FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT: Danielle Baker (615) 300-2600; pne@troupe21.com

NFL SANCTIONED EVENT HOSTED BY TROUPE 21 & ASSOCIATES

DALLAS (January 16, 2015) - Troupe21 & Associates (Troupe21) will present the 15th Annual Player Networking Event™ (PNE) at the Super Bowl on Saturday, January 31, 2015 from 1:00pm to 6:00pm at Arizona State University. This NFL sanctioned event is designed to assist active and former players with their transition from football by facilitating networking with team and league executives, corporate guests and event exhibitors. PNE is a collaboration of over 50 organizations committed to helping players with various post-event opportunities (e.g. group counseling, career coaching, mentoring, job shadowing, internships, entrepreneurial training, franchising, employment, etc). Event partners and sponsors include Athlife, Arvest Bank, Howard University, Life Reimagined, Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, Sports PRSS, Trend Setter Magazine and Tee It High-Let It Fly. Highlights of PNE 2015 include (1) the PNE Roundtable™ where national experts introduce topics relevant to player transition and engage in small group discussions; (2) Gridiron Game Plans™ where former NFL players pitch funding proposals to a panel of potential investors; and (3) the PNE Crystal Awards™ honoring the post-football accomplishments of former NFL players and practitioners that have made significant contributions to NFL player transition. Ten former players and the following career transition trailblazers will be honored during the event: Dr. Lem Burnham (Pro World Athletes), Kirk Dixon (Howard University), Les Pico (Minnesota Vikings), Kimberly Fields (National Football League), and Sam and Wlima McNabb (McNabb Consulting Group) Active players Karlos Dansby (Cleveland Browns), Davin Joseph (St. Louis Rams) and Chris Harris (Denver Broncos) will be promoting their respective organizations along with a several former player-owned businesses: Ray Ellis (Pro Sports Legacy), John Gillmore (Encore Select), Ray Mickens (Wild Bleu), Spencer Tillman (Axiom Sports Production), John Bronson (Pro Athlete Chamber of Commerce), Sean Vanhorse (New York Life Insurance), Frank Minnifield (Measure Every Day), Adam Walker (Summit Container Corporation), Reggie Howard (United Athlete Foundation), Leonard Stephens (Perfect Performance), Reggie Jones (Stilettos on the Gridiron), Michael Stone (Professional Athlete Franchise Initiative), Abe Elam (McCray’s BBQ), and Irv Smith (Primerica Financial Services). “Since retiring from football, I have had the honor of working with Guy Troupe and the PNE to identify, train and place former players in broadcast and digital media,” states former Philadelphia Eagle and Cleveland Brown Ray Ellis. Ellis’ Phoenix-based company, Pro Sports Legacy, has been hired by PNE to film and post-produce the player-owned business competition as a pilot television show. “Fifteen years ago, we developed a partnership with the NFL to support active and former NFL players, says PNE founder Guy Troupe. PNE 2015 is special because we have mobilized resources for players. All too often players are solicited for investments. We are teaching players to invest in themselves, networking with high net worth individuals, and utilize other people’s money. Troupe21 & Associates was founded by former NFL and NCAA executive Guy Troupe in 2003. The organization focuses addressing human capital and career transition issues in sports. Follow on Twitter@NFLPNE.; event website www.pneinfo.com; company website www.troupe21.com.

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