For NFL players, retirement means the end of one career and the beginning of a new one. For some, that means broadcasting, coaching or advertising. Yet, for a few committed athletes, it’s a chance to become a full-fledged businessman.
Ryan Kuehl, a Whitman alum (‘90), spent 12 seasons playing in the NFL as a defensive lineman and long snapper. After bouncing from team to team as a defensive lineman, it wasn’t until he was with the Cleveland Browns from 1999 until 2002 that he began to capitalize on his knack for hiking the ball. An injury to his Achilles tendon sidelined Kuehl during the 2007 season on the New York Giants, which ended up being his last. The Giants went on to defeat the New England Patriots that year in the Super Bowl. Following his lengthy tenure, Kuehl uses lessons he learned in the NFL to start a new career with athletic-apparel giant Under Armour.
“I miss the guys and I miss the paycheck but I don’t miss getting beat up,” Kuehl said. “Sports taught me a lot about discipline, time management and focus.”
While playing with the Giants, Kuehl was at the practice or stadium facilities almost every day of the week.
“Wednesday is your first day,” he said. “You get in at about 6:15, and you get out at about 4:00 p.m. This entails rehab, lifting weights, a lot of film work and practice. Same thing on Thursday, and Friday you get in at [6:15], but you’re out at about 1:00.”
Following each hectic week, Kuehl and the team would then perform a walkthrough at the stadium on Saturday, followed by Sunday’s game and then back to the weight room on Monday. The only official off day Kuehl received was Tuesday, before he restarted the cycle on Wednesday.
As a long snapper, Kuehl was able to stay out of the limelight because his position didn’t attract much individual attention, which he says fit his personality perfectly.
“I never wanted attention and I knew that when no one talked to me,” Kuehl said in an interview with the NFL Players Association in early 2010. “That’s because I didn’t screw up.”
While staying out of the public eye, Kuehl was able to prepare for life after football during the off-season. When he came into the league, he knew he would be a minimum salary player, which is why he spent many off-seasons working towards his MBA in finance and entrepreneurship. Once he officially retired, he started getting involved in a few business ventures before finding what he really wanted to do.
“A guy that I had known for a number of years, Kevin Plank, the founder of Under Armour, had contacted me about coming on board,” Kuehl said. “Since winter of 2008, I’ve been the Director of Sports Marketing.”
With this title, some of Kuehl’s responsibilities are what Under Armour calls “contractive assets.” Kuehl deals with professional events such as the Senior Bowl, the NFL training combine for athletes coming from college, and athletes on the side.
Since retiring from the NFL, Kuehl has seen an increase in both family and relaxation time.
“I’m able to go to my in-laws’ at the beach in August; I get to do that now instead of training camp. It’s everything on the weekends during the fall, whether it’s my kid’s sports or going out on Halloween night, it’s the social things that you don’t get to do while playing,” he said.
When it was time to settle, Kuehl returned to his native Whitman district neighborhood, River Falls.
“We were really looking for a place for our kids to run free,” Kuehl says. “We wanted a real sense of community and thought River Falls was the place to be.”
Though he doesn’t play professionally anymore, Kuehl’s continued love for the game, along with his son’s football career, keeps him involved in the sport.
“I enjoy most sitting with [my son] on the sofa, talking to him about what I see about on TV ,” Kuehl said. “One way or another, I’m sure my kids will be coached by me. It’s just a question of whether or not I’m their official coach, or just sitting at home watching a game with them.”
