“Life After” a Different Kind of NFL Hit  

By J. Coyden Palmer December 18, 2022

They batter and bruise their bodies for years playing a game they love just to get to the highest level. They engage in the major pro sport with the shortest career and worst contracts. They are often depicted after retiring as broken men; emotionally, physically and financially. That is why Amazon Prime’s new series “Life After” produced by former NFL player, turned actor Thomas Q. Jones is such a refreshing and rewarding look at those who are finding much success in their lives after their NFL career has ended.

The series highlights nearly a dozen retired players who are now ranchers, entertainers, restaurant owners and a variety of other vocations. Many are still seeking the thrills they once had as players by using the competitive nature that made them great on the field and transferring it to their post-sports careers.

Chicagoan Jeff Allen, who played at King High School under the legendary Lonnie Williams, is now a cookie maker in Texas. The Cookie Society, the brainchild of Allen’s wife Marissa, is serving up tasty treats in Frisco, Texas. It is quite a change from Allen’s former career as a Super Bowl winning offensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs. However, the success of the small business he is running with his wife is just as rewarding, according to Allen, who is just one of nearly a dozen players featured in “Life After.”

The series has eight episodes. Each episode is around 25 minutes in length. Jones, who was a running back with the Chicago Bears the last time the team went to the Super Bowl, went into acting after he retired playing football. In the first episode of “Life After,” Jones talks about how the opportunity came about to get into acting and how he took the craft seriously from the start. After a notable appearance on BET’s “Mary Jane” where he played the love interest of the lead character played by Gabrielle Union, Jones now has 34 acting credits to go along with his 12-year NFL career. He has only been a professional actor for seven years.

Then there is the equally compelling story of Dr. Myron Rolle. A former first round draft pick and Rhodes Scholar while he attended Florida State University, Dr. Rolle bowed out of the NFL after three seasons, not because his love for the game wasn’t there anymore, but because his love interests shifted to the human brain. So he went to medical school, graduated top of his class and is now a world-renowned neurosurgeon helping pediatric patients in places like Zambia.

“Life After” is a refreshing series that tears down many of the stereotypes about pro athletes, but particularly football players and Black men in general. The well-produced stories are engaging, informational and inspiring.

“Life After” can be streamed now on Amazon Prime.