensive tackle, is one of the pioneers in this unexpected career shift. Ferguson, who retired from the NFL in 2016 after 10 seasons, initially struggled to find a new career path. But with the encouragement of his mother, a nurse herself, he decided to pursue nursing. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson University College of Nursing in Philadelphia and is now a nurse at Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas Health in New Jersey.

Ferguson is not alone in his decision to become a nurse. Tracy Perlman, senior vice president of player operations at the NFL, notes that many players struggle to find a new career path after retirement. However, nursing is a relatively new area of interest, and the NFL is not a traditional recruitment pipeline for nursing. Despite this, players like Ferguson, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Chandler Brayboy, and Nathaniel Hughes are embracing this new career path.

One of the reasons these former football players are drawn to nursing is the sense of urgency and mental toughness required in their previous profession. Ferguson explains that nursing requires a similar level of mental toughness and resiliency as football, where players must act quickly and perform under pressure. Additionally, nursing provides a sense of teamwork and camaraderie that former football players are familiar with.

These players are also inspired by the impact they can have on patients' lives. Ferguson notes that nursing allows him to "go all in" and make a difference, just as he did on the football field. Hill, an inpatient psychiatric nurse, adds that nursing provides a sense of purpose and fulfillment that he hasn't found in other areas of his life.

Furthermore, many of these players have found camaraderie with their fellow nurses and patients. "They actually let me completely in," Hill says, "and the barrier that most men hold up, it falls, because we have some type of common ground."

The trend of former NFL players entering the nursing profession is slowly increasing, with men making up around 6 percent of registered nurses, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, despite the growing numbers, there is still a nationwide nursing shortage, and the field is in need of male role models.

Key Takeaways:

• Former NFL players like D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Chandler Brayboy, and Nathaniel Hughes are finding success in nursing after retiring from football.
• Nursing requires a similar level of mental toughness and resiliency as football, making it an attractive career path for former athletes.
• Players are drawn to nursing for its sense of purpose, fulfillment, and impact on patients' lives.
• Nursing provides a sense of teamwork and camaraderie that former football players are familiar with.
• The trend of former NFL players entering the nursing profession is slowly increasing, with men making up around 6 percent of registered nurses.
• There is a nationwide nursing shortage, and the field is in need of male role models.

Statistics:

• Former NFL players make up around 6 percent of registered nurses.
• The average player's NFL career lasts around 4.5 years.
• Men make up around 6 percent of registered nurses.
• There is a nationwide nursing shortage, with a projected shortage of over 1 million nurses by 2025.
• Men in nursing are more likely to pursue specialties like emergency and critical care, which require adaptability, physical stamina, and quick problem-solving skills.

Sources:

• The New York Times
• United States Bureau of Labor Statistics
• American Association for Men in Nursing
• NurseJournal
• National Football League