Troupe21 & Associates will host the 15th Annual Player Networking Event (PNE) on January 31, 2015 in Arizona as an NFL sanctioned event to help active and former players transition from football. Over 50 organizations will provide various post-career opportunities like counseling, coaching, and internships. Highlights include roundtable discussions on career topics, former players pitching business proposals to investors, and awards honoring players and practitioners for post-football accomplishments. Active and former players will promote their organizations and businesses. PNE founder Guy Troupe states the event mobilizes resources to teach players to invest in themselves rather than be solicited for investments.

1. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT: Danielle Baker
(615) 300-2600; pne@troupe21.com
NFL SANCTIONED EVENT HOSTED BY TROUPE 21 & ASSOCIATES
DALLAS (January 16, 2015) - Troupe21 & Associates (Troupe21) will present the 15th Annual
Player Networking Event™ (PNE) at the Super Bowl on Saturday, January 31, 2015 from 1:00pm to
6:00pm at Arizona State University. This NFL sanctioned event is designed to assist active and
former players with their transition from football by facilitating networking with team and league
executives, corporate guests and event exhibitors.
PNE is a collaboration of over 50 organizations committed to helping players with various post-
event opportunities (e.g. group counseling, career coaching, mentoring, job shadowing, internships,
entrepreneurial training, franchising, employment, etc). Event partners and sponsors include Athlife,
Arvest Bank, Howard University, Life Reimagined, Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, Sports PRSS,
Trend Setter Magazine and Tee It High-Let It Fly.
Highlights of PNE 2015 include (1) the PNE Roundtable™ where national experts introduce topics
relevant to player transition and engage in small group discussions; (2) Gridiron Game Plans™ where
former NFL players pitch funding proposals to a panel of potential investors; and (3) the PNE
Crystal Awards™ honoring the post-football accomplishments of former NFL players
and practitioners that have made significant contributions to NFL player transition. Ten former
players and the following career transition trailblazers will be honored during the event: Dr. Lem
Burnham (Pro World Athletes), Kirk Dixon (Howard University), Les Pico (Minnesota Vikings),
Kimberly Fields (National Football League), and Sam and Wlima McNabb (McNabb Consulting
Group)
Active players Karlos Dansby (Cleveland Browns), Davin Joseph (St. Louis Rams) and Chris Harris
(Denver Broncos) will be promoting their respective organizations along with a several former
player-owned businesses: Ray Ellis (Pro Sports Legacy), John Gillmore (Encore Select), Ray Mickens
(Wild Bleu), Spencer Tillman (Axiom Sports Production), John Bronson (Pro Athlete Chamber of
Commerce), Sean Vanhorse (New York Life Insurance), Frank Minnifield (Measure Every Day),
Adam Walker (Summit Container Corporation), Reggie Howard (United Athlete Foundation),
Leonard Stephens (Perfect Performance), Reggie Jones (Stilettos on the Gridiron), Michael Stone
(Professional Athlete Franchise Initiative), Abe Elam (McCray’s BBQ), and Irv Smith (Primerica
Financial Services).
“Since retiring from football, I have had the honor of working with Guy Troupe and the PNE to
identify, train and place former players in broadcast and digital media,” states former Philadelphia
Eagle and Cleveland Brown Ray Ellis. Ellis’ Phoenix-based company, Pro Sports Legacy, has been
hired by PNE to film and post-produce the player-owned business competition as a pilot television
show.
“Fifteen years ago, we developed a partnership with the NFL to support active and former NFL
players, says PNE founder Guy Troupe. PNE 2015 is special because we have mobilized resources
for players. All too often players are solicited for investments. We are teaching players to invest in
themselves, networking with high net worth individuals, and utilize other people’s money.
Troupe21 & Associates was founded by former NFL and NCAA executive Guy Troupe in 2003.
The organization focuses addressing human capital and career transition issues in sports. Follow on
Twitter@NFLPNE.; event website www.pneinfo.com; company website www.troupe21.com.
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