While most people remember Shawn Merriman for his “lights out” defensive play at the ballpark, the former NFL All-Pro linebacker has his own business, a fledgling MMA organization named after his nickname. It was a venture and made a big impact off the field. Finding.
Merriman, who retired from the NFL in March 2013, launched the Lights Out brand in 2019 after joining other business ventures such as WWE and NASCAR.
But Merriman quickly learned that navigating the world of business is very different from executing a defensive game plan.in an interview with bag podcast Along with Rashad Jennings and Lindsay McCormick, the three-time professional bowler opened up about the similarities and “huge differences” to his day-to-day work in the NFL running his own business.
“Everybody wants to be a coach until it’s 10 to 12 hours a day,” Merriman said. There is more pressure to be a decision maker.
“If you’re working somewhere and it’s not up to you, that’s kind of OK cool. I screw up, I’ll go next. Here [Merriman’s business], a mess could mean a partnership…something goes wrong with an event. This ship has a lot of ties and I enjoy them. ”
As Merriman continues to navigate his post-football career in the business sector, the former Chargers and Bills linebacker suffered a post-football break when he underwent knee reconstruction surgery to repair torn ligaments in his knee in 2008. He said he began to take life seriously, and his desire to constantly learn and grow reached a new level.
“It changed my mindset,” Merriman said. “I started learning about branding, marketing…As athletes, we all walk around like nothing happens.…I realized I wasn’t made of steel.
“I try to tell a lot of people, especially those nearing the end of their careers, to start honing whatever you want to do right now.”
Merriman was involved in media opportunities and other ventures before LXF, but he said there were still days when he wondered what his day-to-day life would be like. He said, “He works in apparel, and there were days when he was like, ‘Damn, is this okay?’ It just wasn’t the same.”
As part of building Merriman’s brand, I was able to develop a relationship with UFC President Dana White. Merriman said he could pick White’s brains about the UFC and he MMA as a sport.
LXF has not promoted a fight since December, but Merriman’s goal is not only to make White understand the values of his brand, but to “fight more and build a better life for himself.” It is to give an opportunity.
“I want him and the UFC to recognize the talent we have and bring some of them up,” Merriman said. “If that means building their brand in the UFC to get more attention and make more money, I will. There was respect and admiration.
“I’m approaching it from a completely different angle and platform than what I had in the NFL, and now I can build on that.
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