What Happens To Players When Their Playing Days Are Over? Packers 1996-1997 Super Bowl Team Edition

Most NFL fans think about how cool it would be to play for their own favorite team. Imagine wearing the green and gold and playing on historic Lambeau field. Visualize walking the hallways where the legends once walked, hearing the 80,000 Packer fans cheering for you, taking a Lambeau leap, or even cashing a sweet paycheck. Does this sound like a good gig for playing a sport you love? But do fans ever think about what you would do when your playing days are done? Picture yourself being retired at a young age with perhaps a young family and having to find something else that interests you and fill your everyday life. What would you do next to earn money and fill that missing void? Here is a look at some of the players from the Packers 1996-1997 Super Bowl Championship team and their lives after football.

1. Coaching:

It is not surprising that after spending your entire life around sports you would continue in that field. Elite athletes are extremely competitive and one way to continue to quench that fire is by coaching. Sean Jones, Doug Evans, Earl Dotson, Andre Rison, Keith Traylor, Craig Newsome, Keith McKenzie, Brian Williams, Mike Prior, Tyrone Williams are just a few of the former players that went into coaching after playing for the Packers. Some former players have even made it back to the NFL as coaches. Mark Brunell was hired by the Lions in 2021 as a quarterbacks coach and Doug Peterson is the current Jacksonville head coach and of course won a Super Bowl as the Eagles head coach calling the now famous “Philly Special” TD play.

2. Entertainment (TV, Radio etc.):

Another way for players to stay connected to the game is to begin a career in radio, tv, or broadcasting. The inventor of the Lambeau Leap and now Hall of Famer LeRoy Butler has not only worked in radio but also in sales with his “Leap” vodka and several other endeavors. Dorsey Levens, William Henderson, Santana Dotson, Aaron Taylor, and Brian Williams are a few other Packers that have worked in the entertainment field. Antonio Freeman has contributed to Redskins kick off coverage, “First Take” and “College Gameday.” Former Head Coach Mike Holmgren was a TV analyst for a while but no one has done as well as the former Super Bowl MVP Desmond Howard. Howard has achieved a lot of success for his work with Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, and Kirk Herbstreit on ESPN’s popular show “College Gameday.” Desmond Howard has also called NFL games on Fox.

3. Motivational Speaking:

If you were able to achieve some fame and notoriety during your playing days, public speaking may be in your future. Brett Favre retired in 2010 and has done motivational speaking but has made more news for the speeches he did NOT make. Without going down that rabbit hole, there are other Packer players who have dabbled in motivational speaking. Chris Jacke has done motivational speaking as well as authoring several books. Gilbert Brown, A.K.A. “The Grave Digger” has been a speaker, coach, and even runs his own Charity called The Gilbert Brown Foundation, which supports over 150 children's charities in Wisconsin. Don Beebe and Robert Brooks have also done motivational speaking. Both of these former Packers also run sports performance training centers. Brooks even became a minister and has his own church.

4. Miscellaneous:

While many former Packers have taken jobs that may not surprise you, others have branched out to many different career choices that might not be associated with football. Frank Winters and Adam Timmerman went on to work in construction and real estate. Antonio Freeman started his own foundation to help underprivileged youths in his hometown of Baltimore, and William Henderson created a foundation to help prevent bullying. Doug Evans and George Koonce have had very interesting post football careers. Evans not only did some coaching but also became a reporter and a drone pilot for a news channel in Atlanta. George Koonce has been on several boards of directors including the Packers. Koonce also got his Doctorate in Philosophy and has worked at several Universities.

5. RIP.

I would be remiss if I did not recognize some of the players from the 1996 Champions that are no longer with us. Keith Jackson and Reggie White were two of my favorite players from that team - may they rest in peace! Before his death and after football Reggie White was an actor, ordained minister and even had a professional wrestling bout. Keith Jackson, the former tight end, was a commentator for the Arkansas Razorbacks and created a non profit (P.A.R.K.) to help inner city kids in Little Rock.

The 1996 Super Bowl team that finally brought the Lombardi Trophy back home after defeating the Patriots 35-21, adding another title to Titletown. Seeing another trophy come back to Green Bay for the first time since Super Bowl II was very rewarding for Packer fans in 1997. That historic 1996-1997 squad was a team full of personalities and Hall of Famers. They were so so fun to watch on the field but their lives after Packer fame has also been interesting and fun to examine.