E75: From Draft Day to Retirement: Life of an NFL Player

Former NFL lineman Mike Wahle joins the podcast to break down the realities of life in the league—from contracts and coaching to culture, taxes, and life after football.

Guest Bio:
Mike Wahle is a former All-Pro offensive lineman who played 11 seasons in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, and Seattle Seahawks. He is the founder of Process to Perform, a platform dedicated to helping athletes become elite performers through mindset, technique, and preparation.

Topics Discussed:

• How the NFL draft process works from an insider’s perspective
• Agent selection, contract structure, and "guaranteed money" myths
• Taxes, signing bonuses, and living costs as a pro athlete
• The economics of player development vs. branding in today’s NFL
• Franchise culture: differences between Packers, Seahawks, and Panthers
• Decline in coaching quality and the rise of "scheme over skill"
• Endorsements, lifestyle pitfalls, and personal finance
• Life after football: identity, injury recovery, and career transitions
• Athletic freaks: Larry Allen, Trent Williams, and the genetic lottery

Top Quotes:

• “Your only real value to a team is your ability to win your 1v1 matchup.”
• “If you’re a top-level player, you want a new contract every three years to ride the salary cap wave.”
• “You don’t need a great agent to be a star. You need the right system, the right coaching, and a little bit of ‘crazy’ to survive.”

🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright
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