University of Georgia Athletics
Matt Stinchcomb Enjoys Life After Football
May 04, 2012 | Football
May 4, 2012
By Loran Smith
There is life after football, but it is not the good life for many National Football League players, who seem to frequently find themselves in disharmony with the world. They find themselves broke, having squandered big money, and, with no degree, they have nowhere to turn.
Athletes grow up believing that the suppleness of their youthful muscles will never ebb and fade. They spend money freely and easily, as if the spigot will never be turned off. They invest in cars, women, and a good time, becoming accustomed to a lifestyle that flees with the wind when they can no longer dance in end zones. The tragedy is that the poorer a kid is, the worse he seems to think when it is decision-making time. "I saved some money as a player," says former New York Giant quarterback Phil Simms, "but I didn't save as much as I could have and should have."
Unfortunately, the best athletes don't always have the best grade point average. They are the beneficiary of entitlement perks along the way, but they don't learn to appreciate academic and cultural values. At the end, they feel cheated and foster contempt for the system, which spawned them but then lets them down. Athletes today eagerly enroll in college but not for a degree. They only want to be trained for the National Football League. Until that changes, there will be more and more blights on big-time college athletics.
The foregoing indicts most college athletes who want to play professionally but fortunately not all. There are those who choose to go to class to experience the academic journey. They think an "A" on an exam is as important as scoring a touchdown. They spit provincialism in the eye. They expect to find gainful employment when their playing days are over.
One of those would be Matt Stinchcomb, a two-time All-American tackle at Georgia and an alumnus of Super Bowl competition. He spent seven years in the NFL and is one who saved as much money as possible. He looked on pro football as a short-lived excursion, enjoying the competition and investing wisely. He knew football would come to an end and prepared himself for that reality.
The trade-off of a college education to play football for this son of a teacher was a windfall he would never take for granted. It meant as much to him to make Academic All-America as it did to earn All-America for his competitive performance on the football field. In December of his senior year at Georgia, 1998, Matt was invited to New York for the National Football Foundation dinner as a scholar athlete. His well-rounded resume included high marks for performance on the field and in the classroom. He also found time for good works in the community. The Foundation hierarchy honored Stinchcomb with the Campbell Trophy, which is considered the "Academic Heisman."
Following the NFL, Stinchcomb established himself in business. He and former Bulldog quarterback David Greene operate an insurance office in Atlanta for Seacrest Partners. Stinchcomb is also a college football analyst for ESPNU and the SEC Network.
Last weekend, Terry College, UGA's nationally regarded business school, held its annual gala at the Intercontinental Hotel. This is a showcase event in which graduates who are titans in business are honored.
It is not often that an acclaimed business school would honor one of its own at age 34, but Stinchcomb has always been an exception. As Stinchcomb, comfortable, relaxed, and without notes, spoke to his appreciation for his alma mater, there was the conclusion that no greater glory can come to "ole Georgia" than when it is able to recognize a former player who has overachieved because he believed passionately that a good grade was as fulfilling as making a downfield block.
