“It was one of the hardest transitions to make for any athlete especially if the athlete gets cut off short in their career as I did. It’s difficult because all you know is your sport and you never think about doing anything else.”

"At the core of it, the relationship with the players was important. The players trusted and believed in me and that made it such a great organization.”

“Whatever it is that you want to do or get into long term start building the foundation for that now. Don’t wait until you're recently retired from your sport of choice.”

“I wanted to be able to teach athletes about the entire spectrum of being a professional athlete. I wanted athletes to come to utilize their platforms that best benefit them."

"I wouldn't necessarily call it a niche but reminding them that simple lifestyle changes such as reading , holistic healing and investments can make a major impact in their life."

Visionary Sports Business Academy: Empowering and developing future leaders in sports 

“That play has opened up so many doors for me. That play has been a real blessing in disguise for me.”

“I believe that I was talented enough and skilled enough to play Division one basketball however, playing at that level just wasn’t a part of God’s plan for me.”

“Never think that you're untouchable and injury is inevitable. Use football as a platform and a momentum for the rest of your life."

“Sometimes people see what you’re supposed to do before you do.”

"I love cooking and I want to share it with as many people as possible." 

"I wanted to put something in place so now moving forward, athletes have a book they can read, a class they could take, or a course they could go to that will actually help them transition into life after sports."

"Sports has been a wonderful teaching tool.”

By Aaron Tyson The transition from an elite athletic figure to one's life beyond sports can present its challenges. Many are welcomed into professional athletics with open arms and a traveling fan base that can be traced back as far as sixth-grade. The drafted players are instantly identified as icons and hometown heroes — or better yet celebrities in today’s digital world. Even those who are undrafted are celebrated, having reached a level of playing competition that only a small percentage…

Clark Atlanta University Head Coach Darrell Walker against the Boston Celtics. Walker played with the New York Knicks from 1983-1986 Words: Craig Allen Brown Images: Darrell Walker | CAU Athletics Former NBA player and coach Darrell Walker is using his experiences and compassion to significantly alter the lives of student-athletes at Clark Atlanta University. His men’s basketball team is undergoing significant growth, in the classroom and on the hardwood. Darrell Walker excelled at basket…