The career of an NFL athlete may be lucrative, but is limited to a short window of time. Second careers are a must. One former NFL player-and Frisco resident- has opted to work with Collin County student-athletes for his second career.
Freddie Jones, former tight end for the San Diego Chargers and Arizona Cardinals, moved to Frisco with his wife and son after an eight-year career.
"My wife and I were looking for a place to relocate and we just loved Frisco," Jones said. "We could not be happier here. I have a TollTag, but didnt use it the first year. Everything we need is here in Frisco."
After moving into their Frisco home, Jones and his wife egan a search for business opportunities. At an NFLPA Retired Players Association career expo,he came upon SportsWorx, a company that matches prospective high school student-athletes with college coaches. Jones' own experience as a high school student-athlete in Washington, D.C., looking for college scholarships and financial aid attracted him to the company.
"I wasn't the best player on my team, but I made good grades and my mother worked hard to get me ready for the next step. Almost all of my teammates should have gotten scholarships or financial aid but didn't because they didn't have someone helping them." Jones said. "Today, student-athletes can get help looking for the right school and the right scholarship."
Jones said many student-athletes and their parents are unaware of the number of scholarship opportunities out there. Many schools offer combinations of scholarships, grants and financial aid that can help pay for tuition, books, room and board.
"Most scholarshipa are not found at Division I schools. The top players have no trouble finding available scholarships from Division I schools," Jones said. "But there are many scholarships, grants and other financial aid sources available at smaller schools, too."
Jones has experience dealing with college coaches and recruiting process, having earned a football scholarship at the University of North Carolina, where he played for the-coach Mack Brown.
"Coach Brown was all about character," Jones said. "You could tell that he backed up his words with his actions. I was fortunate to have played for him."
Jones wants to bring those same character traits when it comes to helping student-athletes find a collegiate match.
"We are honest with student-athletes," Jones said. "We tell them that there's no guarantee, but if they're willing to work hard, we can help them get the looks [from college coaches] they deserve."
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