Jamison Crowder just finished his rookie season in the NFL, and there's no reason to believe he won't have a fruitful career for many years to come with the Redskins, but that won't stop him from thinking about his future.
The wide receiver, along with teammates Silas Redd and Darrel Young, began the third annual NFLPA Externship today, representing the Redskins as three of just 26 players taking positions with 10 different organizations.
For the next three weeks they will gain comprehensive experience in area they may like to pursue after football, which was determined during the season after players filled out applications and were matched with companies and industries that corresponded with their interests.
The programs promise to offer real-world knowledge and practice, and supervisors will offer feedback to help make the externs more marketable.
"Many players have been successful in football due to a linear focus on their athletic endeavors," said Leslie Satchell, NFLPA senior manager of player affairs and development and NFLPA Externship supervisor. "But the NFLPA recognizes the importance of taking time out to build professional relationships and experiences outside of football. We know it can be overwhelming to prepare for life after football, so that's where we step in. We've recruited some of the best organizations to host our player externs, and they are fully committed to immersing participants in the business world."
According to the press release, player participants commit to all three weeks away from their families during valuable time in the offseason, but many return to the program to get more experience with different companies.
Crowder will be an extern with Marriott International, Young is gaining some experience with Under Armour and Redd will work with Panini, a memorabilia company.
They'll each cover topics such as market data analysis, communications, hospitality, health and safety innovation and networking. NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith will also address the externs for a day and give advice for job interviewing and writing résumés.
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