Franchise summit to help athletes after careers

By David Markiewicz

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Gerris Wilkinson is well aware of the brevity of the typical pro football career and that, as he enters his fifth season in the National Football league as a linebacker with the New York Giants, he's already gone beyond average.

The former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket also knows he needs a second act, and that's why he's expected to be among the several dozen professional athletes at a business conference in Atlanta Tuesday and Wednesday where they will get an education in the basics of buying and operating a franchise business.

Franchise Summit ‘10, co-sponsored by the International Franchise Association and the Atlanta-based Allied Athlete Group, is intended to provide a primer to current and retired pro athletes who have the money and desire to start a business, but may not know how to go about it.

The idea is to "give you an education on the options that are out there," said Wilkinson, who said he recently broke ground on a Golden Corral franchise in Alabama, a restaurant business he co-owns with several other pro ballplayers.

The summit will offer insights on how to choose a franchise, select a location, hire employees and develop a business plan. Some former athletes who've had success with franchising will speak at the event.

Allied was founded two years ago by a group of athletes including former NFL safety and CEO Michael Stone, as a private membership club of pro athletes who could learn from and help each other in business. The firm offers services such as travel assistance, but Stone, who lives in Atlanta, said the emphasis is on preparing ballplayers for life after the game.

"A lot of (current) athletes are focused on the daily experience and the lifestyle," he said. When they realize, as their careers wind down, that they will need to continue making money to support themselves,  he said, "it's too late" to take advantage of the name and contacts they make while active.

Player agents and unions help in some areas like contract negotiations, he said, but they don't provide specialized knowledge about starting a business.

Miriam Brewer, director of education and diversity for the IFA, said the event can promote the association and franchisors seeking  prospects. Representatives of major  franchise brands are expected to attend.