From Football Star To Franchisee

After retiring from the NFL, Jason Avant set out to build a new career in franchising that would bring him (and his customers) plenty of joy.

- Hayden Field

Jason Avant has always been in the entertainment business. The former NFL receiver is an athlete by trade, but the business of football, he says, is about making sure fans have fun and providing them with an escape from reality. “That’s what football is,” Avant says.

Football is, in fact, what provided Avant with his own escape from reality decades ago. He grew up on the South Side of Chicago, where both drugs and violence were prevalent. When Avant discovered football, he found something much more worthy of his energy—and he also found his way out. He played college football at the University of Michigan before signing with the NFL, where he played for the Philadelphia Eagles, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Carolina Panthers.