NFLPA Announces The Trust

Washington, D.C. – November 13, 2013 – The NFL Players Association (NFLPA), the union for the players of the National Football League, announced today, the launch of The Trust. The Trust is designed to provide an ecosystem of support for former players, with an emphasis on overall health and successful transition from professional football. The Trust staff counsels players through a wellness plan across six primary pillars: Brain and Body Health, Career Transition and Development, Education and Entrepreneurship, Financial Literacy, and Personal Interaction.

“We are excited to begin the important work of serving the former NFL player community,” said Bahati VanPelt, the Executive Director of The Trust. “Together with our partners, our staff and former player leadership, we can begin to address the important issues that face NFL players when they transition out of professional football.”

DeMaurice Smith, Executive Director of the NFLPA said, “Throughout the collective bargaining process, active NFL players were committed to setting aside resources for professional programs and support to help them succeed in their careers beyond football. We are proud that we can begin implementing that important vision through The Trust.”

Some of the nation’s premiere organizations and providers have partnered with The Trust, such as Athletes’ Performance, Athlife, Babson College, Cleveland Clinic, Financial Finesse, Hillard Heintze, SCORE, Tulane University and Tulane Institute of Sports Medicine and The University of North Carolina’s Brain and Body Health Program.

Additionally, player outreach efforts will lie primarily with The Trust Captains, former player leaders with a commitment to continue serving beyond the game. Charlie Batch serves as the Senior Captain, while Jeff Saturday, Donnie Edwards, Erik McMillan and Sam Gash each serve as a Regional Captain.

The Trust has a comprehensive website featuring more program information and informative videos at www.playerstrust.com.

VanPelt and George Atallah, NFLPA Assistant Executive Director of External Affairs, will be available today to media via conference call.

• Date: November 13, 2013
• Time: 3 p.m. EST / Noon PST
• Participant Phone Number: 877-359-3654 (please call in 10 minutes ahead of scheduled start)

Follow The Trust on Twitter at @PlayersTrust and on Facebook at http://facebook.com/PlayersTrust.

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