The life of a former athlete can take many different directions. Some retired athletes decide to try their hand at another sport, modeling, or sports commentary. The avenues of ‘life after’ are endless.

Chiney Ogwumike

In 2018, WNBA forward Chiney Ogwumike became one of a few pro athletes to work in sports media full-time before ending their playing careers when she signed with ESPN as one of the youngest-ever studio analysts. She was first Black woman to host a national daily sports radio show, the first female broadcaster to work full-time covering both the NBA and WNBA and was appointed to the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States during the Biden administration.

Photography: Instagram/@chiney

Michael Strahan

Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan quickly found his calling in life after football – the former Giants’ defensive end is now a well-known television personality. You can catch the Super Bowl Champion and two-time Emmy winner on ABC's "Good Morning America".

Photography: Instagram/@michaelstrahan

Gilbert Arenas

Former 3x NBA All-star Agent 0, better known as Gilbert Arenas, was a pioneering social media user among pro athletes. He had one of the very first NBA player blogs published on NBA.com. After retirement, Arenas began his podcast, No Chill with Gilbert Arenas in 2018 which grew quickly, received a partnership from FuboTV and eventually started The Arena — a YouTube destination featuring Arenas’ successful streaming NBA commentary show Gil’s Arena, an NFL focused show called The Arena: Gridiron. And if that wasn't enough, Arenas live streams on Twitch, Playback.tv and YouTube.

Photography: Instagram/@gilsarena

Although he hung up his uniform in 2003, Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe is still very involved with football. When he’s not working on his physique in the gym, he's interviewing guests on his podcast "Club Shay Shay" and late night show Nightcap with fellow NFL legend Chad Johnson.

Photography: Instagram/@shannonsharpe84

Pat McAfee

NFL punters don’t usually get their time in the limelight before, during or after their careers, but that didn’t apply to 8-year NFL veteran Pat McAfee. After retiring in 2017, McAfee created The Pat McAfee Show podcast independently and later partnered with Barstool sports. His next move was a major deal with ESPN, where the show is broadcasted in the format we all know today.

Photography: Instagram/@patmcafeeshow

Grant Hill

NBA legend and former Duke Blue Devils forward Grant Hill was best known as a versatile team player that could seamlessly step into the role of a point guard or shooting guard. Beginning with the 2025-26 NBA season, you can catch Hill on the revival of NBA on NBC alongside fellow NBA legends Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady, Reggie Miller, Vince Carter and Jamal Crawford.

Photography: Instagram/@realgranthill

Carmelo Anthony

Melo has said many times in the past that he never wanted to explore a career in media, but that all changed after he’d decided that he didn’t like the negativity in basketball coverage. His podcast 7PM in Brooklyn has a laid back vibe that matches Melo’s personality and often features other NBA players. In his newest venture, Melo signed on with NBC as a studio analyst for the returning, NBA on NBC.

Photography: Instagram/@carmeloanthony

Tom Brady

After a record 7 Super Bowl wins, former all-time great quarterback Tom Brady immediately entered the broadcast booth for Fox NFL Sunday. There’s somewhat of a pipeline from NFL quarterback to broadcast analyst, and Brady is the latest to try his hand. His 23 years of NFL experience add another layer to the games on TV, and he’s been very well-received by audiences.

Photography: Instagram/@tombrady