Todd Gurley Understands the Business Side of the NFL, and He's Taking Advantage

Arguably no player has benefitted from the Rams' move to Los Angeles more than running back Todd Gurley.

© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

If you were to rank the professional athletes who are taking advantage of their local landscape and garnering fame outside of their prospective sports, LeBron James is probably sitting at No. 1. 

However, Todd Gurley can't be too far down on the list.

Like LeBron, Gurley has found a way to use the Los Angeles landscape, turning a new home into a series of fruitful endeavors. Whether it's commercial spots or startup investments, the Los Angeles Rams running back is helping to show the world that there's more to these athletes than meets the eye. 

"You've got to. For me to be in L.A. and be a known athlete, to have actual billionaires’ numbers in your phone. Because once you’re out of this league, it’s too late. It’s way too late,” Gurley said on the LightHarted Podcast with Josh Hart.

After Gurley entered the NFL, then playing in St. Louis, he has been able to learn and grow in the sport, taking advantage of opportunities that come his way. He invested in Beyond Meat early on before the price of the stock soared following its IPO, and now he's trying to spread the message to other players that they need to get paychecks outside of the NFL while they're available. 

“I just went to the Super Bowl, I’m playing in the NFL, I’m a known athlete, so it’s like, why not put myself in a position? I have all these phone numbers in my phone, so why not use them," Gurley said. “I’ve been learning about the business, building your own brand, being your own CEO and learning about that stuff, it interests me."

If he can continue to collect checks outside of the game while putting up major stats on the field, Gurley and his family will be set for years to come.