WASHINGTON (January 29, 2014) – AARP’s Life Reimagined and NFL Player Engagement (NFLPE) are teaming up to assist current and former players personally and professionally as they transition to life off the playing field. Life Reimagined is a first-of-its-kind series of online and offline experiences that guide people through life transitions by helping them discover new possibilities and connect with a community of people pursuing similar passions and goals.

“The suite of tools and resources that Life Reimagined offers are a perfect fit to deal with the challenges facing millions of people going through transitions,” said Emilio Pardo, AARP’s Chief Brand Officer. “NFL players looking to move on to their ‘what’s next’ can reap the extensive benefits of all Life Reimagined has to offer ranging from personal development, to health and wellness and entrepreneurship.”

NFL Player Engagement has designated several key former players—including Keith Elias, Donovin Darius, and Ed Reynolds—to work closely with experts from the Life Reimagined Institute. Drawing on their expertise and insights, the former players will utilize tools from the six stages of the Life Reimagined journey to help others transition to life outside of football.

1. Reflect: Take inventory. Where are you and how are you feeling?
2. Connect: Create a core system that uniquely supports you along the way.
3. Explore: Imagine what’s possible, think about where your life could go.
4. Choose: Weigh your options, set direction and shape your life.
5. Repack: Clarify your needs, identify what you need to succeed.
6. Act: Take the first step; get ready to make things happen.

Listen to Freddie Scott, former wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts, about the challenges he faced in transitioning to life after football: http://youtu.be/-nrvUpzqw_Q

Life Reimagined will debut a series of video vignettes featuring NFL players, demonstrating that transition is a universal experience affecting both professional athletes and the general population alike.

“The professional football player faces several life-changing transitions from injuries to changing teams to his NFL playing experience drawing to a close. The athletic life cycle is compressed compared with most people’s lives, but it is very similar in how most Americans transition between life’s challenges,” says Troy Vincent, Senior Vice President of NFL Player Engagement. “This phenomenon is the perfect opportunity for former NFL players to show others how AARP’s Life Reimagined tools and resources have guided them through successful transitions, such as moving from the limelight of professional football to new opportunities after the game.”

On January 29 at the Super Bowl XLVIII Media Center, Life Reimagined and NFLPE will conduct a satellite radio media tour featuring Life Reimagined ambassadors Dan Marino and James Brown. Dan Marino, Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback and Life Reimagined Men’s Life Ambassador, understands how difficult the post-NFL transition can be once the stadium lights go down.

“When a player leaves the game he needs guidance and resources to handle the challenges we all face in reconnecting with family, working to maintain relationships and identifying  transferable skills that can help see him and his family through the ‘fifth quarter of life.’”

Life Reimagined Community Ambassador, three-time award-winning network broadcaster for CBS Sports and Special Correspondent for CBS News James Brown, has been covering the NFL since 1986 and knows first-hand the importance of preparing for life after sports. Brown achieved All-Ivy League honors as a member of Harvard University’s basketball team and was drafted by the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, but is proudest of his achievements beyond the basketball court.

“When you consider how young most players are when they leave the game, you understand how vitally important it is for them to have resources like Life Reimagined to prepare for their ‘What’s Next,’” said Brown.

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About Life Reimagined

Launched by AARP in 2013, Life Reimagined is a first-of-its-kind single source of online and offline experiences that guide people through life transitions by helping them discover new possibilities and connect with a community of people pursuing similar passions and goals. Life Reimagined online centers on an exclusive, customizable roadmap available at www.lifereimagined.org that helps people understand where they are in their journey to achieve their goals and dreams, reflect, and make decisions in planning their next steps. It also includes a Sounding Board – a new kind of private social network for people to surround themselves with trusted friends and allies. Through the Sounding Board and other connection tools, members of the Life Reimagined community help each other by offering advice and support to help reach their goals both big and small. Life Reimagined is powered by the Life Reimagined Institute for Innovation, a world-class group of thought leaders in the areas of life and career coaching, psychology, personal development, health and entrepreneurship.

About NFL Player Engagement

NFL Player Engagement assists players in reaching their highest potential on and off-the-field with guidance, support, and resources provided before, during, and after their NFL experiences. NFL Player Engagement works with three core audiences: Prep, Life, and Next. NFL Life (current players) and NFL Next (former players) reach more than 2,000 NFL players and spouses each year through a variety of programs and services focused on career development, financial and continuing education, as well as personal, psychological, and physical wellness. NFL Prep provides high-school and college student-athletes of all sports with tools to help them succeed in life, focused on awareness, prevention, and education. More information can be found at www.nflplayerengagement.com.

Media Contacts:

Charlotte Castillo
Media@aarp.org
(202) 434-2523

Keith Blackman
keith.blackman@bm.com
(202) 779-4716