Some Seahawks players are spending their offseason learning the ins and outs of Starbucks.
As part of a job shadow program the Seahawks organize for their players, Starbucks invited Garry Gilliam, Marcus Burley, Mike Morgan, Julius Warmsley, and Kevin Pierre-Louis — the geekiest Seahawk — to the Starbucks HQ this week to learn more about the company’s operations.
The players spent the past several days hanging with the Starbucks Global Communications, Global Digital Marketing and Partner Communications & Engagement teams. Starbucks said the program “aims to bolster post-gridiron prospects by providing guidance, education and support on the job front as well as a chance interact with Starbucks partners (employees) and the community.”
.@Garry_Gilliam of the #Seahawks is helping us respond to your tweets & pictures! #tobeapartner #GoHawks pic.twitter.com/clT71Dya9Y
— Starbucks Partners (@starbucksprtnrs) June 9, 2015
.@lizBpimpin #manofmanytalents #proof –@Garry_Gilliam pic.twitter.com/YFZVH2UPMQ
— Starbucks Partners (@starbucksprtnrs) June 9, 2015
Had an amazing day at the @Starbucks Support Center! The people that work there are amazing! Blessed with the opportunity to meet & shadow
— Kevin Pierre-Louis (@MrHyde_24) June 12, 2015
Gilliam, who signed with the Seahawks in May 2014, said he wants to be a serial entrepreneur one day and is already thinking about what careers he could pursue after football.
“About 90 percent of NFL players are bankrupt within two years of being out of football,” Gilliam said in a news release. “They’re trying to live a lifestyle they no longer can support.”
The NFL says the average career length for a player is just over six years; others say it’s really only half of that.
Pierre-Louis echoed Gilliam’s thoughts on life after football when we caught up with the Seahawks linebacker last month at a University of Washington MBA event.
“The NFL stands for ‘Not For Long,’” he said. “This is just a great opportunity to meet people and see how they are getting together to brainstorm ideas. It gets my mind working in the right direction.”
The Seahawks did something similar last year with Starbucks. The team also partnered with Microsoft for another week-long job shadow program in 2013.