Ali Marpet: trading dollars for a doctorate, guarding Tom Brady, climbing Kilimanjaro

On the latest episode of the NFL Players: Second Acts podcast, Peanut and Roman are joined by former Tampa Bay Buccaneers guard Ali Marpet. At 28 years old Ali shocked the NFL world when he announced his retirement. He was a year removed from winning a Super Bowl ring, he had just made his first Pro Bowl, and he was three years into a contract extension that was set to pay him $55 million. Yet, Ali was clear-eyed when decided to walk away. In a penetrating conversation, Ali tells Peanut and Roman the journey to reaching his decision to leave the NFL, how he’s still grieving his career, and how he’s turned his full attention to education in the pursuit of a doctorate degree. After listening, you’ll come away with an understanding that Ali was destined to have an impact that went far beyond the game of football.

1:23 – Ali on going from a Division III program to the NFL

5:46 – Ali on his weight loss journey since retiring from the NFL

8:36 – Ali on climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro

13:43 – Ali on walking away from $20M with NFL retirement

21:20 – Ali talks about how his family received the news that he would retire from the NFL

22:52 – Ali talks about getting his grub on for his 30th birthday

23:32 – Ali talks about his favorite travel destinations
25:27 – Roman shares his bucket list travel destination

26:33 – Ali talks about his path he’s on to get his doctorate in psychology

31:45 – Peanut and Ali talk about how their channel failure into motivation

35:23 – Ali talks about how his football experience will serve him as a psychologist

36:20 – Ali, Peanut and Roman share how they’ve managed their transitions from the NFL, and advice they have for young players

44:05 – Ali shares his welcome to the NFL moment

45:39 – Ali tells his best Tom Brady and Gronk stories

48:35 – Ali and Peanut bond over their Jewish heritage and whether they’ll have a Bar Mitzvah

50:25 – Ali gives his top 5 travel destinations

52:54 – Ali shares who is on his personal Mount Rushmore

54:42 -Ali talks being the standard at his college, and why he thinks he didn’t get a Division I football scholarship

NOTE: Time codes are approximate.

The NFL Players: Second Acts podcast is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeart Radio.

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