NFL Takes Financial Literacy to Next Level

The National Football League has long supported financial education and continues to invest heavily in promoting higher levels of financial literacy among young people, including through the Financial Football program rolled out in partnership with Visa.  Financial Football teaches financial and money management skils through an exciting, interactive game that keeps students engaged while educating them regarding financial matters.

Building on its programmatic success in financial education, the NFL is now devoting even greater resources to financially educating its own players.  The league recently hired 11-year football veteran Patrick Kerney as the vice president of player benefits and NFL legends operations, in which role he will facilitate educational programs to ensure that current and former players better understand the financial services and other benefits offered to them.

Kerney was named the 2007 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and also was a two-time All-Pro while playing for Seattle and Atlanta.  Following his football career, Kerney pursued a master’s degree in business administration at Columbia University.  After witnessing many of his teammates and other NFL players fail to make informed decisions regarding their finances, he decided to take on a career role that would help increase the financial literacy of NFL players.

The NFL’s commitment to the financial education of its players is consistent with similar moves taking place within the other major sports leagues, as the NHL, NBA and Major League Baseball all have pursued financial literacy initiatives to a greater degree in the more recent past.  This focus on financial education in sports is expected to not only help the players themselves regarding their financial affairs, but also to help in raising awareness of the importance of financial literacy generally among the broader public as the players will become more informed role models in the area of financial education.