After his seventh NFL season in 2014, Chicago Bears safety Ryan Mundy knew he was entering the “twilight” of his career. Though only 29 and fresh off his best year, he was cognizant of the sport’s finite longevity.
“When the music stops,” he asked himself, “what am I going to do next?”
Mundy enrolled in the University of Miami’s executive MBA program to take courses part-time, a hybrid of classroom work and online learning. A back injury kept him sidelined for the 2015 season, and after arduous rehab all winter, he decided to retire after a career spent playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants as well.