For Immediate Release: March 2, 2006
Contacts:  Kerry Parke, kparke@hbs.edu, (617) 495-6931
Jim Aisner, jaisner@hbs.edu, (617) 495-6157

NFL PLAYERS PARTICIPATE IN CUSTOM EXECUTIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM AT HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL

2006 NFL Program Participants Photo: Jimmy Ushkurnis

BOSTON - Thirty-five National Football League players from a variety of teams, including the Dallas Cowboys, the Indianapolis Colts, the New England Patriots, the San Francisco 49ers, and the St. Louis Rams, converged on the Harvard Business School (HBS) campus on Sunday to participate in an executive education program designed specifically for them by HBS faculty.


The NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program is made up of two modules – February 27th-March 1st and April 3rd-5th – and is part of an ongoing initiative by the NFL and the NFL Players Association to help players prepare for their careers after football.

The Harvard Huddle: (Left - Right) Adam Timmerman (St. Louis Rams), Gerome Sapp (Indianapolis Colts) and Matt Chatham (New England Patriots) confer during a class break. Photo: Stuart Cahill

Like all other students at the School, the players read case studies about real business problems and discussed them in classes led by HBS professors. The customized curriculum focused on topics such as financial analysis and valuation, marketing strategies, and business plans, as well as legal and tax issues the players were likely to face beyond the playing field. They also took part in workshops that emphasized entrepreneurial opportunities. Classes on self-assessment and career planning completed the course of study.

During the month-long break between the two sessions, the players will research a business concept or entrepreneurial venture and bring their findings with them when they return for the second module. As part of their class work, the players will be able to seek the advice of HBS professors with an expertise in their area of interest.

This is the second year that HBS has worked with the NFL and the Players Association to develop such a program.

About Harvard Business School
Founded in 1908 as part of Harvard University, Harvard Business School (www.hbs.edu) is located on a 40-acre campus in Boston. Its faculty of more than 200 offers full-time programs leading to the MBA and doctoral degrees, as well as more than 40 Executive Education programs. For almost a century, HBS faculty have drawn on their research, their experience in working with organizations worldwide, and their passion for teaching to educate leaders who have shaped the practice of business around the globe.